Community Service Reflection

Shelly Townley

Over the past few years, I have helped as a leader in Sunday School and Vacation Bible

School. When we had VBS we had over 100 kids participate. Sunday School had anywhere from

20 to 40 kids depending on the Sunday. I would participate with the kids in the activities they do.

I would also lead some activities. I helped organize a lesson to be taught.

I grew from this experience by learning to get down on the floor with the kids. Also, get

involved in the activities. This helps teach me how to build a relationship with students. I would

talk with the kids independently and get to know their interests. They would share stories of their

summer or week with me. I learned their names and parents. All this made my relationship with

them stronger like I would as an educator.

As a leader on Sunday mornings and during VBS, I learned how to manage a group of

kids. This experience taught me classroom management. During lesson time when kids had lots

of energy and wanted to move around and not listen, I would help with that student. Sometimes,

the student needed redirection, and sometimes the student needed to be closer to the speaker so

they could hear. I learned to observe the kids like I would observe the students to see what their

needs were, to help them listen to the lesson.

Organizing a lesson and activities to happen on a Sunday taught me how to think about

each student and their personalities. I also thought about the ways they would learn and get more

out of the lesson. The activities I needed to make fun and still have them learn. I learned to think

ahead of the materials that would be needed for the activity. Making sure everything tied in with

the main point of the lesson. All, this will become useful when I become a teacher.

In VBS, when we were in the art section, I helped the students be able to do and finish
their project. Vacation Bible School had different age levels in my group. I learned how to help

the age groups differently. Helping the four-year old to cut out pieces for the project, I learned

how to help without doing it for them. I also learned to do some projects with the kids. Some

kids were visual and learned by watching me do the project. All these skills I plan to take with

me into the future as an educator.

While at VBS, I had a kid in my group that couldn’t handle noises. Plus, he had high

anxiety at being around people and new places. He wore soundproof earmuffs for the noise. I

learned how much having those earmuffs helped him be able to participate more in the group. I

built a relationship with him and build up his trust. As the week went along, he gained

confidence to be able to be more involved. On the last day, he said how much fun he had. I want

the students in my future classrooms to feel the same way. I will take this experience to learn

how to make my classroom a safe place. A place they feel like it’s their community. At the end

of the school year, they achieved the goals they didn’t think they would. Plus, that they had fun

achieving those goals.

I will take the knowledge of building a relationship and trust into my future education

career. Remembering how to manage groups of kids of different ages. Leading activities and

lessons with the children. Making my classroom a safe place that feels like a community. As an

educator, I believe you never stop learning. When I have my own classroom, I know I will think

back to this time often. I will remember and take it into my classroom.