Volunteers We’re Talkin’ To: Melinda Trauman
Here at KOREH L.A, we are so excited to welcome our new volunteers to the fold. I thought it might be helpful in the coming weeks to feature some of our seasoned volunteers so that they can share their wisdom and experience. After all, we want to promote education in all its forms, and what better way to do so than for KOREH L.A. volunteers to teach each other?
Melinda Trauman has been volunteering with KOREH L.A for six years. She has touched so many lives through her work with KOREH L.A., due in no small part to the fact that she spends eight hours a week volunteering with LAUSD students! This year, Melinda is volunteering at Fair Avenue Elementary School in North Hollywood, where she is working with thirteen students ranging from grades 1st through 4th, as well as working with a Kindergarten class. Melinda was so gracious when I asked her to answer a couple of questions. She even offered to answer any questions our readers come up with. Please leave any questions you have for Melinda in the comments section of this blog post! We will make sure that Melinda sees them.
What advice would you give to a new volunteer?
First and foremost, the best advice is to remember what was taught and discussed in the three-hour training session. I am a credentialed teacher with the state and also have a Montessori Certificate. The training session opened my eyes to a better understanding of how to go about one-on-one interactions as opposed to interactions in large groups, such as a class. As volunteers, we need to be very patient and flexible. Some students cannot sit for an hour. If this is the case, consider taking two students at 30 minute intervals. The need is definitely there. We should share with our students our reading adventures. We should talk to and communicate with them. We should, and need, to tell them why reading is so much fun. We can go places. We can learn about the world. We can read about the past and the future. We can "meet" people from history. We need to trust the children and listen to them when they share their wants, needs and interests.
What challenges were you confronted with and how did you solve them?
I have student who struggled with "OU" words. I went on the internet and compiled a list of words using the many sounds of the letters "OU." We spent about to ten minutes of our reading time with this list. We are currently reading a book in which we visit places around the world. We just have fun trying to pronounce the place names and other words from the different languages -especially when we saw words from Welsh. Some of the kids were able to figure out the Spanish words. As previously mentioned, some children cannot sit for an hour. It is important to just make the best use of the time. Use your own instinct.
What is the funniest thing a child said or did in the past school year?
This just happened about two weeks ago: On the way to the library for our reading session, one of my students told me her grandmother was alive in the 1960's. She said this with such awe and amazement. Before I could respond at all she said, "I didn't think anyone was alive way back then."
What books are the most popular with the student(s) you work with?
Younger children LOVE the book Chicka-Chicka Boom Boom (by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault). Curious George (by H.A Ray) is also very popular. Animal books are always very popular whether they are fiction or non-fiction. Some students want to read more about things they are studying in class. Last year two of my students were reading about space. They wrote letters to NASA and were thrilled to receive some materials. Currently I have students reading about places around the world, students reading about inventors and inventions, students reading biographical books, and students reading stories just for fun. Books I enjoy reading are books that spark interest (such as those which inspired my students to write to NASA) and imagination. Children look forward to making something to go with stories. Past projects have included maps, puppets, dioramas, collages, origami boats, and paper doll strings of characters in the books.
If you could change one thing about your volunteer experience, what would it be?
I would not change the program. However upon request by some teachers, I do spend some time with students doing math.
As you can see, Melinda has such a wealth of knowledge to share! One of my favorite things she said was, "We need to trust the children and listen to them when they share their wants, needs and interests." I think this is so important to remember,, especially because the ultimate goal of volunteering is to help broaden the world of a child by helping improve his or her literacy skills. When we listen to the intelligent and unique individuals sitting in front of us, we can truly help our students reach their potential!
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