Back to Portfolios
AmeriCorps Memebers
Nicole Berna, Tasha Brandel, Emma Campbell, Fae Carroll, Stacia Edwards,Candace Eudalay, Susan Houlihan, Liz Johnson, Brent Knapp, Lauren Konrath, Rebecca Krapfl, Stefanie Lemke, Ronda Lewis, Brooke Lyons, Melissa Magill, Kristina McCusker, Misty Prosser, Sarah Roepke, Patrick Stoffel, Jennifer Stroyan, Kathleen Stuart, Nicole Timmerman, Caren Tobin, Joyce Tucker
Jefferson Junior High School
What I was doing throughout my assignment was fairly consistent throughout the year. I would come in first thing in the morning and stay all day. I assisted with the After School Study Program to help students with their homework. At the beginning of my assignment, I was coming in early in the morning to work with a couple of students. After some time, I realized that this wasn’t effective as we only had about 20 minutes together. After talking to the students and my supervisor about this, we reorganized so that we could meet during 8th period. This ended up working out great because I had a couple other students that I met with at that time. They would try to finish their homework or work on make-up work, and I would help them when they needed it.
|
|
The 8th Grade Hour
Study Group at
Jefferson Junior High |
AmeriCorps is an opportunity that is bigger than just the life we typically lead. It makes you look at other sides of life you might have not been exposed to before. It makes you look at different perspectives that you might not have discovered before, because it welcomes diversity into your life in a variety of ways. Whether completing an AmeriCorps assignment in a city far away or in your own hometown; this program opens your eyes, mind, and heart to harsh realities and endless possibilities this world has to offer.
Some of the hands-on classes. These were the best experiences for me because I was allowed to work more one-on-one with the student .
My experience with AmeriCorps was very rewarding and went well. I did have a hard time at the beginning. I often felt like I wasn’t doing enough for the students, but on the other hand, I wasn’t quite sure what more I could do. I worked to keep the lines of communication open with my supervisors to let them know of my concerns, and each time I walked away feeling a little better that we were all working to do what was best for
the school, the students, and myself. With more communication and the more proactive and comfortable I became, the better my experience became.
Back to Top
Irving Elementary School
When I first applied for an AmeriCorps position, my goal was to work with kids. To learn all that I could about what the students needed to be successful in school and in the community. I soon learned that AmeriCorps had a lot more to offer. Throughout my placement I grew as a person.
We used the SOAR to Success curriculum to help improve reading comprehension. I was able to become familiar with it as well as the students and could adapt the curriculum to meet their individual needs.
This group was very special to me. I was their teacher and they were my students. I was able to see what worked and what did not. This was a great experience.
Throughout the program, I have been able to experience things within a school and the community that would not have been possible without AmeriCorps. I have realized that I definitely want to be a teacher and work in a school helping students to become all that they can become.
Top
Marshall Elementary School
My AmeriCorps experience has been very beneficial for me. It was an excellent opportunity for me to be immersed in the elementary classroom and to work with a cooperating teacher and with many children. By being involved in AmeriCorps, I learned many valuable things about myself and the teaching profession. I worked with individual students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades, helping them with their Reading, Spelling, and Math. Everyday I helped outside at recess, and it was fun just playing with the kids and being their friend as well as being a positive playground leader.
The first graders loved playing kickball, and I was the all-time coach, pitcher, umpire, and teacher.
By the end of the year, the youth practically mastered the rules!
Another member and I planned a movie night at Marshall for the students and their parents. We showed Homeward Bound for the K-3rd graders, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for the 4th-6th graders.
I really enjoyed being able to establish relationships with students and work on different areas that demanded attention. AmeriCorps helped me discover the things that are important in m life. By committing myself to children at Marshall, I experienced first hand the responsibilities of being in the teaching profession. AmeriCorps gave me the opportunity to help students in need. By offering my services to Marshall, I feel that I helped make a difference in the lives of young children. In addition, the children made a huge difference in my life too!
