Chenoa “Dakota” Summer was a Middlesex Community College intern last semester and we asked her to share some of her experience with us. It has been wonderful watching her grow and learn more about working with kids in our Discovery AfterSchool Program. Here is her final guest blog.
If you’re interested in signing your child up for Discovery AfterSchool classes, our fall semester registration is open and we have many fun classes in art, math, and science. Classes start the week of September 12, 2016. Call us to set up an appointment or fill out the application materials online and send in to us.
Looking At Myself After Green Street
The first day I started at Green Street, I was out of my element. There was usual commotion that came from being the first day of the semester and also a half day schedule. However, I felt a bit terrified in this new environment and I went home that first day exhausted and overwhelmed. I remember thinking that this might not be the right kind of internship for me. I even went to my advisor to express my doubts. She told me to stick with it for a few weeks and to talk about how I was feeling with my supervisors and the staff. If it still was not the right fit, we would work something else out. Luckily, after that first day, and the first week, things improved and I took away three important lessons.
One, I quickly learned that I distanced myself from the kids because I didn’t know how to work with them. I would stand on the perimeter in class and think that the kids hated me because they didn’t want to listen to what I had to say. It wasn’t until later when I realized the reason that they didn’t take me seriously was because I wasn’t on their level physically and wasn’t participating with them. Once I starting participating with them in class they grew to see me as a friendly authority figure. To maintain that respect, I found that being consistent but also kind and good-humored was very important in working with children.
Two, I learned that I have a lot more endurance than I thought I did. At the end of the first week, I was completely exhausted. As the weeks progressed, I would still be tired by the end of the week but I would give all I had each day and it paid off. Despite juggling five classes and the internship, I was still taking initiative and would follow up with my supervisors if I had questions or concerns. In fact, I learned a lot about the kids from asking my supervisors how to address behavior and also how to reach them better.
And three, the last thing I learned was how quickly I could grow despite being at this internship for only a matter of weeks. This growth was more apparent to those around me then it was to myself until the end of the semester. This was evident when I was presented with the award of “Most Valuable Player of the Green Street AfterSchool Staff.” To my utter surprise, every single kid in the room clapped for me, even the ones who I thought didn’t like me much. And it wasn’t just any regular old clap; it was an extended round of applause! This specific moment, among others, at Green Street’s Discovery AfterSchool Program will always stick with me.