Assessment Essay

Cassy
Mr. Salsich
English 8
1/9/10

Assessment Essay:
A Progression of Confidence and Experience

1. 4.5 million people are served at the Boys and Girls Club of America (www.bgca.org), and I am proud that I was able to help out in the organization. 2. With this act of service you and I will benefit from. 3. I expected that I was going to learn many things from this experience. 4. I wondered if I think more deeply about this experience would I find my life lessons.

TS When I picked the Boys and Girls Club of America I was thinking of early childhood education. SD I was thinking about how the kids would benefit from my help. CM I hoped that I would be someone they could look up to. CM I hoped to boost their confidence in there selves knowing that they could do the homework effectively. SD I felt that this was an organization that would be more helpful and effective. CM I needed to set high standards for myself. CM When the kids knew there was someone around to help them with homework it possibly increased their chances of being successful in the future. CM I wanted to be a friendly helper by helping them with friend and homework troubles. SD I created a goal to not think so much of having to be there for the project but to enjoy helping the kids. CM I wished for the children to appreciate the presence of someone older than them. CM I wanted to be comfortable with each other. CS I chose this service because I wanted to realize how this experience would impact us both.

TS From the beginning, I was always worried about working with the children. SD I was afraid that because I didn’t have siblings I wouldn’t be able to handle this opportunity in the project. CM I dreamed to show that this little fact would not stop me working with the children. CM I tried my best to be someone the kids would be able to trust. SD When I entered the building for the first few visits I felt ill at ease. CM I never understood exactly what I should start doing when I came to the site. CM It was hard to come out of my shell and try to help the kids with homework if they needed it. SD I was worried that the children would not be fond of me. CM It was hard for me to know how much discipline I should give them without being mean. CM I was in high spirits when I found that some of the kids got attached to me. CS With these few minor challenges I think I succeeded on pleasing the children.

TS Doing good is what helping the community service out is about and I am sure that I helped quite a few kids. SD During the many Power Hours of my visits I was able to help kids out with there homework if they were having trouble. CM I was pleased when I knew I was able to help the education of a peer younger than me. CM I made sure that the kids were focused when I gained enough confidence. SD Some of the young girls were having some trouble with sharing. CM I made sure to see both of the girl’s sides and help them with an equal solution. CM Even if I knew that one of the sides was wrong. CM I didn’t want to choose both sides instead of making the minor matter worse. SD Some of the boys were calling each other names that they were not happy about. CM I helped them realize that it was wrong and they went back to playing. CM I helped them realize that it was not polite to do that to your friends. CS The drama of a young child still reminds me when I was young.

TS Boys and Girls Club of America helps kids learn right from wrong when certain situations occur. SD When the economy went bad it was harder for after school care or any business to keep so much staff. CM The amount of staff in after school programs were forced to be decreased. CM The only way to keep their staff was to increase the fees for parents with there kids attending the program (www.afterschoolalliance.org). SD After researching, with the shortage of staff they really needed help. CM Some days at the Boys and Girls Club of America were really stressful and hectic because kids would not listen to the rules. CM BGCA needed all the help they could get with controlling the kids which is why they appreciated my help. SD The U.S Department of Justice is supposed to help distribute the funds and make sure they are used properly in the businesses (www2.ed.gov). CM With the little help of the funds BGCA is able to serve 4.5 million kids. CM This successful organization has spread to all fifty states (www.bgca.org). CS With these facts now known it makes me understand the appreciated help I have given to them.

TS Scout learned that it is okay to help with community service: “-She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read to her out loud for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?”(Lee, page 140). SD Scout and I both had to do services; we both needed to realize that it is the right thing to do. CM Scout, at first, does not realize how helpful she is being, neither did I. CM At first, I thought of this strictly as a project that I needed to complete. SD Scout and I did not want to do community service in the beginning. CM We soon learned to enjoy it. CM We realized how selfish we sounded when we didn’t want to help out at first. SD If we didn’t do these services we wouldn’t appreciate how fortunate we are for the privileges we already have. CM Thinking of how selfish we sounded we became keener on continuing the service. CM In To Kill a Mockingbird the Finches become conscious how the blacks are less fortunate in those times due to racism. CS In To Kill a Mockingbird we both have to comprehend all the things everybody does and does not have.

TS When we cross a conflict we never know what to do at first until we realize later the better solution. SD I now have convinced myself that I needed to be more interactive with the kids. CM When I frequently became uncomfortable I didn’t want to interact as much with the kids. CM The thought of not having much experience with kids also held me back. SD When the feeling of being awkward overwhelms me I tend to be shy. CM When I’m shy I usually get really nervous and I don’t help handle the kids as much. CM I should have thought of how I could be calm and not worry so much about how I handle things. SD I found that it was hard to discipline the children. CM I didn’t want to be mean or too nice so the kids get away with things they shouldn’t do. CM I think it would have been better if I didn’t fret about what the counselor’s though of my service to the BGCA. CS I plan on continuing to go back to BGCA so I can improve my contribution to the service.

TS This project would change anyone. SD This project has given me the experience of helping out children. CM It felt swell to help out someone younger than me with homework. CM I will now feel more confident to help younger children in future. SD I learned that Boys and Girls Club of America is pleasurable. CM I learned that there is more than just the internet, there is service that is satisfying and beneficial. CM I won’t watch the clock hands tick every second away until I have to go home in the future when I go back to BGCA. SD My confidence level seems like it increased. CM By improving my confidence level I can easily feel more relaxed in territory I have not been to before. CM In the future, I will be more inclined to do these projects because I already have experience and I gained lots of confidence. CS This experience will always stay in my soul, in my mind, in my actions.

1. I wanted a challenge, and I was given one. 2. I learned a few life lessons in the process of my visits to Boys and Girls Club of America. 3. You should always spend your time wisely and don’t waste it on silly things like the TV and the internet. 4. This experience will be treasured for a very long time in my heart.