Although I could write this in Spanish, I think it will reach more people if written in English. Through my Spanish Service class, SPAN 4090, this past semester, I volunteered at Oasis Catolica Santa Rafaela in the Pinewoods Mobile Home Community. Oasis sponsors an after school program for children in Pre K to 3rd grade. The program runs from 2:30-5:00 on Monday through Thursday, and provides after school help to the Pinewoods community children. Because all of these children are Hispanic, there is a tremendous opportunity to improve your knowledge of the Spanish language and culture. If you do wish to improve your Spanish, you must make the effort to talk to the kids in Spanish; they love it when you do this and are very happy to converse. That being said, it is not necessary to know Spanish to tutor there. The children are able to speak, read, and write in English; knowledge of Spanish is a bonus. A tutor can go as many days a week as they like; I have always gone one afternoon a week.
In a normal day at tutoring, I arrived at about 2:30, signed in and got my nametag, then went and sat at my table with the first grade kids. They arrive at about 2:45 each day and run inside, put up their back packs, and sit down at their normal table. A table has two tutors and four kids, so that each tutor is paired with two kids who have the same teacher in school. I work on homework with them, usually spelling practice and math work, which lasts around fifteen minutes, depending on how cooperative they are. After this, we play math, spelling, and other simple games like telling time, for around thirty minutes. By this time, they are ready to relax, so I usually read them a book or have them read to me. They can also color or play bingo if they want to. The time goes by very quickly. Around 4:10 they go outside for thirty minutes of recess and play sports, tag, jump rope, or just hang out. They leave around 4:45 and the tutors wrap up with the nuns who are in charge, leaving around 5:00.
I have been volunteering at Oasis since my freshman year, a total of four semesters. It really has been a joy to see the children grow throughout the years. It makes such a difference to the kids to have tutors after school. Though they have a chance to get a good education at their school, JJ Harris Elementary, the tutoring is extremely necessary to enhance their reading and writing skills and allow them the opportunity for help they may not get at home. Most important, you can give them attention and care and become a solid role model for them within their own community. By committing to help these kids we are building for a better
To become a tutor and for more information, visit: www.oasistutors.org
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