Blog Post #2: Planning and Sustainability

Hey, and welcome to my second blog post! In brief, the action project I plan on working on will consist of volunteering and helping at schools. Vicky and I, would like to visit one or possibly a few elementary schools to provide tutoring or apply our creativity, willingness, and curiosity to simply volunteer around the school or classroom. We plan to begin this project by first, we will contact a few schools near us and explain our project and present our statement. Then, once we receive some word from schools, we can begin!

While our plan should (hopefully) work, like Alison Stuart (in the picture below) had stated “Everything is complicated”. So that being said, a few challenges I and my partner may face are struggles with leadership, and teaching. Though I enjoy teaching and explaining, people learn differently and it may difficult to find a way in which to help each person. Furthermore, leadership may be something we struggle with as it can be difficult to get children to listen, work and understand all while maintaining a positive environment. Though these struggles are very real, I believe my partner and I can push through and try our best to find appropriate solutions.

Like I mentioned earlier, Alison Stuart stated “Everything is complicated”, so even if we have the best intentions with our project, it may not meet criteria such as being sustainable. Thus far with our plan, I believe our project will be a sustainable action. We intend to help out at schools, the things we will help with will not create any unnecessary waste, or harmful, unbeneficial situations. For example, once we begin the project we will be mindful of our actions and who it may benefit or disadvantage. So, we will take initiative by walking to schools to reduce gas emission and save money from the bus, we will use the buildings we are in with care and respect, we will be mindful of equipment we use and it’s waste, and finally, we will be mindful of things that we say, what our actions say and our attitudes.

Along with sustainability, our action also can provide opportunity. As our plan is to provide supports and aids for free around schools, our help can provide opportunity for children to get free tutoring or help within school subjects. Though we would love to help with tutoring each time, we may have other tasks like cleanup or organization in the library or office, this may create less opportunity perse, but I believe that having a clean school, or even organized classroom may make it easier and better for students as they come in and out daily to learn and play.

Finally, to deepen our understanding of this project we could ask and discuss with people whom are experts in a field of teaching or education. To speak with someone and receive their insight, my partner and I, we may explore the perspectives of a few different teachers or “mentor” figures in our lives, these people may be teachers in Charles Best, family friends or past teachers.

Thank you for reading!