Fieldwork

Field work was a learning experience last night. I have worked with a lot of children at jobs in the past. But nothing like my experience last night. These children are in a living situation out of the ordinary. They have pasts that were disheartening to hear about. One child for example said he did not have a window to hang a stain glass-looking (construction paper with tissue paper where they cut out holes) valentines window decoration he made. But, I pointed out to him, that it does not have to be for a window. It can hang on your bed, door nob, even the wall with some tape. As long as he made the valentine, it is worth something.

But that made me think. This child does not have a window to hang something he made. It made me want to work even harder to teach these kids the skills they need to live in society.

Last night was also a test of my hearing. I have very sensitive ears, and working in an atmosphere with children, as many others know, is usually a loud environment if some form of play is inolved. But, on the other hand, these kids need help to understand when it is okay to yell, and when it is time to listen so others may talk. This, I think will be one of our main goals during this fieldwork. Social norms, and how others act in the environment will be key to teaching these kids the ways of the world. So, as you would imagine, my team will be doing a lot of role modeling for these young open books. Maybe we can write a few chapters with them to further their learning, and perhaps have a little fun in the process.