Darcie Malcom

Community Service Reflection

September 19, 2009

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As I look at the past thirty hours of community service I have done I am happy that it was a part of the requirements to the education program. For my hours I visited two middle schools. As I put in my hours I helped teachers I had never seen before along with many of my former teachers. I was allowed to help many of these teachers with lesson plans and other items such as correcting papers, organizing files and teaching. While helping some of these teachers from grade school; I truly learned some great things from each of them. First, experience is always helpful to a teacher. Second, never forget why you are there and that is to help the students learn and grow. Third, is to love what you do. My former teachers where not just teachers sixteen years ago, they were people that I was still learning from today. Throughout my hours I did many things. Besides doing little errands for the teachers, I was able to help students with homework, projects, and P.E. Many students were fascinated with me being in the room. Just shadowing some of these teachers have given me a mindset of what I will be doing in the future. In the classrooms it seemed like the children were happy to be in school. Just by these few hours I have helped in the schools, it seems like children at a young age love to learn and the teachers are happy to help these students in the process. I am very much honored to be a part of that learning experience.

As I put my hours of community service in, I realized that I truly want to be a teacher. I am not only great with children, but I am ready for a lifetime of learning along with all of the students that I will end up teaching. From the last few hours in the classroom I have learned that as a teacher it takes a lot of work and dedication to do such a good job with the students. I am ready to make that commitment to help others. Teaching is not just a job, but it is a gift to help young minds grow and learn.