Dr. Ellis
ENG-101
9 March 2020
Service Analysis/Blog Post
I have been doing my service with the Bridges Tutoring Program for five weeks now and am feeling tremendous reward and gratitude for my service. Every week I go I find myself meeting more and more children and experiencing more about myself and them. As I ponder back to my first time arriving at Bridges, I think about how nervous I was and the anxious thoughts that consumed my mind such as “Will they like me?” “Am I capable of tutoring them or have the ability to answer their questions?” Thoughts like these are what create a barrier between me and the children I am tutoring so I pushed the self-deprecating thoughts aside and gave the brightest smile to the first kid I saw. This set a path for a positive and accepting environment where I could offer my skills to the children who needed them. Now I can give the support and help to the children without doubting myself because I let all of those negative thoughts go before my first visit. There are so many kids I look forward to seeing and working with to build our connection more and more each week. The children are so energetic and remind me constantly why I chose Elementary Education as my major. The feeling I get when I can help a child who is struggling in math or reading is a feeling like no other. I love to see others experience and learn new things especially young children whose minds are developing and so malleable. As a teacher, it is your job is to create young minds, not physically but mentally and this reminds me of how Victor Frankenstein created the Monster. As an educator, it is important to know what you are putting into young children’s minds and how you are preparing them for the future. Frankenstein created the Monster as a science project and to test his knowledge and creativity. I think although he had good intentions, there is a lack of humility there. Victor may not have known what the creation was going to turn into or that it would even function in any sort of way, but he still should have taken responsibility for the Monster and taught him the way of life. The Monster, like a child, was impressionable and scared. He wanted companionship and to be understood by others. Victor terrified at what he created was unable to give him that and instead made the Monster feel alienated. I think this relates to how children can feel impressionable at such a young age and can also feel alienated based on appearance. I keep this in mind when I go to Bridges by making sure every child feels included and equal not leaving any room for alienation or discrimination. Children tend to lash or act out when feeling alienated which can be a big problem for themselves and their learning ability later on in life. The Monster shows this tendency to lash out by killing Victor Frankenstein’s family. All he wanted was companionship, just like how sometimes all a child who is acting out needs is some sort of positive outlet which most of the time is a person. I notice that when a child in my tutoring program seems down or alone, I try to comfort them by asking them how they are feeling or if they want to play a game as a way to boost their spirits and feel like they matter. The Monster has the mentality of a child and does not understand why people are responding to his outside appearance the way they do, and children think the same way. They do not see or understand prejudice until it is something, they are exposed to which is a terrible thing. I hope to help educate children positively and encouragingly to where they don’t see the color of people's skin or find faults in others but rather see their beauty instead. I am excited to make this my career and continue educating myself on issues like prejudice.
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