work, first day

On a cloudy Tuesday after my classical social theory class, I made the first of many intended drives to Hearne, Texas for my new twice-a-week part-time job working with children from low-income families through an after-school program in perhaps the poorest area of the state I have been to yet.

My first day was perhaps a bit unorganized as most first days are--bureaucracy, new streets, and overactive children among the few. Driving down 2818 and then onto TX-6 with roadkill ranging from dog to cow on the side of the road every so often, I found myself in an underdeveloped small blue-collar town where the only recognizable commercial landmarks among run-down local businesses and typical neighborhoods with repainted homes and green lawns were a McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Exxon, and First National Bank of Texas. After filling out the paperwork necessary to start the job, I was off over a 'bridge' where I eventually located Eastside Elementary. Finding parking under a tree near an unpaved driveway which served as the school bus loading and parent vehicle waiting area, I ventured into the open-air corridors past lines of predominantly minority children lead by mostly female teachers at the school day's end.

Asking around, I eventually found the office, and after the confusion was sorted out, I headed over to the small cafeteria with no stage where children participating in the after-school program were seated at long cafeteria tables which had been re-painted over many times with coats of white paint. Most, if not all of the kids looked over in my direction and exchanged fascinated whispers about my appearance (I was perhaps a little overdressed with dress-shirt, jeans, a blazer and my mo-hawk hairstyle) as I asked some of my co-workers what it was exactly I was supposed to be doing.

After their afternoon snack, the kids were herded over to the play ground in lines to enjoy recess--I have never seen anyone as excited as this bunch about getting into line. Walking past a non-working water fountain and the outdoor hallways in dire need of aesthetic if not functional repair, I found a spot on the pavement with my co-workers observing the children at first before joining in their football toss game--sadly, the football was of the crumbly soft Nerf variety well past its prime, and unfortunately the receptive children did not pass the ball among themselves, but instead all faced towards the direction of two of my co-workers to have the ball eagerly thrown to them. Feeling that a new game was in order, I went into the equipment room after being informed that a set of soccer balls would not be in until the next week--what I found was a bag of mostly deflated and worn down basketballs and volleyballs. I opted for a few volleyballs, and brought them out to the kids. However, the same kick the ball back to the adults and not just among the kids continued despite the new game.

After recess and back in the cafeteria, I learned that I would be substituting for one of the absent tutors that usually led the purple group. After doing attendance, and still not fully sure of what the misleading schedule meant, I went around checking on the homework of two of the children, while encouraging three others to freely draw whatever it is that came to their minds---in this case, it was jack-o-lanterns. Following the schedule, I took the kids over to the gym room--a small 15x25 enclosure with two colorful kid-friendly carpets on the floor. Not knowing what the kids usually played in this environment, I let them decide, and after five minutes or so, they finally agreed on a game of 'race'--a two-team relay race around a color cone. This game lasted for about ten minutes, give or take, before another co-worker entered the room to announce that P.E. meant recess time on the playground. So off to the playground we went, where two other co-workers stood already waiting to have the kids play a game of obstacle course--something eerily reminiscent of training future soldiers. This structured 'game' basically was to have all the kids stand in one line taking turns going through the monkey bars, down the slide, under some bars, and around a tree before running to the back of the line. "Hey, come over and play" was what one kid in line said to two approaching kindergarten kids who had finished their homework.

After the announcement from one of the program's organizer that the schedules were all messed up, and she had to re-do them, I was to take the kids back to the cafeteria and create some sort of activity for them spur-of-the-moment. I decided to have the five of them play an addition and subtraction math game; sounds feasible for first graders right? But before that, I allowed them to get some water at the working water fountain--which one kid inadvertently took his time drinking what seemed like a gallon while getting his t-shirt soaked; later I incorrectly called this kid 'she' instead of 'he' since I assumed the kid was a girl from his haircut and voice which could have been either male or female. Anyway, the math game didn't go too well with many of the kids just guessing and with two refusing to participate. I ended up giving each of the ones who tried a colorful fish sticker. The rest of the time I spent trying to keep the kids under control, and playing a word matching board game that was perhaps a bit too complicated for first graders.

Tomorrow is going to be my second day at the job; I think I am supposed to just help some children with their unfinished homework in the library unless something comes up. Maybe later on, I will ask if I can teach the children some songs and perhaps some sort of activity where they can be creative.