Big/Little Project
Journals
I want to use Spanish to connect with the community by having a better understanding of the language and feel comfortable switching between them if a person needs to clarify something or needs something and has to use their native tongue. I also feel like it’s slightly ignorant to ignore a major part of our community by never leaning the language. And with using Spanish and learning it, you have to take risks. In order to get comfortable with the language, you absolutely have to speak it. But you will never learn how to speak properly and with ease unless you get yourself out of your comfort zone and hold whole conversations in Spanish, or speak with a native speaker about something. Then you’ll be pushed into a situation where you have to comprehend, listen, and speak. That’s how you grow as a speaker.
As for how I can help my little, I want to be able to help Alex with their classes and making sure they get what’s going on and know they can reach out to me for support with a question or with a concept and things. I want them to know I’m here for them, and that I want them to be successful. It would also be fantastic if we could connect a little bit with Spanish, but no forced “introduce yourself in Spanish!” but a more authentic thing. That would be fantastic. But mostly I want to help them and know enough Spanish in order to relay information back to them if they need it. My little will help me by letting me see an aspect of the community I’m not a part of, and also hopefully help me out with Spanish along the way. I think that my little will help me by speaking a little Spanish and giving me perspective.
I really just want to help kiddos feel comfortable and confident in their classrooms, and know that they can tackle anything that is set out in front of them if they can function as a bilingual student, going to school in English and going home to speak Spanish. That’s my main thing! To me, obtaining new skills in Spanish isn’t my biggest goal, I just want to help the little kiddos out. As for fears, I have many. I’m scared that my little will ask me a question in Spanish that I don’t know the answer to in Spanish but know it in English. I’m terrified my Spanish is not suitable enough, and that I won’t be able to help them out as much as I’d like to because of that. I’m not sure how much Spanish they will use, but I’m worried it’ll be above my capabilities. Before we begin though, I’m feeling pretty pumped about this project despite all of my fears. I really like kids, and making even a little impact would be so cool.
Journal 2:
Oh man. The first day was really really fun. Alex was so sweet, and surprisingly shy. But he worked extra hard in class and I was able to play with a bunch of the kids during recess! Alex and Juan went off an played with each other and ran around a bunch, and so I played with the little girls who later ended up playing tag, but they wanted to be a hair stylist and so they just pet my hair and it was great. It was so much fun. It turns out I didn’t really use Spanish at all, and was able to just hang out and help him out with math. It’s crazy because the math they’re learning is an entirely different process than how I learned it and I feel like they’re teaching me weird math and I just have to infer and guess to help him. It’s crazy. But in general, all of my fears weren’t that big of a deal and I really enjoyed myself with Alex and all of the other kids.
Take backs:
I feel as though I haven't spoken a ton of Spanish, but I have helped out a little kid who needed some extra support because they have a complicated situation between home and school with that sudden language switch. I feel really proud of myself, and of my little. He's extremely smart and excellent in math, and I really only saw that improve throughout the duration of our trips. I hope that my little feels encouraged and inspired to continue his beautiful work and own his unique upbringing. He's helped me become more confident and understand others better, as everyone has an interesting and unique situation. His classmates didn't even really know he spoke Spanish, and only the kids in his ESL group really knew. I would hope that because someone older helped him feel good about his situation and make him feel comfortable owning that aspect of himself. I'm really happy about this project and hope that I have made some level of an impact on him.