So I joined Americorps...(Or why I really hope I don't regret quitting Rite-Aid)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

All I can say is, have I lost my friggin’ mind?

The local Americorps program at my college is one that tutors K-3rd grade students. Anyone who knows me well enough knows I don’t have much patience for unruly children in large groups, so why I signed up for this is beyond my ability to comprehend.

Starting Monday I’m going to be spending 19 hours (sometimes more) a week tutoring kids at a local elementary school (grade undetermined as of yet). After babysitting my nieces for two hours when they’re particularly rambunctious I’m ready to pull my hair out so I can’t even imagine how I’m going to handle this. My only prayer is that I get to work with the kids one on one instead of as a group. That, I think, I can almost handle.

So why did I sign up you ask, considering I have no patience and have a hard time tolerating loud, busy children? Well for one thing it’s a nice paycheck, for another I get 500 dollars in scholarships for MECC and finally I get 2300 dollars in Gov’ment funds to pay for my future college education (well that is if I complete 900 hours by next September). And honestly, for some strange reason I actually want to work with the kids. I want to be a role model and a friend to them and I want to help them learn. See I don’t hate kids, I just don’t have much tolerance for the ruckus makers, good kids and I get along quiet well indeed.

I had a good job before I joined Americorps. I worked at the local Rite-Aid and it was an easy job that didn’t take up too much of my time and I got to look at everybody’s dirty pictures. I had no reason to leave that job, but here I am now a former Rite-Aid employee. Someone (perhaps an Americorps member or someone who deals with kids) please tell me I won’t regret this. Tell me the kids are angels and they’ll all adore me and won’t give me head lice. Lie to me if you have to, just tell me that I’m not going to hate life after these 900 hours are over with.
(Honestly I’m not dreading it as bad as I make it sound, I’m just terribly nervous, one more day till I start. I hope I can do well for those kids.)

2

Good luck. Maybe you’ll discover you have talents you never imagined you had. It’s always good to try new things, especially if they scare you.

3

Kids are just so cool, Fizzy. Actually, you don’t want to get me started on the topic of kids, because then I will never shut up. Besides, I need to get sleep tonight. But just take it from me: some kids are naughty, but most of them aren’t too bad. (my capsule advice for the day)

F_X

4

Kids are, by and large, tons of fun. Some of them are demons in training, granted, but the majority are lovely.

5

Just remember:

They smell fear…

6

I did it from Nov 99-Nov 00, A*VISTA, though which has harder requirements to get in (you have to already hold a degree in something or have been working full-time for 5 years after high school) as well is more restrictive- unlike AC people, VISTAs can’t have part-time jobs doing anything else, be in school and so on. I also worked with kids, coordinating a children’s literacy program for pre-schoolers during the school year, and kids up to age 12 in the summer.

It’s…it’s…well, a lot depends on how well you like the other people in the program, because if your leader is a hopeless slacker like mine was, it’s harder than it should be. I’d do it again, though, if I had the chance to go back and decide again if I’d do it. The kids were the best part of it :slight_smile: