Before I started the capstone project, I knew it was going to be difficult, but I didn't know that it was going to be as hard as it was. I thought that going to talk to kids and try to be a role model/tutor would be easy. I am Usually not too good with meeting new people and I'll tend to be more quiet when I do. When I first thought out my capstone plan I wanted to go and work with the entire 8th grade class, but now after I started my capstone I see that I was hoping for a lot more than I could handle. I didn't get off to a fantastic start with my capstone either, I was denied from multiple places like, Derynoski elementary, HMTCA, and the YMCA before I was finally accepted to do it at John F. Kennedy Middle school. It felt very nostalgic going back to my old middle school, but this time as a role model, and not a student.
After my first couple capstone visits, that's when I really found out how hard this was going to be. I wanted the students to not so much look at me like a teacher, but someone who they can look up to and ask for help. It took a little time before the students started to trust me, the first couple visits were a little awkward but once the students began trusting me I finally felt like I could make a difference. It felt a bit weird going from school were you ask the teachers for help, and get in trouble for talking, to being the one getting asked the questions and telling the students to stop talking. I felt like I was finally growing up, that I wasn't a little kid anymore. I didn't expect to have so much in common with some of the students in class either. Some of the students in Ms. Hughes class would begin to have sports arguments and it was always hard to not join in myself. Ms. Hebert’s students would also begin talking about shows like The Flash, or the walking dead, both shows I love and it's hard to tell them to stop. Being their helping the students out taught me that I can only help others learn, if I'm also ready to learn from them. I hope I can take this lesson beyond my capstone and use it in the future.
By the end of my capstone, I think the Students helped me out more then I helped them. I knew that I wasn't the best with working with kids, and I've never liked school so trying to be a tutor/mentor would also be a challenge. It was hard to work with many students, some of them would just refuse to talk or accept any of my help, and some of them would just non stop talk either to my friends or to me asking questions or trying to tell stories. I always thought it would be easy to be a teacher, but after my capstone I found out that it's kinda tough to be a teacher trying to get a student's attention or to get them to stop talking. Us students have much more in common with our teachers then we think. I began seeing myself in a lot of the students in the classes, It reminded me a lot of when I was back in middle school which made the experience all the more better. Ultimately I thought capstone was going to be a huge pain and I was just doing it so I could graduate but in the end, this has changed me and helped me grow so much, I'll never forget my experience with my capstone.
After my first couple capstone visits, that's when I really found out how hard this was going to be. I wanted the students to not so much look at me like a teacher, but someone who they can look up to and ask for help. It took a little time before the students started to trust me, the first couple visits were a little awkward but once the students began trusting me I finally felt like I could make a difference. It felt a bit weird going from school were you ask the teachers for help, and get in trouble for talking, to being the one getting asked the questions and telling the students to stop talking. I felt like I was finally growing up, that I wasn't a little kid anymore. I didn't expect to have so much in common with some of the students in class either. Some of the students in Ms. Hughes class would begin to have sports arguments and it was always hard to not join in myself. Ms. Hebert’s students would also begin talking about shows like The Flash, or the walking dead, both shows I love and it's hard to tell them to stop. Being their helping the students out taught me that I can only help others learn, if I'm also ready to learn from them. I hope I can take this lesson beyond my capstone and use it in the future.
By the end of my capstone, I think the Students helped me out more then I helped them. I knew that I wasn't the best with working with kids, and I've never liked school so trying to be a tutor/mentor would also be a challenge. It was hard to work with many students, some of them would just refuse to talk or accept any of my help, and some of them would just non stop talk either to my friends or to me asking questions or trying to tell stories. I always thought it would be easy to be a teacher, but after my capstone I found out that it's kinda tough to be a teacher trying to get a student's attention or to get them to stop talking. Us students have much more in common with our teachers then we think. I began seeing myself in a lot of the students in the classes, It reminded me a lot of when I was back in middle school which made the experience all the more better. Ultimately I thought capstone was going to be a huge pain and I was just doing it so I could graduate but in the end, this has changed me and helped me grow so much, I'll never forget my experience with my capstone.