Service Learning Reflection

1. What was the most memorable moment/event/day of your service-learning experience? Why?

                  The most memorable moment of my service learning experience was the last day of Brain Train. When Alexia came up to me, she told me in a sad voice “this is your last day here…I’m sad.” I told her that technically, although today is my last day, I could always come back next quarter. After hearing my response, Alexia was overjoyed and was excited for the Brain Train program. After working with Alexia and officially ending the Brain Train program, Mr. Lincoln told the volunteers to stay a little while after so he could make an announcement. He generally thanked every volunteer for their hard work and time commitment for Brain Train, because without our help, Brain Train would not be able to be as successful this winter quarter. He told us that this quarter had many positive results; almost all the students in Brain Train increased their test scores 50 points. He especially mentioned the few names who had significant increase in test score results, and one of the names he mentioned was Alexia! All the tutors turned their attention to me and congratulated me for my accomplishment in improving a student’s testing scores. I felt overjoyed and extremely happy; because of my time and commitment of tutoring her, I had made a huge impact on her academic profile and increased her test scores. That was one of my main goals before going into the Brain Train program, to make an impact on my student and consequently improve their academic knowledge and testing skills. 

2. Has your service-learning experience changed your perspective of education/learning/discourse? How so?

Volunteering at Bailey Gatzert changed my prospective of how discourses affect a student’s education and learning, especially working as Alexia’s tutor for Brain Train. Although students learn the same concepts, they have different learning paces. Alexia is the youngest out of her three older brothers in her family. Since her brothers are older, they pick on her and bully her. Whenever I see them pick her up after Brain Train, Alexia seems to always have her guard up; if she doesn’t, her brothers begin to bully her in derogatory ways. Although it seems as if Alexia brushes off the rude comments her brothers attack her with, I observe her upset attitude after her brothers stop teasing her. This is probably the reason why Alexia sometimes misbehaves in class and is disrespectful. Her primary discourse is exposed to negative behavior, which influences her to act the same in her secondary discourse, at school. However, when Alexia is not misbehaving, she is intelligent and completes her work correctly.

3. What was the most challenging aspect of your service-learning experience? How well do you feel like you faced those challenges?

The most challenging aspect of my service-learning experience was when Alexia misbehaved and was disobedient when I asked her nicely to complete her assignments. It was not only one day, but also multiple days that she would act disrespectful. Sometimes Alexia would get out of her chair and run around like a wild child, as an excuse for searching for an eraser. The other tutors and their students would observe Alexia run around the classroom and I would feel embarrassed because I could not get her to sit down until five minutes after. When she acted out, I told her in a stern voice to play the behaving game. It is fortunate that first graders love any game they are taught, even if it means they have to behave or not talk for duration of time. Whenever she would behave, I would draw happy faces on her paper when she completed her assignments, which made her want to play the “behaving” game even more!

4. How has your service-learning experience affected your view of SU’s mission, particularly in terms of social justice? What do you understand differently about the value of service and social-justice issues?

                  “Seattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and to empowering leaders for a just and humane world.” My service- learning experience confirmed Seattle University’s mission because the Youth Initiative program coordinates with the community so that Seattle University students have the chance to be involved and help the community. Places such as Bailey Gazert Elementary School, Garfield High School, and Pratt are some of the opportunities where Seattle University students can volunteer, and it is very easy to sign up. Personally, volunteering at Bailey Gatzert was so much fun this winter quarter that I signed up to become a tutor for Spring Quarter. I believe Seattle University is making these opportunities to volunteer so simple to join and fun, that it makes students want to continue their service for the community.

Day 6

              Today was the last day of Brain Train and volunteer opportunities at Bailey Gatzert Elementary School. Mr. Lincoln, the program coordinator announced to all the tutors to wear a Seattle University shirt to show school pride on the last day of Brain Train and because a photographer from the newspaper was going to document pictures and write an article on the successful results from Brain Train in Seattle Public Schools. The first station Alexia and her group had to go to was the computer lab. Mr. Silver, the computer technician told the students to play the bear counting game, where the students had to make blocks of 10 by clicking on the blocks when they would come down the waterfall so that the bear could pick them up. Alexia played this game and enjoyed counting to ten so much that she made 7 blocks of 10. This was progress from last week of Brain Train when she only could make 3 at a time.

            After the computer lab, the students and volunteers were led outside so that the photographer could take a photo of the Brain Train participants and volunteers together. Looking at all the Brain Train students, I realize how lucky they are to have the Brain Train program at their school and to be a part of a great education-changing program. After taking the picture, the group went into the library for a math lesson.

            Alexia had to finish a math worksheet of adding and subtracting, which she did not have any trouble with, and also complete a worksheet to tell time, which was easy for her. When everyone was finished, the instructor played Bingo with the students. Alexia was so close to getting Bingo, but Mr. Lincoln told the instructor to wrap it up because Brain Train was about to end. The instructor told all the students to raise their hand up if they got Bingo, and Alexia wanted to raise her hand up too, even though she did not get Bingo. In a stern voice I told her, “Alexia, you did not get Bingo so you should not be raising your hand. I know you were really close to winning, but lying is not being honest.” She then put her hand down and told me “Okay, I guess not.” I felt bad but I knew I was doing her a favor in teaching her what the right thing to do was.

            I was sad that it was the last day of volunteering at Bailey Gatzert. I made an impact on Alexia and helped her improve her academic skills, which were my goals in the beginning of the quarter. The experience from volunteering at Bailey Gatzert inspired me to sign up and continue next quarter to volunteer again as a tutor. 

