So I’ve done 2/3 days of volunteering this week, the last
being tomorrow and I thought it would be good to compare this second week to
the first week I did. For a start, I am more organised. I’ve been given a
timetable. I’ll be doing individual reading with pupils from year 1 on Tuesday
and Thursday, with pupils from year 3 on Wednesday, and spending a little bit
of time in the Library on a Tuesday as well. I’m really grateful for the
timetable, as it will hopefully get the kids familiar with me, so they feel
more comfortable reading with me. The last half an hour of each morning will be
spent with the same three year 2 pupils, in a group reading session. However,
after my first attempt at this on Tuesday, today I insisted on seeing them
individually today. They lacked attention, distracted each other and were
generally a nightmare to control, when part of a group. I left wondering
whether it was my fault, but after speaking with the teachers – yes they were bad
– but it is generally quite a difficult year group on the whole. So on the one
hand, I was glad they weren’t simply acting up because I was new, and they were
testing me. On the other hand, it meant
I needed to re-think things. I sought advice from JJ’s mum, who used to teach
special needs children (not that these children have special needs, but she had
some good advice in regards to short-attention spans) and I decided I would see
if they behaved differently individually for a start. So this morning I saw
them one by one, and what a difference! The teacher had apparently reprimanded
them for their behaviour the previous day, after another teacher saw me
struggling with them and had let her know. But they concentrated better, were
generally more enthusiastic and we got through far more in ten minutes than
we’d managed in half an hour as a group. I would definitely like to see them by
themselves again in the future, as they seemed to enjoy the individual
attention more as well. I even had one boy suggest he bring his books from home
to read to me, which I obviously encouraged, after he learnt I’d be seeing him
three days a week.
On the whole, today was far more positive than yesterday.
After the bad session yesterday I went to work afterwards miserable, convinced
I’d wasted their time and my own. But today has rekindled my enthusiasm and
reminded me of why I set out to volunteer in the first place. What the children
seem to value most is time focussed on just them. They are not part of a class
when they’re reading to me, but just themselves. They can chat to me about
their book and ask questions without judgement of anyone else and I’m really
learning how to interact with different age groups, which hopefully will be
really valuable in the long run.
Thankfully I have the Easter break coming up. I will be in
work helping to complete the stock check for some of the holidays, but first
I’m making the trip up to see my family, and go on a mini-escape to Bruges
(somewhere I’ve never been!) for a day with one of my best girly friends.
Bliss! There’ll be lots of reading no doubt too. Books I hope to complete
before the end of the break include:
Rebecca – Daphnie Du Maurier (I’m about a third of the way
through this)
Macbeth – Shakespeare
The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
All the Truth that’s in me – Julie Berry (For the Carnegie
Shadowing book club I help run)
Maybe I’ll get round to reading more. But those four have
been sat waiting for a while! Expect some reviews too…
Two more days of work! For now,
Over and out.
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