Final visit to boys and girls club

Our last visit to the boys and girls club was very different from our previous three. First of all, we started the program 30 minutes later than our normal time because the club had an activity already scheduled for 5:15, when we typically ran our program. This change meant that a lot of the kids had already been picked up by their parents, so the group we were working with was much smaller. Another difference was that it was very rainy and cold. This was a problem because we had always run our program outside before. Fortunately, there was a conference room available in the housing authority building big enough for us to use. However we did have to make a few alterations to our plans because we were working on a hard tile floor rather than the soft grass. We ended up only working with a about five or eight kids this last day. It was a little sad not to be able to have one last session with some of the kids we had seen a lot of before, but it was also nice to be able to focus some special attention on the kids that were there. The kids also got to have a bit more influence in what activities we did that day because there were so few participants and they seemed to really enjoy that.

This blog assignment has made me think about the differences between my first and last sessions at the boys and girls club, especially in terms of what I learned and what I found helpful and beneficial in working with the kids. I wanted to make note of those things for members of other groups if they happen to read my blog, but also for myself, so I will be able to look back at it and remember the lessons I learned in the future.

One of the most helpful things we decided on when we first started out was that all of the Paideia scholars would participate with all of the kids from the boys and girls club in each activity we did. This demonstrated that our activities were fun, exciting, and something everyone might want to do. It was also helpful in managing and directing the kids.

We also never tried to get everyone’s attention. Some kids will always be distracted or talking to each other, instead we tried to get the attention of the majority of the group and explained the task at that point. Eventually the kids who were previously distracted would either listen up and catch on if they were really interested or wander off to do something else if they were not really interested.

I also learned not to stress out or worry too much when some of the kids decided they did not like the activities and walked away to find something else to do. This is really important because if the kids are forced to participate in an activity they don’t want to do it is not beneficial for anyone involved.

Probably the most important thing I learned about interacting with the kids had to do with how many of them crave attention and how to give them attention in a constructive way. To do this I would try to focus most of my attention on the kids who were listening well and participating in the activity (much like in the behavior shaping articles we read for class). This drew more children in, as they were provided with reinforcement when they listened to the instructors and followed directions.

Overall, I found the experience of teaching gymnastics, yoga, and tai chi at the boys and girls club a very interesting one. I learned from the experience and I would definitely do some things differently if I were to do this project again. However, I like to think that the kids benefit from the program as well and it was certainly fun and exciting to see their skills grow from week to week.