Top
Fulton Elementary, Audubon & Comiskey Playground
Before beginning the AmeriCorps Partners in Learning program, I saw it as simply another job to fill my spare time between classes. I thought it would be a great opportunity for me as an education major to get some hands-on experience with children in the classroom. Boy was I wrong! When I began my placement, at Fulton Elementary School in January 2005, I had the simple goal of making a difference in a child’s life. I wanted to help a student improve their reading, and to understand their math homework. However, I did not anticipate the how much I would learn personally from the people and places with which I worked.
The third graders from Fulton, with whom I spent the majority of my time.
A typical summer day on the Audubon playground usually consisted of playing four square, cards, and other games, as well as creating arts and crafts projects.
Working at Fulton Elementary and at the Audubon playground over the summer was not only an amazing and eye-opening experience; it was something that changed my life. I have always wanted to be involved in the lives of children in the role of an athletics director and coach. However, this experience has truly shown me how much a little love, care, compassion, and, above all, time spent can do for children and what a difference you can make in their lives.
Top
Stacia Edwards
Hempstead High School
I tutored students in all subject areas, which besides being beneficial to students was also a great refresher for me. It was especially fun working with the students who were taking French since I took it for four years. The school was very understanding of when I had to call in for an emergency or to rearrange my schedule for one reason or another. They had a constant willingness to work with my to make this the best experience for the students and me.
Students were assigned to me through teachers, assistant principals, and guidance counselors. Some students were also invited to come when they needed help.
It’s very humbling to know that you can only do so much for someone and then be able to leave it at that—knowing you did all you can.
It was wonderful forming relationships with the students, especially those who were in great need of positive role models.
Volunteering through AmeriCorps at Hempstead was a very rewarding, fun, educational and meaningful experience. I feel blessed to have been able to educate the youth of America and maybe give them a little bit of hope for the future if they had very little before. I enjoyed working with the older students.
Top
Central High School
During my time with AmeriCorps, I worked with many different people in many different places. I had many wonderful and rewarding experiences. I worked at Jefferson Junior High School where I help a student learn how to add, subtract, and multiple. It was inspiring to see him grow and improve from my help. I had a lot of fun making Christmas stocking with kids during the Central High School Wee Care Christmas potluck. I enjoyed my time with AmeriCorps and would do it again.
Top
Fall and Summer 2004-2005
I was placed at Lincoln School working with the first grade class. I felt a strong bond to this placement site. I was given the opportunity to interact with all grade levels at one time or another. I felt this was an exceptional opportunity for me to gain exposure to a rich variety of educational needs.
Early readers...These student from Lincoln School gathered before school to read.
Learning what it takes...This group was part of the Babysitting Certification Workshop that I helped with.
The joys of nature...The Dubuque Arboretum and Dubuque County Extension collaborated on a Children’s Garden. The garden was part of a program titled “Growing in
I am deeply appreciative of what I have learned for this experience. I have learned strategies for dealing with behaviors, and student on a daily basis. My eyes were also opened to the effects of poverty on the poor and on those they interact with on a daily basis. All of my vast experiences have been invaluable to my goal of working professionally in the education field. I am grateful for the opportunities I have had through AmeriCorps.
Top
Washington Junior High School
Mohandas Gandhi once stated, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Thanks to the Dubuque County Extension AmeriCorps program, beginning in January of 2005 I was the change I wanted to see in my world. I was challenged on a daily basis to live the principles I was hoping to instill in students at Washington Junior High. Rather than live in a theoretical, right-or-wrong- world, I chose to place goodness on a continuum. Instead of “good” choices and “bad” choices, I emphasized the endless “better” choice possibilities. I consistently searched for ways to encourage the efforts made by students, and worked to help them see how they themselves could improve upon their own work. Working a full day at Washington was draining, but without a doubt the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had.
The greatest foe to my “make a better choice” philosophy was resistant to my efforts to befriend her at first. However, we had a remarkable breakthrough during my service, and we both began making better choices in our working relationship.
I also was involved with many different camps during the summer. I helped teach Camp TRRFCC, which was a camp about being a trustworthy, responsible, and caring citizen. During this camp, the children helped make the guidelines. They chose to outlaw name-calling because it didn’t go along with the pillars of Respect or Caring. To see the kids internalize these principles of character was remarkable, and inspiring.