Day 5

        Since Seattle Public Schools were having their Mid-Winter Break between February 20-24^th, there was no school and no Brain Train for students during those days. Instead, I participated in the Reflection Sessions that Seattle University Graduate Students organized for the volunteers at Bailey Gatzert. The first session I attended was called “Education Equity” and it made me more aware of the difference between the definition of equality and equity. We defined the educational gaps with a deeper knowledge of the roots and manifestations of educational inequity, gaps, and barriers because knowing and understanding these terms helps begin/further multicultural competence.

            A good definition that was brought up by the group leader of the session was an example of two students taking the SATs. They both have the same opportunity to take the SATs, one student can afford it and the other student has financial needs to he or a waiver fee accompanies her for the SAT. This represents the equality between the two students. However, one student can afford to pay for a SAT tutor and other services that help students on the SAT. The other student, who is not financially enable to pay for the SAT test, is also enable to pay for a tutor or other services. This represents equity because although both students have the same opportunity to take the SAT test, one student has a better opportunity to more resources to get a better score.

            This session relates to the Brain Train program at Bailey Gatzert because although all students have the same equality and opportunity to attend school to learn, they do not learn at the same pace and sometimes need special attention to fully understand all the concepts taught. Students have equality by going to school, but do not have equity in school. This is why the Brain Train program is a great program to balance out the equality and equity in public schools.

            The second session was called “Building Bridges across cultures” and it made me more aware of the ethnocentric tendencies and possible impacts on multicultural diversity. During the session, we went over common scenarios of how ethnocentric beliefs impact the young minds in school.ne scenario was about two boys, at the age of eight. One child asked the other what he was going to dress up as for Halloween, and the boy responds, “I do not celebrate Halloween, that is the devil’s day.” The other boy responds, “Oh, you are weird.” This scenario is common, especially in a diverse public school with students at that age. In a situation like that, one can only make the two students realize that the world is consisted of diverse people and to be open with everyone’s religion and beliefs.

            The workshop was very beneficial to me because it was a great opportunity to share and reflect on my experiences at Bailey Gatzert Elementary so far, as well as get to know other students who have been serving at the school. 

Day 4

Today was a productive day, as I began to help Alexia complete her homework packet. If she finished her homework packet, she would not have to bring it home to complete it so we were both determined to use the opportunity for her to finish her packet before Brain Train ended.

            “Are you excited to learn, Alexia?” I asked her, while she was eating her goldfish crackers and drinking her chocolate milk.

            “Yes! I need to finish the math part. I do not like subtraction. I like math though, it is very fun.”

            She was motivated to not only complete her homework packet, but was willing to learn. Her motivation to learn reminded me of Dan Pink’s video that he made about motivation. That people are motivated to do things not for rewards, but their drive and for themselves. Alexia wanted to complete her homework packet so she could learn more and practice more math problems. Alexia began to do her homework problems and had trouble with the subtraction problems. I helped with her subtraction by using my fingers to subtract. This method helped her a lot because she could visualize the numbers and how many were being subtracted. After she finished her homework packet, she thanked me for helping her and teaching her. This surprised me because this was the first time she said “thank you” to me for helping her.

            At the next station in Brain Train was the computer lab. I told Alexia to quickly pick a computer so she could start using the math simulators and she obediently listened, which made me happy because she did not run around the room looking for a certain computer like the last time we had computer lab time during Brain Train. After completing her assignments in the computer lab, the group headed over to the library to learn some more Math.

            Alexia was behaving so well until the group went to the library for the next station. She began picking up the deck of cards on the table and throwing them on the floor. This made me frustrated because she was misbehaving out of nowhere. With no previous indications of misbehavior, she began to run around the library frantically searching for a pencil. In a tern voice, I told her to quickly take a seat and try to calm her down. It took a good five minutes until she finally listened. 

Day 3.

Since the Wednesday after school program was cancelled due to early dismissal day for the school district, I continued my day three of volunteering at Bailey Gatzert on Thursday. The day began in the reading room where the students had to study sight words. If the students read the word wrong, they had to write it down on a piece of paper and configure a sentence using the word. Alexia was very excited to see me and quickly ran over to the table where I was sitting. Alexia recited the set of sight words five times with little mistakes. The most frustrating thing about going through the sight words was not having an eraser. First graders are always so picky about their pencils, and Alexia was one of them. She did not have an eraser so she was running frantically around the room trying to find an eraser. She would not listen to me when I asked her to sit down, which was very exasperating because I had asked her to calm down and sit down multiple times. After the fifth time of asking her, she finally obeyed.

The next station was the math station, which the students had to fill in the missing numbers to count to the number “100.” If the students were to finish early, they had a chance to play a board game. Alexia was one of the first ones to finish and it made me content that she was academically improving in her math because she did not need my help and she was confident in her answers. Alexia and her classmate both finished their worksheets early and had a chance to play the “Sum Swamp” board game. It was surprising that Alexia was sharing and taking turns rolling the die with her classmate because she usually wants to be the dominant student in the class. I was very happy to see Alexia sharing and being kind to her other peers.

The way the students are learning through the program “Brain Train” is similar to the production-line mentality that Sir Robinson provides to explain the education system. Students at Bailey Gatzert participate in the after school program Brain Train to improve their learning abilities and skills. They are taught in different groups according to their learning skills that illustrate the “batches” that Robinson also explains in his article. Some students learn at a faster pace than others, and Alexia is one of those students.