Joy of Jumpstart

The laughter, the giggles, and the screams combined create an atmosphere of happiness and innocence. The kids scramble to the front of the room as soon as they see the red JumpStart T-shirts and it provides so much joy and they automatically brighten your day. All of the troubles and stress from earlier that day are left at the door and for two hours you are allowed to forget and let loose. The beauty of working with children is that infect you with their happiness and excitement that you motivate yourself to offer them the best JumpStart session they’ve ever had. Although these children may come from “low-income” families they are intelligent, funny, and ambitious and they act like the rest of the three year olds in “middle-income” families. JumpStart is there just to emphasize the importance of reading, writing, and creativity. Perhaps in their household their parents or grandparents do not have the time or opportunity to read to them but that does not mean these children are at a disadvantage.

                  Furthermore, the anticipation of the first session was stressful and anxious because as a Corp Member you do not want to ruin the JumpStart experience for the children; first impressions are always the most crucial. All of the preparation and awkward stares from my roommates when I was reading Oonga Boonga in my teacher voice eased my nerves just slightly but I learned that as a Corp Member we have to be able to go with the flow and think on your feet rather quickly. The first session did not go according to plan but it wasn’t a disaster either; we learned as a team what worked and what needed improvement. Even though I stumbled on my words during name cards and reading, my kids didn’t notice because they were just intrigued with our presence. During center time, my center was Reading and I was already forewarned that no child would go to my center; however, I had one lone child that was very enthusiastic about books. I read to him and he read to me and he never became bored with the books or Reading Center which gave me such joy because I always loved it when my mother read to me as a child. Having the ability to instill the importance of literature and reading to a child is so exhilarating that the forty five minutes of center time zoomed by and I was ready for the next session.

                  Moreover, the end of the first session is a huge relief because you actually made it through the whole session with actual kids and you did not die or cry. After interacting with three year olds for two hours you literally feel like you just ran a marathon and all you want to do is sleep for the next twelve hours. Now I understand why parents always look so frazzled and drained when they drop off their kids to school or practice. We definitely must give parents more credit because they have to have much more patience than Corp Members do. We are lucky because after two hours we have the ability to leave the classroom and return but parents are not as lucky. Furthermore, I realized to appreciate my parents for putting up with me as a child because I know I was not an easy baby to deal with. As I get more comfortable with my kids and all the session plans I will be able to worry less and enjoy the session along with the kids. JumpStart is all about these kids and I am so proud and honored to be a part of an organization that is breaking the barrier of education.   

~Natalie Giron
Corps member
Team Kindness