Into the Streets

On Wednesday the basketball team and I participated in Into the Streets.  We were assigned to the Sergeant Bluff Elementary School where we got split up and spent our morning in different classrooms.

Our tasks for the day included cutting out a lot of laminated materials that the teacher needed to be done, helping the children on the computers, and my favorite, recess!  It was actually National Health Day also so we went for a mile long walk with the school kids.

The teacher had great leadership skills.  Ms. Ping was not only a great leader for her students, but she also had a student teacher in her classroom that she was setting an example and helping to develop her teaching skills also.  You could tell the second graders love Ms. Ping because whenever she spoke, they listened.  Whenever she helped them, they lit up with smiles.  And Ms. Ping had it in their heads that if they worked hard on their homework they were rewarded with games.  Ms. Ping also seemed to be a good leader to her student teacher.  She would let Samantha, the student teacher, have the classroom to herself and teach the students.  There was a slight mishap with the computers and their plans for that assignment did not goes as scheduled, but they dealt with it calmly and appropriately.  After the children left for recess, Ms. Ping praised Samantha for handling the “bump in the road” very well.  Ms. Ping also chose her times to help Samantha very well because she did not seemed rude, but rather had perfect timing to step in and help.

I engaged in some leadership behaviors when stepping in to help with the computers.  Hanna and I knew what was being done as far as logging into the system so we proceeded to help the students log in and get their learning underway.  Also, at recess we helped get the little kids rounded up when it was time to go in.  It may seem easy, but when these little kids get to clinging on to you like it is a life or death situation, it can be difficult to get them sat down and lined up.

I felt great about the days experience.  It was nice to see Ms. Ping’s leadership skills being applied in a real life situation.  She was also really good at remember mine and Hanna’s name.  I was also impressed with her genuine interest in us.  She was asking us questions about basketball and our majors.  I am very happy that we got put in her class and the kids were awesome to be around.  At one point in recess, the girls suddenly broke out like a flash mob in this song and dance, which was very catching, and that was one of the coolest things to say.  I now have a new song and dance I can impress my own friends and family with, ha!