Today at BJM I was cleaning up after second choice when I was approached by a second grader. He asked if he could help me finish a puzzle I had been working on. We were a great team, and completed three puzzles over the course of the hour. With the first two 100-piece puzzles, we were frustrated that one piece was missing both times. Finally, on the last puzzle, we finally found one that had all of the pieces and were able to successfully and fully finish a puzzle.
I was surprised at how vocal this second grader was, as a young student I would not have approached an older student (even though he thought I was 16) and would definitely not prompt conversation while completing an activity. With programs like A+ that allow interactions between college and elementary students, it makes it easier for college age students to be approached by younger students.
I’m sorry that you were unable to find that one puzzle piece the first two times. However, I’m sure it was incredibly satisfying to finally completely finish a puzzle the third time! I agree with your statement on how these volunteer programs allow us to so easily interact with younger students. I too have noticed how kids are very comfortable asking me for help or just to play a board game with them. This really does make it all such an enriching experience.