I was sad when reality hit me this morning that it was my last full day in Chicago. It has gone so fast! I slept in a little this morning reluctant to venture into the inevitable cold. However, when we left for the metro it wasn’t bad and the sun was out. We have been at Ariel so long that many of the children recognize us. When we arrived little children called out names and ran up for hugs. It was absolutely precious.
I was assigned to a first grade classroom all morning and we had a lot of fun reading and making bookmarks. They requested that I make a bookmark too so I got a blue paper and made one with my sorority letters and Ms. Kaity on the back. It was really fun watching and helping them and they absolutely loved that I was doing what they were doing. They kept asking why I had to leave and didn’t understand that I wasn’t from Chicago. Before I went to lunch I went to Ms. Beach’s room to meet with her but she wasn’t there so I hung out with the eighth grade class in there. They were really fun and quite mature for their age. I helped with their African country posters and we talked about college and futures. In Chicago the high schools are selective like our colleges are. The students have to apply to the good ones or they will be stuck at poorly kept and sketchy public high schools. That is a lot of pressure on a thirteen year old kid.
While in the homeroom with seventh graders following the eighth grade class there was a young man who was very rude to me. The first one to have been so all week. He decided that he wanted to do whatever he wished and when I asked very nicely several times for him to take a seat and get out his book he decided to talk back and say insulting things. I will admit I was quite shocked to hear such sass from a student for a simple request but I kept my composure and got him to do his work with significant effort. During lunch Ms. Beach and I brought laptops to the classroom and while returning saw a young boy throw his books and take off. We chased after as he started throwing punches at another young man. Breaking up the fight was no easy task since both sides were intent upon winning and eighth grade boys are bigger than both of us.
With a fight behind us Ms. Beach and I spent the afternoon teaching Investments to seventh graders and a class of Kindergartners. The seventh graders had an online activity to do but all of them neglected to complete it considering they were preoccupied with music and chatting. The Kindergarteners by contrast loved the activity planned for them. They drew pictures of needs and wants and sang a song about saving. I was a little relieved when the school day was over. Finally I didn’t have to worry about riding the metro and going to school early. Now I am focused completely on the KU game tonight and enjoying my last night in the windy city. Tomorrow I dread the eleven hour bus ride back but it will be more fun now that our whole group is close.
-Kaitlynn Nelson
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