What:
The more visits I attended to at Rock Island High School, it became more pleasurable for me. I kept working with Biology students and one day we were labeling where different countries were. Some of the students had never heard of some countries before because maybe they hadn't learned about much geography before this class. It was definitely a treat to learn more for myself as well. The more times Sarah and I came to the classroom the more and more students asked for help when needed. They felt more comfortable with us being around once they found out what we were there for. Some students were still very shy but others opened up. Communication was easier once they felt a sense of comfort with us.
The Math class was more fun because it was a subject I enjoyed. We got assigned with the same girls we worked with previously but not the same as the first two girls from the first day. These girls who we got to work with again really enjoyed our presence and attention they got from us. Being able to work with us a second time made them open up more. We would joke around along with getting work done. We worked with solving equations by multiplying versus dividing. We would ask questions like what they like to do after school, what year they were, etc. There were easy questions just to get know their personality.
There was a day where Ms. Kantner was absent and there was a sub. I felt like staying in the classroom would help benefit the sub who wasn't there on a daily basis like us so all our minds put together could help this Math class be successful for the day. I really got the pleasure of working with students who hadn't volunteered to come to the Library with Sarah and I on previous days. I knew these students would have a hard time opening up because they hadn't been around us yet besides the girls we worked with a few times already. I had to make them feel comfortable and ask them questions instead of waiting on them to ask for help. Some students did take into account for our help. Some of the students felt more comfortable with us than the sub so they would rely on us first. Sarah and I really stepped it up this class to help since Ms. Kantner was gone.
After these couple days Sarah and I started working with Reading instead of the Biology class. We mainly worked with boys from this class in the Library. We would read an article from their textbook and answer comprehension questions together that they would turn in later on. I really could notice the difference between us reading versus how ELL students read. They would read at a slower pace and have a hard time pronouncing a lot of words. They also didn't know meanings of words or just guessed on what they thought it meant without actually knowing. Also, they would read a sentence but leave out little words but say the important or bigger words. We would finish up with the assignment with time left before class ended. Sarah and I would ask questions to get to know them as well just like we did with the Math girls. We asked what they did over the weekend, what they like to do after school in free time, along with what grade they are in or if what schools they want to attend for college if they were seniors.
So-What:
Through more days being spent at the High School, I noticed more concepts be put into play. Rules of language was a huge concept that I noticed. Just by having the boys take turns reading an article I could really tell a difference in syntax. They would read the sentence but either not say some words or add words in where the sentence wouldn't make sense just by us listening to it. The structure of the sentence would be jumbled and hard for an American to understand but could make perfect sense to them. Also, I could see a bit of semantics and dealing with the meaning of words. They would like to say a word meaning this but it really meant something else. They had a different sense of meaning for certain words than what Sarah and I thought it meant. We would go through different vocabulary words to make them understand more in detail what some words meant in the story they read. Another concept could be perception but with the students from the day we worked with the Math class as a whole. I felt like I wasn't wanted by some of the students and they would rather work by themselves even if they didn't get the subject matter. They perceived us as just another person in the room but not seeking as a tutor or helper. The students who knew us was in the perception process of interpreting and negotiating. They were assigning meaning to why we were there, to help them become successful in their studies, and were using this through communicating with us when they needed help. They weren't afraid to speak out and ask us questions because they finally got to the point of knowing why were there and a better sense of comfort.
Now What:
These visits that were in the middle of our time spent at Rock Island High School started to become more interpersonal than impersonal. I got to interact more with the students and get to know them instead of just working on their studies. Asking questions to get to know them hopefully helped them feel more comfortable because I would answer my questions too so it was more of a friendly conversation instead of an interview. Showing a connection that we are very similar in certain ways can make them feel more comfortable around us. Also, just because a student has different meanings to words or the structure isn't accurate don't criticize them but to help them better understand what is a better way or meaning. Last, being around students at first they have a hard time opening up but being consistent and being around more will help students rely on you more and feel a sense of comfort towards you. Being a future teacher, I will be there every day because it is my job so having that consistency will help my students open up more to me.
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