This paper will contain an evaluation on my volunteer work experience I did during the summer of 2015. The first part of the paper will be discussing the outcomes significantly to the work in question, on which contributions I accounted for by attempting to evaluate my experience I during my work experiences in the summer of 2015. It will also demonstrate how my experience has contributed to my personal development. It will also reflect on all the relevant aspects which I encountered. Reflecting on experience is important in order to acknowledge mistakes and develop positively (Fook and Gardner, 2012). Moreover, the second part will discuss, my experience in terms of personal development and whether my objectives were achieved. Furthermore,
There many new obstacles that in which I had to overcome, during this period of time, some completely new and some I was familiar with. I received knowledge on realizing that one cannot deal with everyone in the same way, you might have to explain one event in several different ways for some to understand, in other words, everyone is unique and there are individual differences in everyone (Guerrilla Achiever, 2014; Gruszka, Matthews and Szymura, 2010). Therefore, every individual did sometimes have to be dealt with uniquely. This led me to develop new techniques and make use of my academic skills that I have gained throughout my education and putting this expertise into practice. There were children from various cultures and countries, consequently this meant that they had all had different upbringings. A difficult situation was to apply my knowledge of dealing with human beings with regards to their various cultures. I have to learn to be more open minded and adapt to the difference in mind-sets that many of the kids had. However to my surprise is how well, everyone got along, concerning the circumstances in which these kids were living in, and the various issues they had on their families and personal life’s. There was constantly smiling on their faces, we had educating conversations on various cultures with the aim of educating each and every one to avoid prejudice
However, the vitality if that factor became reality, when a middle age man, were walking around the premises behaving in a strange manner, and when being confronted he appeared to become nervous and quickly avoided confrontation and took off. This raised the concern about him potentially being a child molester or an individual who had bad intentions. As a result, I had the children come inside, I made them watch a movie, and contacted the police and narrated the incident, and they confirmed that since no actual crime had been committed they could not take any legal actions. However, they said they will send a police unit to patrol the area. After the movie was finished, we had a little meeting with the children informing them of social norms of not talking or follow strangers, indirect telling them to contact any adult if they were in a situation whereby an unknown adult wanted to approach them regardless of any matter. It is crucial to monitor children and potential sexual predators for a safer society and for the wellbeing and safety of our children. It is further very important to inform the children of the reality, so they would be aware of what and how to best avoid themselves being exposed to such circumstances (Krason, 2013; Poe, 2011). This event, reminded me of how important it is to have a structured
The most stressful and challenging situation was during my volunteering in the Rehab unit at the hospital. I was assigned to help a student therapist in assisting a patient in walking. The Patient was overweight and it usually takes more than two people when assisting the patient in walking but the therapist and the patient felt confidant enough that she would be able to walk without much help. When the therapist and I began to assist her in standing the patients knees buckled under her and she fell and began screaming in pain. The combined strength of the therapist and I were not enough to help get up and the only thing we were able to do was straighten out her legs and comfort her until more help came. I felt really bad what happen but
3. Delpit, Lisa D. Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. New York: New, 1995. Print.
There were three significant activities from my hours of volunteering that have dramatically influenced my perception of service. These include scheduling my hours of service, my orientation to the project, and my interaction with other volunteers. Not all of these experiences were positive.
Community Service is a great opportunity to make a difference in the area you live in. There are so many ways to volunteer. Some people are given chances to do community service when they need to pay off fines for tickets. Most people simply do because they love getting involved. It’s their way of making the community a cleaner, healthier place.
The lunch bell rung at full volume as the main doors flung open. I predicted that a herd of people will rush in like the water from a spill gate. But instead every person was a line; in fact it was a neat single filed line. Another thing I was astonished to see was to the fact that every single person I served to was superbly well mannered. It was the magical word of thank-you which left great remarks in my life and made my volunteering experience an enjoyable one. After the shift, I have come to realize that everything my family and friends have said about impoverished people was nothing but just a stereotype. In addition, I have self-discovered that volunteering is what I want to do on my spare time. The joy from making new friends, appreciated and making a difference in society was too meaningful to put in words. From then on, volunteering had become one of my most highly valued priorities. Whenever I have time to spare, I will go
Journal of International Development, No.10; pp. 427. Anonymous (1995). Make a Difference: An Outline Volunteering Strategy for the UK, Volunteering Unit, Home Office Public Relations Branch, London. Eberts, Marjorie and Margaret Gisler (1991). Careers for Good Samaritans and Other Humanitarian Types.
I began by tutoring at the Boys and Girls Club (BGC) and eventually became a teacher at the boys and girls club. The focus of my continued volunteer work was to enrich the children’s after school experience whether they needed help with homework or busy work. During my volunteer work the issue that stuck out in my mid continuously was social class or classism. The BGC emphasizes many different issues and points such as “creating aspirations for the future,” “Helping youth become responsible, caring citizens and acquire skills for participating in the democratic process is the main thrust of these programs and also to develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning, decision-making.” BGC encourages kids to engage in healthy and positive behavior as well as to help the youth build and discover creativity in the arts “Club programs help develop fitness, a positive use of leisure time, reduction of stress, appreciation for the environment and social and interpersonal skills.” (bgca.org)
Growing up, my parents and other influential figures around me modelled the importance of community service through their continual volunteer work and dedication to improving the world around them. Whether it be participation in a well-attended project or persistent contribution to a helpful organization, those aforementioned individuals were formative in guiding me towards a path filled with opportunities for having an impact on my community.
We as educators must always act in the best interests of the children, while we seek to understand and embrace the different cultures by talking, listening and learning from the families and communities that surround us.
For this project, I decided to volunteer as a facilitator for the 21st Century Program; a program that assists middle to high school refugee students to adequately understand and utilize the English language. As the program facilitator, one of my responsibilities is to help the students with their schoolwork and organize team building activities. The first week was challenging because I did not know what to expect from the students and I am also uncertain with what the students would think of me. As someone who the students see as their leader, it is important to show professionalism when dealing with younger children because most of them would look up to an older person as their role model. Being in a setting where everyone was accustomed
Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home.
In the past four years of my life, volunteer work has left an indelible mark on my heart and mind. When I became a volunteer, I had a very vague notion of leadership. As my high school days come to an end, I am left with the feeling that I have finally come into my own shoes, discovering the things that are important to me and those that are not. I have found my personal leadership style, and I now pay attention to the leaders I come across each day. For this reason, volunteering has been both an enlightening and inspiring experience, for I am surrounded by peers, mentors, and the volunteer program director, all of whom are leaders with creative visions of their own.
Learning about culture, language and fairness. It is important that educators must aware of the differences and similarity of the families and children. “Families communicate their culture’s values, beliefs, rules, and expectations to their children. What is acceptable in one culture may not be acceptable in another” (Edwards, 2010, p. 55).
The thought of community service was boring to me before I began my volunteer work. I was fearful starting my community service although I knew I had to do it. I used to do community service with a group of friends in high school, I was afraid here because it was my first time working alone. I was scared of not being able to make any friends because socializing with other people is my weakness, although I can understand and speak a little Bahasa Indonesia. Where I earned my hours did not even matter to me. I just wanted to get it done. To my surprise it was not what I expected. Community service was not a painful experience; it was a very enjoyable and beneficial experience. On the 7th of September 2017 (Thursday), I worked at the Central Lab
Volunteering benefits a person by building connections with peers, improving family life, expanding career skills, overcoming self doubt, having lasting life impressions, and creating new opportunities. Just a small act can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The future is dependent on the individual person and the people they surround themselves with. Just a few hours will change both the volunteer’s life and the one that is in need.