This week I began teaching and the children were quite interesting. When I began teaching in the classroom I knew it would be a total 180 from participating and assisting with the sports only because there would have to be more structure and ground rules established within the classroom, which would require me to be more stern than what the children were used to. The children were accepting to the fact that in the classroom they would have to conduct themselves in a less energetic and manner able way, but at times they weren’t and we would have to redirect them. For the most part they were great for their ages and I wouldn’t expect anything different. I think it was great to participate in the sports aspect of camp first rather than secondly only because the children were able to see my actual personality and warm up to me, which they did so easily and fast. I feel it’s great to establish a rapport or some type of bond right off bat, in order to have understanding. It feels great that the children are super attached to us and I love it.

Within the classroom I was amazed how much these children would like to learn and how their eager minds would say the craziest things that you wouldn’t expect to here. As we discuss things in class pertaining to health we allowed the children to tell us what interested them and what they wanted to learn about. One child said that he wanted to learn about Kawasaki disease and we were all shocked that he was aware of that term even though he didn’t know what the disease entailed. We heard just about everything a child would say and then more. As the saying goes, “Children do say the darnest things.”

My experience thus far at the NYSP camp has been amazing. The children participating at the camp are full of life and will keep you smiling all day. The children participate in numerous sports activities for the five weeks that they are there, which include football, track and field, soccer, volleyball, swimming, dance and many others. I personally got a chance to assist with the children during dance class and I must say it was a blast. Watching the children dance to teach me how to dougie, a hip-hop cultural dance, and Michael Jackson’s beat it choreography was amazing. I never thought they would catch on so fast, but they did and they enjoyed it. The actual teacher for the class is on the Cleveland Cavaliers dance team and they love him. Next week will be totally different since I will be teaching for the remaining of the summer camp. I’m excited to see how it will turn out.

NYSP Reflection

At the halfway point of camp, my responsibilities as a coach shifted to that as an educator.  During the first day of class, I quickly realized that I was going to have to make an adjustment in regards to the disciplinary portion in order to make the environment conducive to learning.  While I was able to be more lenient and show my personality when playing basketball with them, the classroom required more discipline and structure.  This proved to be the most challenging aspect of teaching because the children enter the classroom with the same amount of energy that they have at their sports.  At times, obtaining a teachable environment was nearly impossible, but when achieved the desire to learn and curiosity among the children was extremely apparent.

            We focused our lessons on the personal promotion of one’s health and wellness.  Topics included nutrition, physical activity, personal hygiene, sports safety, and so on.  Additionally, we have found that allowing for an open format question time was extremely beneficial as the children always have questions that they are burning to ask.  My favorite teaching moment was during the nutrition and exercise lecture.  As a fitness and health fanatic, I enjoy helping people lead a healthy lifestyle.  Many of the children were very interested in diets that may help them lose or gain weight, or that were tailored towards sports performance.  I had the opportunity to sit down with the children and help them write a daily diet that would be conducive to their daily lives and goals.  it was great to see the sincere interest of each of the children regarding their health and their desire to become more knowledgeable in health related topics.

With the final week of camp approaching, it is hard to believe that the completion of camp is so near.  Every day was filled with activity, leaving no time to dwell on what sometimes seemed to be long, grueling days.  Whether in the classroom receiving enrichment, inside Veale participating in basketball, swimming or dance, or on the football field playing soccer and football, the children were constantly engaged and interacting with their peers.  As staff members, it has been our responsibility to provide a positive and learning environment in order to stimulate personal growth within each of the children, physically, emotionally and mentally.  My most treasured moments of the camp were building relationships with the campers, participating in sports with them, and being able to share my knowledge with them in the classroom.  Reflecting back on the camp, I can only hope that I have had a lasting impact on the children’s lives just as they did on mine.

NYSP sports activities

            During the first half of my NYSP experience, I was involved with the sports activities.  I had the opportunity to not only coach basketball, but to also participate alongside with the children.  In the beginning of camp, we focused the periods on the basic skills of basketball and overall physical fitness.  This allowed me to share my basketball experience and skills with the children.  As the days went on, we progressed into more game-like situational drills, and eventually allowed the children to pay live full court games.  I think that the most rewarding part of this experience was being able to watch the children progress over the weeks.  Girls that had never played basketball prior to this, or children that did not like it, were seen engaged and excited during friendly competitive games.