Interspersing games into the daily routine gave the children an opportunity to put the principles of Camp TRRFCC into practice.
Top
Audubon School and Summer Program
This past year of experience has helped not only the students that I worked with, but myself as well. Having graduated from the University of Iowa in 2003 with a secondary social studies teaching license I felt that I had a good base of knowledge to lead an effective classroom, but something seemed to be missing. Fortunately, the AmeriCorps program not only helped me gain additional knowledge, but it has given me more confidence than I had thought possible when working in a classroom setting.
Morning lineup allowed me to gage the mood the students were in before we went into the classroom for the day.
Like the school song says, “Audubon is a radical place, just being here puts a smile on my face.” I always looked forward to going to school everyday
I just want to thank the people at the Dubuque County Extension AmeriCorps Program for giving me the opportunity to not only help others, but help myself as well. I was able to help raise test scores which was not only gratifying personally, but even more gratifying for the students. I was able to establish new friendships, which I will cherish for life. I know going forward that I will be able to take the knowledge I have gained through AmeriCorps and apply it in future situations. I was able to work with a wide range of students and adults from many walks of life, (and I feel lucky because I experienced it.)
Top
In taking on the experience of being an AmeriCorps member, I did not fully understand the type of impact it would have on me personally as well as the Dubuque community. I helped the teachers reach their full classroom goals, and set up a reading and math intervention program for the first graders at Prescott. At Irving, I helped struggling readers with comprehension and vocabulary in the SOAR reading group. I feel that my most important role in the school was getting to know the individual and working in ways to meet their individual learning styles and needs.
The last week of school at Prescott, the first grade class took time out of Math to work hard on a mural of the new school site.
During Summer Kindergarten Jump Start at Prescott School, the children made projects to take home to their parents and worked hard on learning to write their own name
I feel that this experience has not only helped shape me into a well prepared future teacher, but also as a person wanting to give back to the community. I feel that AmeriCorps not only helps the community but each individual member in their personal growth as they are involved in the experience. At the beginning of this experience, I said that my favorite part of helping students to learn is when you finally reach that point where, after all their hard work, they understand it, against all odds. Dubuque County Extension Partners in Learning is a way to meet the needs of children on an individual basis and restore their faith in learning and school. I am very happy to say that all of my experiences helped me to become not only a more prepared future teacher, but also a more caring and compassionate person towards others who are struggling in their everyday life and existence. AmeriCorps is the best thing I have ever been involved in.
Top
Carnegie-Stout Public Library
I began AmeriCorps on September 1, 2004. Little did I know that I was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. I was put in charge of the story time reading for the children not only in the library, but also scheduling them at outreach centers such as schools and daycares. This proved to be a challenge in the beginning, but by January I was visiting ten to eighteen centers a week.
This was taken during a program I planned called Pajama Time.
Besides putting time in at the library, I spent additional community service hours at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. The best part of these volunteer weekends was meeting the new children and families. I also loved seeing the kids that I had at story times show up and I could talk to them.
Between the reading program and Growing in the Garden, I think I learned more than the students did. I learned the most from the groups at the playgrounds. The kids opened up and told me their childhoods. At that moment, I knew it was organizations like this which made a difference. I learned that just being there for a child is the most important thing. AmeriCorps makes a difference and I am glad that I was a part of it.
Top
Prescott School
For me, AmeriCorps began as an opportunity that seemed like it would be a good experience, an excellent learning opportunity, and a perfect way to become more involved in the Dubuque community. I was right; the majority of my term was spent at Prescott School, working with kindergarteners. Sometimes I helped the whole class with projects, stations, centers, and other times taking out individuals or small groups of students to work on various skills such as letter and number recognition, writing skills, learning key words, and reading.
The students never hesitated to look to me for their questions and for assistance. The hardest part for me was to not let them come up to me all the time and to refuse them help to a level where they were learning to work independently. It took some time, but I was able to learn to help the students learn to help themselves.
Each spring (May) the Dubuque Arboretum & Botanical Gardens hosts a Spring Party for children and their families. This event is part of our “corp” community service experience. As Snow White and Dorothy the Dinosaur, we greeted families as they waited in line outside the Dubuque Arboretum. The children were so excited to see us!
