Head Start Origins

Here is the mostly irrelevant back story to this post: I have been wishy washy about my major and basically what I want to do with my life professionally since I started college. I was a declared English Major, and then I took an English class. And then undeclared myself. I have been considering either Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education for my major, so I decided to volunteer this summer at a head start program to get some experience and see if I actually like it.

I have only volunteered for two days so far; I go in Wednesday and Thursday mornings for a total of ten hours a week and basically babysit, but not really. I have babysat a lot and this is so different (probably because it is professional) and it will definitely take some getting used to. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I really just want to go home, but I think that is normal for just about anyone with anything new so I am hoping that it will grow on me or I will at least acclimate enough to be able to make an educated decision.

I loved the younger class I helped with one day, they were all two and just to the point where they are starting to talk and communicate and they are mobile but still so little and loving. I have never gotten so many hugs. They were just so sweet and I really enjoyed it; I stayed later than I had to just because I wanted to. However, on the second day I was in with the three year olds and just really really didn't have as much fun. I am willing to try it again because I am a girl, and those hormones and moods do fluctuate, but as far as that Thursday went I was a little disappointed.

On thing that is special about where I volunteer is that it is a government funded head start. It is free to the families who meet certain qualifications. The kids who participate are usually either from very low income families or have some sort of disability and it is very apparent with some of the kids. I think that that definitely makes it more challenging, and I am not saying it won't be rewarding, I am just not sure if it's for me. The special needs kids are especially hard and it's hard to give them all attention like they want you to and I am not sure I like that at all. The ESL kids are just fun, and that was the majority of the younger class I helped teach. There was only one little white girl and the rest were Hispanic. They are fun and the hard thing is trying to understand the little kid Spanish, but most can speak English too. Which is so crazy to me; little kids are so smart!