Nancy+Assad+Reflection+Essay

Reflection Essay

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say 'It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes" (Fred Rogers). I praise these wise words said by Mr. Rogers, and would furthermore like to state that the best way to respond to those that are in need is by learning how to do it first. I had always been an advocate of helping those in need, however I fully committed to a service learning project because I didn't know how to. Last year in ninth grade I had signed up to take the Service Learning course, however due to scheduling conflicts I was unable to. Nonetheless, I still tagged along on some Service Learning trips on Saturdays, such as to the new Children's Cancer Hospital. Even though these children were being treated in a good environment and were supplied with all the medical attention they needed, they lacked enthusiasm and happiness. When my peers and I first walked into one of the rooms where children were receiving treatment I saw a sudden spark of happiness appear on almost all the childrens' faces. That was when I was certain that I absolutely had to take the Service Learning course so that I could learn more on the issue. Throughout my learning experience in the Service Learning course this year, I have evolved not only academically, but personally by reflecting on my Service Learning project.

Throughout the Service Learning course I have come to learn several things I didn't know, which in turn improved my experience throughout the course. I learned new basic skills that were necessary in order to provide service to those in need. These basic skills included making your goal for your service learning project a SMART goal, and making updated action plan so that you knew exactly what you were planning on doing. I also learned about the subject of service itself throughout the course as we discussed learning disabilities and watched videos that all improved my awareness on the subject as a result. Throughout the course I furthermore developed academically through increasing my levels of thinking when coming up with a full-proof service learning project with my fellow partners that was only a success because it was thoroughly thought through. Problem solving and decision making were also aspects in which I improved academically as when I got together with Layan, Farida, and Kholood to plan and execute our service learning project we came across a few problems we had to solve and decisions we had to make. We decided to teach underprivileged children at a nursery/school in Monsoreya called Fakroon Nursery. During this project, we came across issues such as patience and academic learning levels. As for the patience dilemma, we adjusted our plan so that we made sure that we never spent too much time on a certain subject or activity. As for the academic level variety we had in the classroom, we split up into a beginner and intermediate group so that each group would get the education that is most suitable to their academic/age level.

Along with developing academically as a result of the Service Learning course this year, I also developed personally. As I progressed through this academic year, I began to become aware of the changes occurring in myself. Every time we finished a class at the Fakroon Nursery I tended to become more upset each time as I wanted to continue the class. And when I would get in the car after each class to leave I would vibrate a feeling for accomplishment with a smile. Furthermore, as we progressed throughout our project, I tended to begin feel the sense of community around the nursery. Fakroon Nursery is situated in a village in Monsoreya, and I realized that the community there is so unified that all the kids know each other as if they were family. As a result of the project this year I gained so much insight from not only the kids but the whole project, as it was a real eye-opener. The project, however, also brought forth several challenges, such as teaching the kids patience as well as classroom rules. The kids all seemed to be used to shouting the answer all at once, which was challenging as if one kid knew the answer they didn't give the others a chance to think. We taught the kids to raise their hands when they wished to answer and question and wait until we called on them. There also appeared to be a gender issue, as the boys of the classroom tended to know more than the girls from the beginning and often did not give the girls chances to answer questions, however we solved this issue as we progressed throughout the year.

Reflecting on the project itself, I can conclude that I really did make a difference. First of all, we did improve the quality of service at the site, by coming more and more prepared to each consecutive class and providing a beneficial learning experience for these kids. Furthermore, we also provided the children with supplies such as pens, pencils, paper, notebooks, etc. I think we made a difference in the lives of the children we taught at Fakroon Nursery as a result of our project, as by the end their English had improved significantly, as well as their math and conversational skills. Not only did they develop academically, but personally as well as they all gained confidence and showed perseverance when they didn't understand a concept. Furthermore, their characters highly developed throughout the year.

At this point of the year I have come to realize the bigger picture of my service learning project and the Service Learning course at Cairo American College. It is highly important to be aware of the poverty that exists in Egypt. Just because they don't live near your house or you barely see them does not mean that they don't need aid. Children living in poverty is a worldwide issue influenced by the state of development that a country is in. Lack of education amongst Egypt's poverty is a major contributing factor to why these people live the way they do. By educating these kids while they are young, we are increasing their chances of making a living when they grow older and creating a better life for themselves. The awareness of the poverty in Egypt is crucial in order to solve the bigger issue and people should be made aware of how they can further help these families and children living in poverty so that they can have a chance of living a better life in the future.

All in all, the Service Learning course at CAC and the service learning project that I was involved in this year have had a huge impact on me academically and personally. Teaching the kids at Fakroon Nursery was something that I really enjoyed doing and hope to continue as my project for next year. And a lthough I went to Fakroon Nursery to teach these children, they ended up teaching me what life is really about and how we should never take all the privileges we have for granted. So I can conclude that one CAN really make a difference.