For my STEP Project I traveled to Kansas City, Missouri with Buck-I-SERV to work with Operation Breakthrough. They are an amazing organization who aim to uplift children and families experiencing poverty through education and meeting their needs as well. We spent time in the classrooms with the children, and also helped them do some tasks necessary to keep the center running like organizing and building. You can check them out here! https://operationbreakthrough.org
I absolutely loved my time at OB. Something I really admired about the people there was the beautiful sense of community they’ve created. Despite the challenges they face, they choose to find joy in each other and recognize the importance of spending time together. There was a clear respect for those they share life with and an understanding that everyone helps each other. I appreciate this worldview and think our world would be a better place if we all shared in it. At the end of the day, one another are all we truly have.
One moment that made it clear how special this place is was my first day in my classroom. I sat down on the carpet with the children and engaged with them as they did their morning routine. They all welcomed each other and took turns going to the front to share how they were feeling that day. As my kiddos were 3-4, this was done through pictures they pointed to. After they finished, I was given a chance to do the same. I introduced myself to the class and shared how I was feeling that day, excited to meet so many new friends and be in a new place. I felt so included and welcomed in a space I had just entered, that is not something I took for granted. However, I also listened as the children shared and some of them said things that broke my heart. One felt tired because he only got a few hours of sleep since his mom’s boyfriend had the TV on loud all night. Another said she missed her dad and didn’t know when he would come home. At only 3-4 years old, their extreme maturity was hard not to note. On a lighter note, I had one little girl in particular I seemed to connect with, for this story I’ll call her M. We bonded right away as she speaks Spanish and I have a minor in Spanish that I was able to use those skills from. We had a wonderful week together full of learning and fun, leaving us both a bit upset when I had to leave. However, on my last day M decided to use her art time to make something for me. A drawing of a house made of watercolors, which she told me was my house back home where I can bring this to remember her. Needless to say, it’s still hung up in my bedroom. I miss M and all my other little buddies, but she was a wonderful reminder that taking the time to connect with someone in a way that is meaningful to them makes all the difference.
This experience is extremely important to my future as an elementary school teacher. I will have the opportunity to teach students from all sorts of backgrounds, which is a big reason why I wanted to learn Spanish and add a minor to my time here at OSU. Language is such an important aspect of who we are and a vital part of connecting with people. In addition, I got to see a lot of trauma-informed practices while at OB. This is something I am very interested in because as a teacher I want my students to learn and be successful, but they can’t do that if they are dealing with underlying trauma that they need help addressing. My only goal is to do right by my students, and this is a step in that direction.