Reciprocal Relationships
To begin with, “be[ing] mindful of the community partner’s resources” resonated within me. During my time with Accion Callejera so far, I have come to realize that the center does not have the resources it deserves. Each child does not have his or her own book, and the books that they have are not in good condition: they are ripped, and words or pictures are cut out so the story is unreadable. And during breakfast, the kids pounce upon the food provided. For some of them, this is the only meal that they will eat all day, so they nibble at the food and end up packing the rest into their backpacks to bring home. The other day, Ninoshka and I brought yarn to help the children make friendship bracelets, and they were ecstatic to be able to make bracelets for themselves and their loved ones. Just seeing the smiles and excitement on their faces reminded me that something we normally view as insignificant as yarn could bring endless joy to these kids. As a result, being mindful of the limited resources that the center has will allow us to be able to recognize what they already have but also what they are lacking. It also helps us to minimize the resources that we are using ourselves. If we ignore the resources, we may run into issues of “demanding” too much from the center, and they may not be able to fulfill our wishes.
I also think that “accept[ing] and shar[ing] the responsibility for inefficiencies” is an important factor for an effective reciprocal partnership. In the classroom, it will always be difficult to gather all the children's’ attention. Sometimes, it becomes extremely frustrating when they are not paying attention and are horseplaying or fighting with each other. Other times, the teacher is not paying attention to the kids fighting, and I am unsure if I should intervene. However, during these moments, it is important to recognize that we should not expect the classroom to always run smoothly. The classroom will always be hectic, but we should focus on the good parts and remember we are here to assist the teacher in whatever manner. It is also important to remember to be patient with kids, because they are curious and playful by nature. To ensure we do not hinder their progress, we should indulge their questions and encourage their true personalities to shine through.
The relationship between the community organization and community members is crucial. Accion Callejera is there to support the community members, which are the parents and children. Without the parents and kids, there would not be a need for the Accion Callejera center. And without the center, there would not be an education center for the kids to learn, no place for them to have a meal at, and no place for them to foster positive relationships with other peers and adults. I have noticed that both the community organization and members have formed a positive reciprocal relationship. Between the community organization and the on-site coordinators, the relationship is also a positive and beneficial one. They have built a relationship where the coordinators can introduce us to Accion Callejera to fulfill our service learning goals, while the center benefits from having additional help with no cost to their resources.
In my own service-learning relationship, I have been able to form a good relationship with the community organization. On my first day, I was able to introduce myself to the staff, discuss what I wanted to learn from my time here, and what future plans I may have for the classroom and students. Due to a language barrier, I have had some difficulty with communicating my thoughts and ideas to the staff and community members. But I will try not to get discouraged by remembering that this is a learning process for them just as much as it is for me, and I should try to be patient and remember that I have been studying Spanish for years, and I should give myself some credit. I hope to be able to talk more to the community members, especially the parents of the children to understand their perspective and their way of life.