At the beginning of my time with AmeriCorps, I couldn’t envision myself having the time to do a second term of service with AmeriCorps. Having completed my first, I can’t imagine not MAKING the time to do it again. The impact that AmeriCorps has had on me is indescribable.
Top
Marshall Elementary School
I started my placement working in a third grade classroom helping students with reading. When I was working with the third graders, we made practicing fluency and comprehension skills a fun activity by performing Readers’ Theater.
The students got to act out a story using voice modulation and hand gestures, but no acting in the traditional sense. They practiced and practiced, and got the chance to perform weekly for a class of their choice.
I got the chance to work with a lot of students at Marshall school and each one of them helped bring out the real me.
I loved the challenge of working with the first graders. I loved their sense of humor and looked forward to the afternoon when I would get to work with them! I learned a lot of new ways to approach teaching, which I hope will give me an advantage with my own students someday. Through my AmeriCorps position I now only learned more about students, classrooms and teachers, but I learned about myself and who I am. I realized that children bring out the real you.
Top
Audubon Elementary
Most days I came during lunch time, just in time to meet the children at recess. I’d walk on to the playground to be approached by at least ten kids from my class. It made me feel so good to know I was needed or to know that these children looked forward to seeing me each and every day. Whether I was helping them with reading, math, or art class, independently or in a group, the time I spent there was cherished by all. No matter what circumstances the children were under or what situations they were going through, they were only children, eager to learn.
I realized walking into the building my very first day of class that this elementary school was much different from the one I had attended myself only ten years ago.
I loved every minute of everyday I spent with the children at Audubon.
Going into the AmeriCorps process, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. I knew that I wanted to help others, especially kids, but I didn’t know how much of a difference I really could make. My presence has enabled the children to not only open themselves up and feel more comfortable, but also to learn and progress in extraordinary amounts.
Through my AmeriCorps experience, I have realized what life is really about. It doesn’t matter how much money you have or what materials you possess, rather it matters how you spend your life. Helping others is what makes the difference!
Top
Irving Elementary School
During my AmeriCorps experience, I had the opportunity to work with several different groups of students. I spent most of the school year working with a pair of third grade students providing small group reading instruction of decoding skills. We were joined during the second semester by a second group of third graders who needed the same kind of help. It was very rewarding to see the wonderful progress both reading groups made. A couple weeks before the end of the school year, their teacher told me that I had really saved them this year with the progress they made working with me on their reading skills.
I also participated in an electronics recycling day. I was amazed with the number of electronics that were dropped off that day
I really enjoyed the community service event at the Library for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I worked at the center where students used different colors of paint to make and name a color that most closely matched their skin color
Top
Washington Jr. High & Maria House
Being an AmeriCorps member helped me not only to grow as an individual, but as a future educator as well. This term was what you would describe as “valuable.” I would walk through the doors at either Washington Junior High School or the Maria House and I would see the many familiar faces in which I’ve encountered over my AmeriCorps term. The well-educated staff at Washington Junior High School challenged me to keep improving in specific areas of my development. When these specific areas of development were being challenged, I learned not only what my strengths and weaknesses were, but I learned very valuable information to take with me when I become a future educator.
Coming into my term, I guess you could say that I was kind of scared at first and I was mainly afraid of “messing up.” However, one of the staff brought to my attention was to take more initiative. This helped me break out of my “shell” and step out of my boundaries. Before I knew it, I was beginning to see a significant change in some of the student’s work in whom I helped on an everyday basis.
Throughout my experience, I have learned to become not only a more patient and a more challenging person, but a better listener, I feel that to be a successful educator you have to have the ability to speak to your audience, especially students, be able to communicate well with the ones around you, including your fellow staff members, as well as be very organized and professional.
Even though my first AmeriCorps term has ended, the hard work, dedication the friendly smiles, and encouraging words have all paid off and ended with a year of success. With this successful experience, I have a different perspective on the career field of Education. It’s what I plan to go into and I’m ready for the challenge of helping change their hearts and to start encouraging them to achieve all that they can achieve because they, now, know that someone believes in them.
