Metcalfe Elementary School

Mentor

Volunteering at Metcalfe Elementary School allowed me to work with children from various backgrounds and needs to help them with both academics and social needs.  I volunteered in two different classrooms and it was a joy to watch students improve in their reading, writing, and mathematics skills. I chose Metcalfe Elementary School because it is a "D" school, indicating that many students are struggling. Along with students struggling academically, I also worked with children diagnosed with a variety of disabilities, including learning disabilities such as ADHD and Dyslexia, and physical disabilities, which broadened my experiences and given me the opportunity to put my Disabilities in Society minor into action.

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I was really struck by the home situations students faced, such as a young boy who was sent to school in shorts on one of the coldest days because it was laundry day so he had no pants to wear. I continued to volunteer at Metcalfe for another semester to work one-on-one with these students and watch them improve.