Afrika Tikkun Reflection

Afrika Tikkun Reflection

            Unfortunately, the Afrika Tikkun Book Club Project is postponed until the New Year of January 2014 because the Diepsloot students are on Summer Break. This does not stop the progress of Raquel Wilson and I on finalizing our plan. We are upset that we are missing quality time interacting with the Diepsloot students. However, in the same sense that quality time is spent on this mission. We are planning and initiating our own activity – Book Club. First, we will create posters to advertise our book club. We will post them throughout the Community Center and one at the front entry. The poster will read, “Come one, come all, come and join the reading book club on safety awareness TODAY from 3:10 P.M. to 4:10 P.M.” The Diepsloot Community Center Librarian will be notified of our upcoming plans. If we are challenged by a low participation rate, then we will walk around the Community Center to recruit children to join our reading book club. This book club will continue weekly on Thursdays from January 2014 to June 2014. Our book theme for the New Year will be safety and awareness. Reflecting from numerous news reports on crime, especially on children and “stranger danger.” I will obtain an array of books that would be age appropriate for many groups. These books will be obtained through various sources: either from the Diepsloot Community Center Library or the American International School (AISJ) Elementary Library. To begin each session, with Raquel and I as the tutors, we will read out loud to the children one book. We will carefully choose the book that will have the most impact on a learning lesson on safety. Then, we will give the children an opportunity to read to us. We will ask for the special volunteer of the day to read to the group with our assistance in pronunciation, sounding out words, and distinguishing vowels and consonants. We will set up a special volunteer of the day chair with a sign. The sign will read, “Special Volunteer of the Day!” After the student has read the story, as group we will discuss the main idea and plot. We will show pictures throughout the story. Time allotted for questions. The learned outcomes touched on during the Book Club will be planning and initiating activities, increased awareness of my strengths and areas for growth, undertaking new challenges, and developing new skills. My particular learning moment is planning and organizing this book club; taught me organization, planning skills, and communication through coordination. The fears of my own limitations would be overwhelmed with too many children. I can relate these learning moments to last years’ 2012 tutoring services in Afrika Tikkun. I’ve learned and experienced new lessons from last years Afrika Tikkun that I can implement this year in the Book Club. I learned to stay focused on the children who want to learn versus the children who are being distractive. Problem-solving scenarios is trying to keep the children orderly. I believe through having minimized groups with more one on one attention the children will be more focused and willing to learn. No conflicts have been raised as of yet. Future goals is to continue this Book Club throughout the year from January 2014 to June 2014 every Thursday. I see in the big picture that I am assisting and helping in the literacy rate of young South Africans in a developing world.