            This type of competitive, active setting allowed the children to get to know my personality, as I was able to participate in the games with them.  Because I was not in a classroom setting, this allowed me to be more relaxed, and actually engage with the children; challenging them to games and competitions.  The amount of energy that they came with everyday was amazing.  Everyday they arrived at the courts with boundless, and sometimes uncontrollable energy.  Directing this energy into constructive and organized activities was most definitely the biggest challenge faced during my coaching experience.  Occasionally, the only way to establish order was to sit the children down; however, we always attempted to contain their energy without having to interrupt the activities.

            Overall, this was a great and valuable experience.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with the children, and being able to see the difference over the 3-week span.  Watching the children develop teamwork skills, work towards camaraderie, and display determination revealed the potential that all of these children have.  Whether they displayed great athleticism or not, each camper showed the desire to succeed and carried themselves with pride and confidence.

Last Screening Days in CMSD

When we were winding down the screening days, which were sometimes hectic and stressful, I realized how much I am going to miss the kindergartners and third graders. They looked up to us and were always excited to spend time with us. The screenings throughout the semester flowed smoothly for the most part. However, sometimes with the special education students it was a challenge to weigh them and take their height. Sometimes this would stress us out but those children were always so loving and playful. A special moment happened the last week of screenings. We were screening at an elementary school and waiting for the kindergartners to arrive in the gym. We had split the gym with the gym teacher and she was conducting a class with special education students on the other half of the gym. We asked her if she had any kindergartners in her class and she had two. One was in a wheel chair and was unable to participate in the study and the other student was being held by a teacher. She was very small and had autism. When we went over to ask the teacher if the girl was willing to participate in the study, the girl reached out for Ellie. She held on so tight to Ellie not wanting to let go. We decided it would be easiest to weigh her by having one of us stand on the scale and zero it, then pass the girl to the person standing on the scale. While I was holding her on the scale, she gave me the biggest hug and looked right into my eyes and smiled. It was one of the best experiences during the semester. She made my day and was able to participate fully in the study. I think a lot of times there is such a negative stigma about special education students, but many of them were so happy and able to follow directions and participate in the study. This semester was a great experience. I learned a lot about the Cleveland Metropolitan School District; it's buildings, students, teachers, struggles and triumphs. I will really miss working with the students next semester!!

Bye Bye MRW 5th Graders :(

We just concluded this semester's Capstone with two days of synthesis where all of FPB's seniors relayed their experiences to the rest of us and I realized just how much I will miss seeing MRW's 5th graders. Our last day at the Farm was probably the best to date. The kids were really engaged and retained nutritional information from weeks ago; this impressed all of us seniors. Jessica designed this fun game that had the kids running to the correct answer. The kids loved being outside in the fresh brisk air and the competitive aspect of this activity.

Even though certain days were really frustrating, I enjoyed my Capstone. My group and I were allowed to create our own individualized Capstone. At first we started in one direction and realized that we could have a larger impact if we put our efforts somewhere else. And one of the more rewarding aspects for me is that we are applying for a CCEL grant to continue improving MRW's greenhouse. The foundation is set for future trips to the Farm too; what a great way to ensure our project's sustainability.

I will miss the kids tremendously. A lot of hugs were exchanged on Friday November 18th. I think our group will surprise the 5th graders by appearing at one of their spring field trips. Working within the CMSD brought me closer to understanding the intricate dynamics of public schools in a large city. It also challenged me to be flexible yet organized. Although I didn't realize at the time but my Capstone introduced me to new things and taught me about myself. I really hope that the nursing students who chose this Capstone in the future take away as much as I have.

BYE BYE CLEVELAND!!!

My experience in Cleveland has been great. I not only got to do my clinical rotations at one of the top hospitals in the U.S (Cleveland Clinic), but I also got the experience to work with patients within the community at the Otis Moss Jr. Health Center, and meet lots of new people. The junior and senior nursing students, professors and all others involved welcomed me with open arms and made my stay not only comfortable but memorable. Coming to Cleveland and studying at CWRU has allowed me the opportunity of not only working on the thoracic floor but also the renal/endocrine unit which gave me a lot of insight on how to perform different tasks (i.e giving meds through a j-tube).  I loved my experience and will forever remember my time and the people that made this transition so much easier for the time that I was here. I am so grateful, however to be going to my family, friend, and very  warm and cozy weather back home. I'll be thinking about you guys while laying on the beach. You all are invited to come visit me in the Virgin Islands at anytime.