Personal Narrative: My Experience At The Kids Teaching Kids Conference

When I was just 4 years old I went to Funtastik Preschool and Daycare. I went there for an entire year. It was a very fun school. Usually in the mornings I would get dropped off with all the other kids and all the kids would get to play inside with toys. Then we would have breakfast. After breakfast we went outside and played on the playground. After the playground we went inside to have a nap. Most of the time after a nap we would go and watch a movie on the carpet. Then we would go outside once again. At the end of the day we would go back on the carpet and watch another movie and wait for our parents to arrive to pick us up.

I have been a preschool teacher, teaching mixed age children from 18 months to 5 years, for over 10 years. I started as a work study employee, while attending the Community College of Philadelphia in 2006, to a part-time teaching assistant while attending Temple University in 2010. This led me to a lead-teacher position after graduation and then to a program coordinator. I have developed effective working relationships with children in the past years. This position has helped me improve my teamwork and interpersonal skills by cooperating with other teachers in planning teaching materials according to the Reggio Emilia approach and by sharing teaching resources. I decided that working with children, understanding and assisting in their education,

On September 6th, I attended the Cleveland County school board meeting. I grew up in a nontraditional schooling environment; therefore, attending a school board meeting was a new experience for me. On the agenda, the board covered subjects such as nominating in new board members, honoring new teachers in the county schools, getting approval for a new basketball court, and asking for approval for a high school trip to Germany in the summer of 2017.

In August of 2008, I went to Eureka Community Nursery School. The very first day of school for me, now it would be as easy as counting to three.

For me, the most exciting time of the year comes in late August. It is the Middlesex County 4-H Fair, in which I give not so much my weekend, but my life. As the title implies, the fair is put on by the 4-H organization. This youth organization uses agricultural education and community service to teach important life lessons. I joined 4-H when I was eleven years old and it continues to change my life. I have learned communication, leadership, and even my love for education through the wonderful programs and dedicated volunteers.

Like many people everyone wants to find their calling and figure out where they belong. My parents moved to the United States risking their lives on a boat from Haiti but soon separated while in america . My mom did a great job raising four kids on her own and I being the second child took part in raising my two younger siblings. In elementary school I struggled in many subjects but excelled in art, when I finally learned to read and went to middle school my grades were high enough to have honors reading and social study classes and even apa classes in highschool. I continued to excel in a lot of my classes, turns out I was smarter than I thought and all I need to do was learn to read and have people who took the time to teach me.

Tragic situations come a long way. I’ve heard stories of people dying in car crashes or losing their homes, but there are those stories that you can never let go of and keep thinking of. This was one of them. My house gardner, Jalasio Ambrosio, immigrated to the USA less than a decade ago, when Mexico was in a state of unrest. Jalasio, a man with very little education, was barely able to make a living in a town where house prices exceed one million dollars. Due to his inability to support his family, with just the income of his wife and himself, his son, Tony , was forced to drop out of school to help his parents. After hearing this, I was alarmed at the possible domino effect this could create, such as him not being able to survive in the future and so on. My belief that all children, no matter their circumstances, should receive a standard education led me towards beginning tutoring students of all ages, especially those who were underprivileged. I did not want to see other students end up in this kind of staggering situation.

2006- Joining Focus children organization – This was the first nonprofit organization that I ever joined. It dealt with handicap kids in developing countries. I believe that I became sensitive to co-cultures that exist in our world. It made me realize how hard it is for others to try and live and adapt to the dominant culture.

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in the classroom and around Grounds acquiring valuable knowledge, and sharing ideas with others in the UVa family, I find my involvement in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and the successful 20 Big Brothers Campaign, to be the endeavors I cherish most. With the multitude of activities that UVa offers on Grounds, one can become buffered and insulated from neighbors in the greater Charlottesville community. My role as a big brother takes me out of my “academical comfort zone” and provides an opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of one young, disadvantaged member of this community. Interacting with my special nine year-old allows me to gain new perspectives while positively

I had the opportunity to conduct my interview with Yes Kids. Yes Kids is a private nonprofit organization located in Boston MA. From what I learn while conducting my interview is that Yes Kids was set in place to provide services to youth with low to moderate income both children and teens in the Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan area. I learn that 75% of youth were from low-to-moderate income families, all of the high school seniors in the Yes Kids program are enrolled in college. During the interview, I learn that in order to work at this company one must have at least an associate degree to work at this organization. I also learn that it is mostly African American youth that utilizes the program the most. This agency provides

I don't remember how I met you in 1st grade, but I do remember when you used to be taller than me and had braces. I remember asking you what a period (menstrual) was, and the days when we talked about relationships—I mean we still do, haha. I remember going to the Sacramento field trip with you in 4th grade, when we carpooled to the airport at five in the morning and how you were there when I experienced my first time on a plane. I remember seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows together and then getting In-N-Out afterwards. I remember when we both did Beginner and Advanced Strings in 5th grade. I remember having the same cabin as you at 6th grade camp. Going to the Big Bear trip with Ben, Bob and Josh last year and being there when I

Being at the Chief’s Academy has been a great experience for me. I have learned many things during my time here that I will take back to my unit and apply to my day-to- day work. In the following paragraphs I will talk about three things specifically. The first thing I will take back will be my dedication to working out and my overall fitness. I will take what I have learned about fitness and share it with my subordinates. Secondly, in relation to the generations class, I will think about how people are different and how they come from different places and how I need to adjust my self to those differences. Lastly, I will take what I have learned about coaching and use that to better understand my people by listening and asking thought provoking questions. Even though I have learned many things, these are the three that I believe I will

There have been two major opportunities that have shaped and impacted me: serving with Calvary Kids Care and watching a girl’s cabin on Thursday nights at Camp Brookwoods and Deer Run. I started volunteering with Calvary Kids Care my freshman year in high school. The first time that I ever held a baby, I was terrified. I had no idea if I was holding her correctly, or if I looked as uncomfortable on the outside as I felt on the inside. The little ball of life that I held in my hands kept trying to snuggle closer, but I held the baby away from me, afraid that I would crush it if I let it get too close. This first experience led to many, and thus my partnership with Calvary Kids Care was formed. I started to work with the kids, mainly newborns

The whole reason for my epic cross-country trek was making Christmas in Arizona happen for my kids and today begins the culmination of this extravaganza.

Instead of going to school for the first week of October I got to go camping at Dark Lake with roughly 150 5th graders at Camp Tamarack’s outdoor school as a student leader. I taught on turbidity, macroinvertebrates and the hydrologic cycle. However, all of these topics were fairly new to me. I was also held responsible for the ten children in my cabin. I was completely shoved out of my comfort zone. But in just a week, I developed into a new person. I gained new skills, gained more confidence and had to establish how I want to be perceived by others. Camp Tamarack served as a fresh start for a week where I could be whoever and whatever I wanted. I left behind shy and reserved Olivia who prefers her comfort zone and became Lotus, which was