Post #3 Play

I have worked with youth in FIVE different settings:

1) Daycare- This is the first job I had that was paid to work with youth. I got to experience working with all ages while at this center but I soon found a room that I fit into which was ages one and a half to two years old. I was shocked to find out this is where I would fit in as I have always thought it would be the older kids I would have a connection to. Here I had to make curriculum biased off the RIELDS. Every month we had a theme and the children learned to help me set up activities. I learned their likes and dislikes and planned activities around that to help them grow as little humans. Play was used in each center. Like the children in the article, the children here too practiced dramatic play.
2) Public classroom- The time I got to work in this classroom was in a providence public school. I was in a third grade classroom where I worked with all the students for 4 weeks before they assigned me to one student. I got to work with that student one on one where I watched the student's reading level go from a grade one to a grade 3. This was a great accomplishment when the student pulled me aside to tell me. I did not see play at all in the classroom. We did a fun math activity around thanksgiving and I remember the teacher telling me she was going to get in trouble for even allowing them to make a collage. That they have to follow strict curriculum now.
3) After school program- This is the job I am currently working in. During the first few weeks it was very uneasy and very hectic. The children do not know the teachers and the teachers do not know the children's names. After the first few weeks, a schedule gets made that the teachers and the students get used to. Then, everything begins to flow and adjust more easily. It is as though learning new personalities. Now, we have started centers and the children know we do certain centers each day so they look forward to different activities. This allows a verity of learning. We do have a center for dramatic play and we do go outside everyday as long as the weather is nice enough.
4) Summer Camp- I didn't get to work in summer camp long, only for one week where I was able to learn the basics of how YMCA summer camp is ran. There are many different activities to be done. First, there is swim and archery. But then there is also nature, where you learn about plants and things but also art where you can make crafts or clay structures. This is just the start. Campers are put into groups where they are put with the same councilor for the whole summer. I believe this technique works because it allows for friendships and bonds to form. I believe all of camp is play though learning. Where else can you go to learn skills like archery? I know I never got the chance to learn this as a child. Also, they got about an hour got lunch where all groups were allowed to interact which was awesome to allow the younger children to shadow the older children,
5) Baby sitting- This is the most unstructured youth work I have done. I am not sure I would call it youth work. Although, I must admit it is my favorite because usually I get to babysit my nephew. This one there are less rules and more laughing allowed for me. Here, there is complete play. Although it is not done among children because there is only one child. I am allowed to interact with my nephew or I will play cars and pretend to be the car.