As I mentioned before, I was amazed, upon my first visit to the YWCA, at how open and accepting the children were to interacting with new people. This was particularly true of the little girl I worked with on a fairly regular basis on my visits to the daycare center. The first time I met this child was when I first walked through the doors of the YWCA, as soon as it became clear that I was going to stay, she invited me to come play with her and her friends. A natural leader, she guided her peers and myself through a multitude of activities centered around dressing up and make-believe. Her vivid imagination and enthusiasm carried over to the classroom where I had the opportunity to lead her in several learning activities. Through these activities this child illustrated her ability to quickly learn new concepts and ideas, easily mastering the activities I presented her with. As my time with her progressed I also noted her eagerness to participate in classroom activities, she was often the first to volunteer her services to any project with indescribable enthusiasm and joy. While her enthusiasm sometimes caused some interference with classroom order, she overall behaved in a manner that suited the classroom environment.
From an education stand point, it was wonderful to be able to see how one specific child related with her peers and adults both inside and outside the classroom as this is something educators don't normally get to witness. From my personal interactions with this child in both settings, I was able to observe certain personality characteristics (leadership, enthusiasm, imagination, etc.) that lent themselves well to the classroom environment at the YWCA and several that did not (speaking out of turn, over activity, etc.). In observing her behavior in these two different settings I was able to gain insight into her character and how my future students might act outside the classroom as well.
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