One of the kids, perhaps around age 7, was painting so I offered him gloves. He told me he didn’t need gloves because he was a gangster. He also took his shirt off in one of the previous sessions. Real G stuff.

There was a scandal about a kid paying a girl five dollars to kiss him in another class. The kids were interrogated about who did it. They eventually coughed up.

I helped a kid spell radioactive. I could do this all day, guys.

This was my sixth time volunteering this semester. The seventh and last time was on Slope Day. I prepared to tell Mr. Vitucci how much I learned from watching him over the past year and how I appreciated him having me around even when I didn’t do much. But when I went, Mr. Vitucci was gone on vacation, the Makerspace was closed, and I spent my time in the Lego room. It was a very disappointing end to it all.

— Hartek

For my second-to-last volunteering session I mixed things up a bit by volunteering an hour earlier than usual and helping out in the gym. For the first half of the hour the other teachers and I watched as the kids played an organized game (which was a pretty similar to tag), and in the second half I helped mediate a little soccer game. This was a very interesting experience to me because I got to see a side of the students that I rarely see in the art room. There were a couple of students in particular who are very shy, focused, and quiet while in the art room but in gym they were loud and very competitive. Seeing the various sides of their personalities was a lot of fun made me think about how people in general like to categorize themselves into introvert or extrovert, quiet or loud, etc. but that personality is much more complex than these labels.

I was in hight spirits on my way to BJM this week, mostly because of the vibrant flowers that had begun blooming all throughout Ithaca. My lungs were full of the sweet, fresh scent of spring and my cheeks were being warmly kissed by the sun. The sky was a bright blue, bluer than I had seen it in weeks. The kids and staff were almost as exuberant as I was, their week break having provided the rest they need. It was good to see a larger number of kids in the Arts room that afternoon since it had been a while since we had done a group craft. As usual, because of the plethora of colorful markers and blank paper, most of the children were gathered around the table painting. Mrs. Sarah and Mrs. Patel encouraged them to create the best painting that they had ever made. Open House was that week and staff members were bustling about, preparing the school for the event. The paintings the children were making that afternoon would be displayed the evening of, so they were being encouraged to do their best in order to give their parents a glimpse of the wonderful work they were doing in A+.

I was sketching flowers since, you guessed it, it was finally SPRING. I drew several large flowers on paper without coloring them in, moving on to fill the blank spaces with different designs. Like most afternoons spent doodling, a few little girls gathered around me and started asking about my drawing, mostly if they could color in the places I had left blank. Of course, I obliged and smiled as they almost knocked heads trying to fill my picture with bright colors of red, blue, purple, yellow, pink and more. My mind, like it does on most BJM afternoons, drifted into thoughts about the importance of encouraging creativity among children and the importance of devoted teachers and mentors. In this fast paced world of efficiency, it’s crucial for authority figures to motivate growing children in both their academic and artistic endeavors. Many of the issues that students face in the education sector boil down to a lack of encouragement and support in regard to their studies and interests. I speak from experience, knowing that the reason my younger brother still struggles with confidence in academics is due to previous ill-treatment in school.

As Mrs. Sarah happily took our collective painting and stored it away for safe-keeping, commending us for our lovely work, I thought about how grateful I was to be a part of Rose Service Scholars, a program which had opened the door for a wonderful volunteering opportunity in the education sector, specifically in such a great program like A+ that offers enriching activities for children after school. My heart hurt just thinking about the last week I had left this year working with such an amazing staff and incredible group of children.

This time volunteering at the school, I was greeted by a 5th grade boy who I had befriended earlier in the year. He loves Fortnite and video games, and seems to have some difficulty playing with other students, so we usually hang out. He remembers my name and always says, “Oh hey Jess,” as if we have been friends for years. This particular day he seemed upset or down and I had tried to cheer him up by getting him to talk. Somehow we got into the topic of Russia, and he did not understand the issues with Russian politics, and he seemed impressed by my European knowledge. He decided to challenge me in a game of naming countries, which soon had the whole table of kids and teacher chiming in with country names. Confusingly enough, this made the boy angry and he started yelling and crying. It was odd to me, to be honest, and I did not know what quite to do. Everyone proceeded to stop naming countries and continue on their own crafts, allowing him to stop crying and write his list of countries on his own. We then went to the library to do homework, and he seemed to struggle a little bit on his fractions homework, but refused any help. It was a interesting visit because I wonder what could have gotten him quite sad that day. It made me wonder about if he was okay, and if his childhood is happy and healthy. From what I had gathered, he stays after school every day and gets picked up by his brother and they walk home together. I do not believe his parents are involved much. It made me sad and feel thankful for the childhood I grew up in and thankful for the time I could serve as a friend to this child.

Today I was in the gym with the kids. My role was more of an assistant for the teacher that was in charge of the class. At first I mostly observed the kids playing two games called “vampires away” and “catch the bacon.” I found it interesting how during “catch the bacon” two students had to face off against each other to catch the “bacon” and win a point for their team. The students reacted differently towards the competition. Some of them got emotional from losing while others took the loss more easily and carried on with the game. I acted as a support system for the kids and cheered them on for their effort even if they lost. It was really nice to see students try their hardest and use strategies to capture the “bacon” and get the person to drop the “bacon” so that they can catch it and run to their side of the gym. After the played their games then it was time for free play. During free play I took the time to interact with different kids and either play with them or talk to them and keep them company. As someone who hopes to go into the field of education one day I value my time at Beverly J. Martin Elementary because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with kids that I wouldn’t otherwise have due to my busy schedule. Interacting with the kids doing athletic activities is my strong suit. I love to play sports and I love to play games with kids, so being placed in the gym was a good fit for me.

When I walked in today, one of the students remembered my name. Because the students have so many options each day for the A+ program, it’s difficult to find students that are consistently in the homework room for the first option. Especially since it had been a while since seeing this student, it was still a heart-warming moment to know that I had been significant enough to be remembered by name and not just another one of the many helpers that help facilitate the program. Now, I have a student that likes to know what I do all day as a college student and how this compares to his own student life as a 4th grader.