Describe your participation in extracurricular activities.
What have you learned from your experience(s)?
(Examples may include: community service, volunteer work, employment, school clubs, sports, family, church, etc.)
I have been an active member of my church since I was baptized, attending mass every Saturday night, and confession once a month on Sundays. So I knew that as soon as I was old enough I wanted to teach Religious Education classes and that's exactly what I've been doing since my Freshman year of high school. I love it, I spend my Monday evenings with 42 second-graders who want nothing more than for mass to be over and for snack time to hurry up and come. I have a different class each year and behaviors, attitudes, strength and weakness vary from class to class but each year my children turn out to be an amazing group of kids. I have learned to be so much more patience than I was four years ago and I have gained an even deeper appreciation of God and kids in general. This year is the last year I will teach the second grade Religious Education because I fully intended to attend a university next out of town. This has also been the hardest year, I have become attached to my children and I have already taught them so much and watched them grow, they have done the exact same with me. It's a common belief that once children reach the "mine" phase in life they only look out for themselves for a certain period of time, that's not the case however. I have a little boy in my class this year that is significantly undeveloped in reading; he tries his hardest and gives it his all every class to keep up with the other kids. I help him as much as I can before, during and after class, but there is only so much I can do in a one-hour class period. One Monday I looked up from a table of girls I was helping to see a semi-spoiled little girl who was usually mean to the other kids, helping Joely with reading his prayers. Needless to say I was speechless, it warmed my heart and made me proud to be Marissa and Joely's teacher that day. These kids are innocent and pure with the naïveté that comes with being young; yet were able to recognize that someone needed help and act on it. I firmly believe that God has given children to the world to help people see how we should act when we lose our way and become to "grown-up" to do what we know is right.
What have you learned from your experience(s)?
(Examples may include: community service, volunteer work, employment, school clubs, sports, family, church, etc.)
I have been an active member of my church since I was baptized, attending mass every Saturday night, and confession once a month on Sundays. So I knew that as soon as I was old enough I wanted to teach Religious Education classes and that's exactly what I've been doing since my Freshman year of high school. I love it, I spend my Monday evenings with 42 second-graders who want nothing more than for mass to be over and for snack time to hurry up and come. I have a different class each year and behaviors, attitudes, strength and weakness vary from class to class but each year my children turn out to be an amazing group of kids. I have learned to be so much more patience than I was four years ago and I have gained an even deeper appreciation of God and kids in general. This year is the last year I will teach the second grade Religious Education because I fully intended to attend a university next out of town. This has also been the hardest year, I have become attached to my children and I have already taught them so much and watched them grow, they have done the exact same with me. It's a common belief that once children reach the "mine" phase in life they only look out for themselves for a certain period of time, that's not the case however. I have a little boy in my class this year that is significantly undeveloped in reading; he tries his hardest and gives it his all every class to keep up with the other kids. I help him as much as I can before, during and after class, but there is only so much I can do in a one-hour class period. One Monday I looked up from a table of girls I was helping to see a semi-spoiled little girl who was usually mean to the other kids, helping Joely with reading his prayers. Needless to say I was speechless, it warmed my heart and made me proud to be Marissa and Joely's teacher that day. These kids are innocent and pure with the naïveté that comes with being young; yet were able to recognize that someone needed help and act on it. I firmly believe that God has given children to the world to help people see how we should act when we lose our way and become to "grown-up" to do what we know is right.
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