My 10th Visit

Today I was assigned different students than the ones last week, I was excited to see who I would be assigned, I am glad that I am able to work with different students each week now.

Again this week we played the candyland game. I worked with two new boys (one white and one black) and then a hispanic girl. These kids were very shy and didn't even speak to me, I had to repeatedly ask them if they understood after explaining the directions over two times. I told them that I would play along so that they would better understand the game. I went first, picked a card, made a sentence with the sight word, then moved my piece. Another boy who had played candyland with another tutor went second and then the next player, the hispanic girl named Rosie went next. She picked a card and looked at me blankly, I thought she didn't know the word so I told her what it was (remember we aren't supposed to have the students guess the words) then I asked if she could put it in a sentence. She sat there quietly for over a minute, I was starting to think she didn't speak English. I asked her if she needed help and she nodded her head. Her sight word was "she" so I helped her out with, I said "You can say something like..The girl is thirsty she...I told her to finish the sentence and she still didn't say anything, so I finished it for her. I was kind of frustrated because I felt that she wasn't even trying, I even gave her half the sentence! All she needed to do was fill in the blank, but she didn't seem that interested in the game so I moved onto the next player.

I had the same problem with this boy, he was not trying at all. Even after I helped him and also gave him hlaf of the sentence, he wouldn't finish it. So I moved onto my turn then the next boy (who actually knew what he was doing). After a few more rounds of them not responding to me I changed up the rules. I told them that if they didn't try even after I helped them and gave them half the sentence I woudln't let them move their piece. They then proceeded to fill in the blanks when I helped them iwth the sentence and then all on their own they started making up their own sentences. I feel like I was being too caring in the beginning of the session, after I told them more sternly that I woudln't take it if they didn't try they started to put in effort. I think that they all wanted to participate in the game, kids like to see who is going to "win" so when I told them they would need to put forth effort or they couldn't move their piece they were scared that they wouldn't win so tried harder. This is a direct connection to Delpits Culture of Power rule #4 which states being told explicitly the rules of the culture of power means attaining power is easier. So if they listen to the rules and put forth the effort, they are allowed to move their peace.

Because I was so frustrated with them for not putting any effort into the game in the beginning of the session I didn't give them any feathers. The kids didn't seem to be saddened at all because they were just glad to be playing the game.

I talked to the reading coaches after my intervention and I todl them that I've grown attached to the kids, I told them I would be going back to see them until school ends in June (which they were very happy about). I look forward to seeing the kids, I'm glad to have been assigned Flynn Elementary as a VIPs reading buddy.