Last day of tutoring :( I got to say goodbye to Azari and Timiya, but it was definitely bittersweet. I can't wait to come back next semester. The art project was a pretty lofty ideal because giving kindergarteners water color without any instructions is dangerous. I left that day with a new red stain on my sneakers and something to look forward to when we come back from break.
The first week back from Thanksgiving. Our friend Timiyah noticed right away that Ella wasn't there, and let's just say she was disappointed. Other than that, it was a really chill day. I followed Timiyah to her tutoring session because her tutor didn't show up, so she had to get grouped in with an older group. They were playing a game that was supposed to help them learn letter sounds where they grab the card and whoever grabs it gets to say the sounds and keep the card for a point. It got pretty heated, and a lot of tutoring that day calling out kids for cheating, and trying to teach sportsmanship.
Today was fun! A little hectic at the beginning, a group of boys were trying to rile me up, demanding attention but once they figured out they couldn't get a reaction out of me, they just wanted me to hang out with them. I talked to Azari and Jade again today, and they wanted to talk about their favorite things about Thanksgiving. They wanted to know what I was doing, and when I told them I wasn't going home they were really surprised, almost like they didn't know that was an option for some people.
This was a really fun day. Homework help went well and no major tantrums happened. Although I didn't have a group to join during tutoring and Melanie just sort of offered me a job (what?!). Then I joined a group of two young boys learning how to use certain words in sentences, and I had to administer another spelling test, these two students didn't do as well as Azari.
HK Halloween Party!!!! It was so fun seeing everyone's costumes. Kyleigh was there and giving me sass as usual but she had a good time. Azari was also there and loved the mummy station where you wrap people in toilet paper. Eventually, I checked in with Nora who just sat in my lap like she did at the picnic and just stayed in my arms the rest of the day. I carried her around and she sat on my lap until they went home.
Today was the day of the hat, coat, and glove distribution. Homework help and art went really well today, with no major conflicts. However, I was placed with a tutoring group that was having some trouble focusing. Two students in the group, a girl and a boy, insisted on being called names that weren't their actual ones, so that was fun. The little girl was taking bites of an apple and then spitting them out on the table and then into the trashcan. We were able to get through the alphabet cards though and then they went home.
Today was a rough day. Right at the beginning of program, there was a fight between two of the older kids. Two staff members broke it up quickly, but it still caused a lot of chaos. Then the girls at my table were incredibly temperamental. There were 3 meltdowns total, I dealt with most of them. The strangest one though was Carmin, who had been quiet all day. She would scream bloody murder any time someone talked to her or moved toward her. I took her to a room to calm down, and we ended up kinda talking, but mostly just getting her to trust me so that she could exist in the main room and trust me to keep people from bothering her. After all that work, she ate a granola bar, and all of a sudden she was a social butterfly. Kids are weird.
HK Picnic!! Tate and I were "playing football" when a little girl wandered out into the field in the middle of a bunch of little boys running around. So naturally I went over to try and usher her out of the way, but when I bent down to talk to her, she maneuvered her way into my lap and just ate her cookie. Her name is Nora and I love her.
Second Volunteering Shift
I worked with younger kids today, first and second grade. I got my first picture drawn for me and the kid gave it to me towards the beginning of the shift. I also had more kids at my table today, at times there were 6 or 7 young kids. We made portfolios for them to keep future art in for the rest of the semester, and they got to decorate them by coloring on the outside. They became obsessed with getting graded, and they all wanted me to write "A+" on their folder. These kids were a lot more physically affectionate, they wanted hugs, and to sit on my lap all the time. After they split the kids into their tutoring groups, there were 2 kids left over at my table, and the program leader asked Ella and I to administer a spelling test. I worked with one girl, Azari, and Ella worked with the other, and even though they were in the same grade, they had very different experiences with the spelling test. Azari was a lot faster and more accurate. I tried to work with Ella to avoid making the other child feel inferior or self-conscious. When we were done, they were both really proud and asked to give their tests to Niemph themselves. When the other girl gave Niemph her sheet, she reacted kindly and told the girl she had done a good job, and when Azari handed her her sheet she seemed surprised at her performance and clarified what grade she was in. After that, they wanted to keep spelling, and they both wanted to try longer words and sentences.
Ella and I also noticed a bunch of signs that said "Thou shalt not kill"
First Day of Volunteering
The shift got off to an interesting start, with our Lyft driver. While we were driving, we got to talking with him. He was a person of color, and he shared that he lived here his whole life. Part of me assumed that as a black man and a DC native, he may be less susceptible to the stereotypes about Anacostia. But as we approached the HK Hub he said "Y'all have to be careful around here, okay?" Also, right before we crossed over the bridge into Anacostia, we saw a sign (pictured attached below) on the fence surrounding a construction site that said "... DCs Fasted Growing Neighborhood."
At the homework help, it was a little tough getting started. We were late, so we missed snack time. Based on what the program leader said to the kids, they were so talkative that they had completely missed out on the time allotted for homework help, so we just helped them transition to STEAM. I worked with two kids the whole time, and then a third joined when we split into tutoring groups. nothing too crazy happened, but I was the first "Rachel" they had ever met, and the little girl was obsessed with the fact that you could see the veins in my arm.
I do love that you showed them very clearly there isn't one way to celebrate or have down time. Love that for all of you!