After the completion of my wonderful service learning this semester, I had the opportunity to look back at my experience at St. Anne's and reflect on what I had learned. There were many things that came to mind, but among the most vivid were the amazing math lessons and activities, the superb classroom management, and the great classroom community. As I thought about these elements, I started to make connections with the courses I had taken and their application in this particular classroom. Many of the connections were very obvious. In my Math for Elementary Teachers course, we learned about the importance of manipulatives and in this class there were manipulatives galore. My Classroom Relationships course taught me about different discipline strategies and I could immediately name the ones I had seen off the top of my head. But among the connections I was quickly making between my experience and my classes, nothing seemed to really stand out in the child development area. Had I been completely oblivious to the development of the children around me? Surely there was something I had seen?! As I flipped through my textbook in total panic, images of the children in the class started filling my head. I saw Emma,* the tallest girl in class playing with her friend Stacy,* the shortest. I thought of Logan,* the little boy who so often craved attention. I imagined Whitney,* always answering questions correctly. Then suddenly it hit me. I realized that child development is not something you just see. After plenty of reflection, I realized that child development had been happening all around me the entire time I was at St. Anne's, I just hadn't stopped to really think about it.
One of the concepts I was immediately able to apply was social and emotional development. One day I was helping a student with her geography homework when we came across a question about Asia. We were looking at Asia on the globe, when suddenly her eyes lit up and she called over to her friend. "Hey Lisa*, you are Asian because China is in Asia!" Lisa immediately came over to look and I asked her what part of China she was from. She said, "I don't really know because..." At that point, a few of her friends came over and finished for her. "She's adopted." "Yeah, and she doesn't know her real mom." "But her real mom is really nice, Ms. Maria!" I could not believe how supportive the children were. I could tell that talking about her adoption did not bother her because everyone was so accepting and nurturing. Both Lisa and her friends had built a strong social bond that opened the door to emotional growth.
Towards the end of my Child Development course, I learned about late childhood coping strategies. While looking back at my time in the classroom, I remembered a particular incident that applied to this concept. On my third or fourth visit to the class, one of the fourth graders told me about the Peace Corner. The Peace Corner, as it turned out, was a corner of the room where the class had set up a little alter with their classroom saint, a candle, a rosary, and the Holy Bible. She explained to me that students could go to the Peace Corner for many reasons. When a student had an argument with a peer and they felt the need to settle it immediately, they could invite their friend over and work it out together. It also served as a place of comfort when students felt stressed or worried. Mary* then told me about an experience she had with the Peace Corner. Apparently, Mary's mom had been hospitalized one day and Mary was so worried that she couldn't concentrate on her long division. Finally, it got to the point where she could not concentrate at all, so she went to the Peace Corner and prayed a rosary for her mom. She said it made her feel much better and she was able to focus on her school work for the remainder of the day. I was so touched by Mary's story and thought her coping strategy was so wonderful and healthy.
I believe the most nurtured area of development in my service learning class was the students' moral development. At first, I thought the great morals I saw in the children were the result of a great religious education. I quickly discovered however, that it was the healthy combination of involved parents and nurturing teachers in addition to the religious setting. I was very impressed by the techniques the teachers used to include moral education in the students academic education. I believe that because the students are being taught moral values early on, they will have healthy transitions into adolescence and will grow to be outstanding adults.
Due the Montessori style of learning that took place in this particular classroom, I was able to observe many different levels of learning. Towards the end of my service, I had the true privilege of working with a very bright little girl. I am not sure if she was tested for giftedness or not, but the characteristics were definitely there. Her vocabulary was amazing for a child of her age and she was very creative in all her work. She also had an extraordinary memory, but most of all, she learned new concepts quicker than any other student I have ever worked with. Working with her was very rewarding to me, because I had never worked with a gifted child before. It was a wonderful feeling to explain things to her and watch the light bulb go on every time she understood a brand new concept I had taught her.
One of the most obvious development areas that was present in my service learning class was physical development. Because it was a third, fourth, and fifth grade combination class, I was able to see many different stages of physical development simultaneously. The third graders were still in their very small early childhood bodies, while the fourth graders were starting to "stretch." The beginning of puberty was starting to materialize in the physique of the fifth graders with girls standing taller than their male peers. Although the growing fifth graders showed discomfort and awkwardness at times, the harmony and community of the class made it possible to be overcome quickly.
After much reflection, I have realized that the children of my service learning class were all developing in many ways right in front of me. Thinking back at my time in the class, I cannot help but feel overcome with awe at the constant changes that children go through in the different stages of their lives. Over time, as I develop as an educator, I will be able to apply all that I have learned to the children in my own classroom. My math corner will have its manipulatives and my management strategies will be used every day. Most importantly however, the knowledge I gained in my Child Development course will be applied to the leaders of tomorrow: the children blossoming right before my eyes.
*Note: All names have been changed
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