The day I found SEAL, I was tired; I had spent the better part of the day trudging up and down the many organizations tabling in front of Gregory Gym in the unforgiving August heat. Suddenly, I heard a gentle voice amongst the others: “Does anyone like reading to kids?” I peered around until I … Continue reading Lunar Lessons from a Second Grader
For My Reading Buddy
I already see it happening. When the boys go “ooh cool” about the lizard on the sidewalk, my buddy shrieks and jumps and says she doesn’t want anything to do with it. I find this frustrating. I can tell she’s curious about the lizard because, when the boys move on, she joins me, stooped over … Continue reading For My Reading Buddy
Lessons Learned from Teaching
Joining SEAL, I had no expectation of what it would be like to tutor an elementary student since I had never done any sort of volunteer work solely with children. Although I was worried about working with a first grader, my semester volunteering with SEAL allowed me to gain valuable insight into working with children. … Continue reading Lessons Learned from Teaching
On Tyrannosaurs and Kids Who Love Them
On the first day of my experience with SEAL, my volunteer group was led into a hectic cafeteria filled with excited kids and flustered adults. It was overwhelming, to say the least. Then, our volunteer coordinator hustled over to us with four kids in tow and I was assigned my reading buddy, a kid I'll … Continue reading On Tyrannosaurs and Kids Who Love Them
Praise and Validation
After being absent from Reading Buddies for a week due to illness, I was a bit nervous to return. Since we had only met twice, I was worried that [A], my buddy, wouldn’t want to see me or had forgotten my name. My group was a little late arriving to Pecan Springs due to traffic, … Continue reading Praise and Validation
Dorie’s First Day of School
Last week, I visited Pecan Springs Elementary for the first time, and I had no idea what to expect. After touring the school, we were introduced to our Reading Buddies: four excited, clingy girls and one boy so quiet that at first I didn’t know he was part of the group. One-by-one, we were paired … Continue reading Dorie’s First Day of School
For the Love of Reading
My favorite children's book, Sideways Stories From Wayside School by Louis Sachar, tells of a teacher turning kids into apples, students like Leslie trying to sell her toes for five cents each, and Sammy, who is really just a dead rat in a raincoat. These tales from a thirty story school were so absurd and hilarious that … Continue reading For the Love of Reading
