Shannon’s first day volunteering at KidWorks was Friday and she spent the entire day worried she’d scare off a bunch of 3rd through 5th graders. She’s volunteer teaching at KidWorks for its KU program.
KU (KidWorks University) is a 5-week program where kids elect to take courses they’re interested in after regular school hours. She’s the arts & crafts teacher and has subconsciously picked ALL of the messy projects.
Here’s her first day filled with jitters recap:
My first day at Kidworks KU program was this past Friday and I have to admit, my nerves were jittery all day in anticipation of my first-afternoon volunteer teaching.
Would a bunch of 3rd through 5th graders eat me alive? Would I say something wrong and secure their place in therapy twenty years from now? What if they hate my course outline and/or despise me?!
Craft one was making dreamcatchers. In an hour. With 12 kids and one of me.
Holy crow, I have never heard my name said so many dang times.
It was hilariously exhausting.
The entire day before Day One at KU I spent preparing for the ONE HOUR class. I was super convinced they’d finish early and all be looking at me begging for something to do. I was pre-imagining the panic I’d feel with 12 sets of little eyeballs waiting for my next move, so like any wannabe Boy Scout – I made a plan for the plan and went in prepared…
This is embarrassing because your girl had a powerpoint presentation, a word search just in case kids finished early and a story about where the dreamcatchers originated from…
We didn’t start until 20-minutes after planned because the program manager wanted to make sure to get all the last minute kids in the classes they wanted. There was a class before mine so I couldn’t set up the room until it was my turn – but I was standing outside waiting for my kids to arrive (per protocol) and had zero prep time, especially since we all started 20 minutes late.
As I’m learning the kids’ names, half of them start asking if we’re going to make slime instead of the pre-designated craft I’m in the process of setting up.
After getting the kiddos started all of them needed help. At the same time.
After helping one, another would ask, and then another, then another and then another.
By the time the hour (and an extra 15-minutes) was up, most of the class finished their dreamcatcher and ran out the door while I was left trying to catch my breath, clean up the bead mess and figure out where I’d left my brain.
Nobody wanted to read my dreamcatcher story. And there was no extra time for the word search I had printed out. Not even sure where my flash drive with my PPT went.
I made an IG Story from the beginning to end, so I’m sharing it with you now so that you too can enjoy a laugh at my expense.
And then these three AFTER my first day had concluded:
Moral of the story: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Once the party train starts rolling there’s no stopping it. And I must repeat – don’t try to make a bunch of 8 and 10-year-olds make a dreamcatcher in an hour. Safe a life, color a book.
PSA: Kidworks NEEDS volunteers. If you’re in the Orange County, California, area please consider donating some of your time. Check out volunteer opportunities here. Kidworks is a community development organization whose mission is to restore at-risk neighborhoods…one life at a time.
Join me in being the change we wish to see in the world.
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