Journal #8

I just wanted to take the time this week to write about going to the Teen Coalition Center in Lowell. I think that going here is a very important part of this class and an important part of the program in general. I am not teaching right now and I know that many others are not teaching either. This is such a great way to not be in school yet but still have the opportunity to work with high school-aged students. 

One thing that I have learned is that my students (or young people in general) are going to teach me a lot. On one particular day that I went students did not have much homework to do so a group of boys were playing chess. I know nothing about chess so I sat down with them and watched them play. At first it was just a couple boys but then one of the volunteers, he is a teacher at Lowell High, sat down to match one of the boys. I walked into the room knowing nothing about chess and walked away knowing at least something about it. I could not believe how gifted these students are! Chess is not an easy game and these students were flying through games with one another. They were nice enough to show me a few things about the game.

By going I am able to learn a lot about myself, too. The first time I went there I spent a lot of time talking with the people who work there and the people who volunteer there. Someone was nice enough to give me a little tour and go over the programming and other activities that they do at the LCHC. After talking with the adults for about an hour I realized that I should be talking with the kids! I was so excited to be there and learn all about the program that I was trying too hard. I just needed to sit down and talk with these kids. At first I felt awkward because it was their space. I felt like an intruder because they are used to familiar faces there and need to be there in order to get homework, college work, etc. done. I quickly learned that I needed to get over feeling awkward because they are happy to have other people there. It is just another adult they know cares enough about them to be there and help them out. 

The time there flies by because it is such an inviting, great place for these kids to be. I was talking to one of my friends (not in the program) about how we had to do service learning and that it was in Lowell. The person’s reaction struck me because she said “oh wow, that must be really tough, good luck doing that.” And I just thought it was funny because it is not tough at all. They are just a great group of kids. Granted, they are kids that want to be there or have been suggested to go by a teacher or perhaps a friend, but they are truly some of the nicest kids that I have met.