April is the perfect time to write my second blog post because everything is winding down. We are coming up to the three hundred hour mark so it is the best time to reflect on my Jumpstart service throughout these two semesters. Jumpstart has opened my eyes to so many things, one of them being the practice of giving children the chance to make their own decisions. Every other time in my life that I have worked with children it was I that delegated all their tasks and activities but with Jumpstart, although there is a curriculum, the children have a large amount of freedom of choice. They get to pour their own paint and choose what colors to mix together in the art center. They are allowed to decide what book they feel like reading at the reading center. They even have the option of choosing what center they want to go, when they want to go there, and how long they want to stay. It’s very easy to forget that even though preschoolers are just learning how to spell their name and how to count to ten, they still have a mind of their own; a mind that is complete with opinions, ideas, and feelings. Jumpstart has showed me that it is important to take these opinion, ideas, and feelings into account whilst acting as an authority in the figure in the classroom. I have learned that I don’t have to let the kids run wild to get them to like me and I don’t have to rule the classroom with an iron first to get them to respect me. This is one of the most valuable things I have picked up during my time as a Jumpstart Corps Member.
~Efua Hayford
Corps member
Team Connection
No comments:
Post a Comment