I had one of the best weeks in Jumpstart I’ve had so far in session last week. The first semester of Jumpstart took a lot of getting used to and it took me a little while to find my footing in the classroom. Reading was always difficult because my students were always really hyper right after snack time and had a hard time focusing on the story. They wouldn’t listen to me, would run away from me, fight with each other, and seemed to show no interest in the story or learning. It was hard to keep trying because I wasn’t noticing them making any particular advancements or progress during reading time. I had heard a lot about how rewarding Jumpstart would be and how corps members form such close bonds with their partner children who would appreciate and love them. I felt like my partner children had no interest in me or why I was there, and it frustrated me that we could never get through a story peacefully.
Last week we were reading A Letter to Amy in Jumpstart. I don’t know if it was maybe that my students are more familiar with Jumpstart and me or if they just really loved the story, but they both sat there the entire time and didn’t yell at me, or run away, or fight with each other. They were perfectly silent as I read and acted out the whole book, which has never happened before. They were so active and eager to talk about the story after I finished and to retell to me what had just happened and who all the characters were. I was so amazed and proud to see their growth and how far they had come in just a couple of weeks. All of my patience finally seemed so worth it, and they have inspired me to keep trying and made me recognize that I really am making a difference just like I hoped I would.
~Christina Koch
Corps member
Team Joy 2
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