Top
Washington Junior High
I was very excited to find out that I was going to be an AmeriCorps member. From the beginning, I knew it would be very challenging to work with Junior High students, but at the same time I knew it would be very rewarding to see the difference made in these students’ academic lives. When I first started my hours at Washington, it took me a little time to acclimate myself into a teaching role. Being a nursing major, I did not have very much experience teaching students.
I received a Thank You/holiday card from one of the teachers I was working with. This made me realize that my time spent at Washington is helpful, and the work I do is truly appreciated.
The students made thank you notes for teachers who had made a difference in the students’ academic life.
The AmeriCorps experience was more rewarding than I first thought it would be. I could see their improvement from the beginning to the end of the school year. It is a wonderful feeling knowing that I have helped guide these students to a better academic career.
Top
Jefferson Junior High School
I first heard about the AmeriCorps program through some friends that had been members in the past. With the Volunteer Coordinator’s office located on my college campus, I had plenty of opportunity to come in and ask about the program. As a psychology and religious studies major, I was sure I wanted to do a year of service after graduation. All of the jigs fell into place with the AmeriCorps program in Dubuque, and I applied for a position, where I was placed at the Presentation Lantern Center and at Jefferson Junior High School. I knew that these would be challenging, but I also believed that I could perform well working in these environments.
There were some very frustrating times working with seventh graders. For most of the students I worked with, the goal was to complete homework and to gain skills to complete homework on their own.
The Presentation Lantern Center is a drop-in center for women and their children offering hospitality and help in various tasks. Through the Presentation Lantern Center, I was able to work with women and children from Russia, the Marshall Islands, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, China, Brazil, Panama, and South Korea.
Through this experience, I have grown in so many ways. I have evolved into a better problem solver, my mental math skills have increased, my personal confidence level has sky rocketed, my grammar skills have improved, and I have touched the lives of many children. This experience has changed me in ways that will continue to manifest as I continue my journey to whom I will become. I owe my gratitude to the Dubuque County Extension AmeriCorps office for making this year one that I will cherish and remember for the rest of my life.
Top
Jefferson Junior High
I saw this as an opportunity to serve others, and also an opportunity for me to get some experience at the same time from the school system. A goal of mine throughout this process was to gain relative experience that could be applied later in my teaching career. Now, more than 450 hours of service later, I can easily consider this goal completed.
I tried to make the most of my time by keeping a positive attitude and trying to make each activity a fun learning experience.
Occasionally I would find myself reviewing or going over a subject matter again to give the students the little academic boost they might need.
I found this to be both an interesting and educational experience. I was able to provide assistance for students falling behind academically.
Top
St. Mark’s Community Center
I joined AmeriCorps because, as a student teacher, I wanted to gain experience with all types of kids. The hours were great with school and I got to do what I love, help students learn. I was able to run a science lesson for the kids on Monday afternoons in addition to helping with homework and reading one on one.
I got to be the science teacher I am at heart. We made messes, oceans, scabs, played the guitar, and cut apart a pig’s eye. The lessons were challenging to modify for the 3rd graders, so sometimes I had to just make up a lesson. We all had a lot of fun.
Being able to see the same kids three or four days a week gave us the opportunity to develop strong relationships. It wasn’t long before there were requests for me to play a game or to read with someone individually.
It is amazing to see how some of the kids have grown. The one who needed to be held now reads books alone, the one who could never sit now knows how to work alone and we will definitely miss another over the summer. From this experience I have grown also. Now I can talk to younger kids and know a lot more about lab preparation and how messy eggs can be. What a wonderful ride!
top
Irving Elementary
Taking the pledge for AmeriCorps was the beginning of a wonderful and exciting journey. I had volunteered in the community that I lived in prior to moving to Iowa, but never to the intensity that I was committing to as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Every couple days, I would realize again that I was making a difference, not just doing a job; truly helping my community and more specifically helping the students, staff, and faculty that I interacted with every day. One of my best experiences was not from working in the classroom, but when I was shopping off duty: I was looking at something on a shelf when I heard a voice say behind me, “Mommy, its Mrs. Stuart. She helps me with my letters.”