hahahahahahahahaha. thats all i can say about this award and me winning it.
the program is TOPS which, i think, stands for Tutoring Outreach to Provo Schools.
Last semester, we had to volunteer for our American Heritage class, and this was one of the options. it was a ten or twelve week program for an hour every Thursday. Joe and I volunteered in the same program, which was mildly disabled kids. Here is how the typical volunteer day went:
8:40AM- roll out of bed, realize we are running late, shower quick and hurry off to Provo High.
9:05-9:10- arrive at provo high, check in, and proceed to our room.
9:10- play rock paper scissors to see who has to open the door and walk in first.
9:11- walk in the room, say good morning to the two enormous Polynesian teachers, ask if there was anything they needed us to do.
9:12- teachers respond 'nah they just are finishin up there math, so you can help them with that.'
9:13- walk around for a minute, checking kids work and seeing if anyone needs help.
9:14- pull up a chair next to the two kids still working, watch them do their math without problem, put there stuff away, return to desk, and sit.
9:20- after sitting around for 6 minutes, we try to engage them in some sort of free time activity game. usual response: nah i am going to draw, i am going to listen to music, i am going to chill.
9:22- jojo and i pull out our own homework
9:55-bell rings, kids begin to leave, jojo and i linger around a bit because we got there ten minutes late.
10:15 jojo and i head out, feeling like we have wasted the past hour and a half of our lives.
I feel good that they knew we were there JUST IN CASE they ever needed us. Most Valuable Tutors, I'd say.
Our teacher did not even know our names. We would tell him when he asked, and he'd literally forget two minutes later with a 'hey you... want some candy?' hahaha. It got to the point where the alarm would go off and we'd roll over and go back to bed. i think we went 6 or 7 weeks out of the 10 or 12 that the program consisted of.
Needless to say, if I am chosen to be the TOPS volunteer of the semester, the program is not doing well. Shambles, I'd say.
I feel bad about getting this, because there are obviously better people to have chosen to be the VOTS. People who actually had an opportunity to help kids and not baby sit during their study hall and free time. I dedicate this award to you.
Anywho, it made the closet door for things i am proud of. This now consists of:
Mitt Romney's 'I cannot begin to thank you enough' letter to Ms. Jensen
James Kearl's 'Congratulations for not committing suicide as a result of taking my course'
2 post-it note scoreboards for games Colton and I play
a drawing by Mikey
the Deseret News article that i am featured in.
and now, the Volunteer of the Semester award.
I'd say its been a successful year so far.
5 comments:
Maybe everyone volunteer received a certificate like this! If that's the case then you can just keep it with all of the "participation" sports trophies from your childhood. If that is not the case, then their selection criteria needs a serious overhaul!! The fact is that you really are great with kids who need help!
Your loving momma
first of all, mom commented on all of our blogs in one day? unbelievable.
also, did you really spell "their" as "there" TWICE in one blog entry? no wonder they didn't want you tutoring the kids on anything substantial. i wouldn't either...
by the way, when you were a kid did you ever wonder if you were "special" and the rest of the world was nice to you because they didn't want you to find out? haha, i used to think that sometimes. maybe they gave you the award to keep up the illusion.
your loving sisky
(aka the grouchy grammarian)
...i prefer to think of it as YOU being on MY team taylor alan :)
alrightalright, i knew you were having a stressful week, so being the incredibly compassionate person i am, i decided to refer to it as your team, even though we all know i was the true captain
yeahyeah.i linked you.youre welcome :)
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