Reaping Benefits: Community Service for Society's Good - Essay Sample

Introduction

Community services are work performed by an individual or group for the benefit of others or the overall good of the society. Notably, the works are often done in one's locality, so that the community reaps the benefits associated with the services the group or individual provides. Community service does not necessarily involve payment, though some appreciation and recognition may be given to the volunteers. The beneficiaries of community service can range from children to senior citizens, and people with disabilities. Anybody can participate in community service. Therefore, through the incorporation of such themes including the single-story paradigm, Jacques Pepin's The Origins of AIDS, the New revelation of America before Columbus, Benjamin Kline, First Along the River and my knowledge of liberal studies, the paper aims to explore my community services at golden oak Montessori school in Castro Valley, CA, wherein provided my services as a volunteer.

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Community Services at Montessori

As I volunteered at Montessori School, I managed to have an opportunity to work with 5-6th graders from 10 am to pm. I always checked with the supervisor at around 10 am and then proceeded to work with the students. Notably, I attended three different classrooms daily, where I helped different students in solving mathematical problems and reading skills. I was able to help the students improve on their reading and writing skills and practicing multiple verbal ideas through organizing occasional classroom discussions to develop various perspectives, including critical thinking, effective communication and reasoning, and problem-solving. Notably, my services at the school covered such scope, including the school environment and multi-stage learning communities among other aspects

Community Services

The school provides a good learning environment for learning and to strike imagination and exploration of important principles across the discipline. The organization of the classroom has provided me with much-needed ease in organizing the children into manageable groups to help them solve math problems. Moreover, the school environment embraces the technological aspect of learning since students are acquitted with such gadgets like calculators, multimedia devices and internet resources to aid in supplementary research. Multiple functions in the calculators can be challenging to use, and I was capable of demonstrating to the student how they can use the calculator to solve mathematical problems without difficulties. To achieve this objective, I placed more emphasis on group participation and collaboration since I had much time to interact with the student. I would then walk around all the classes to assist on the group that had an issue.

I wanted to minimize and change the stereotypes of an ideal of leaning that the students may not have to be used to. Notably, my objective of embracing group work was to eliminate the racial stereotype that might be in existence and which might reduce effective learning and consultation in Montessori. Drawing our attention to the dangers of a single story which results in stereotypes that may affect students, Adichie gives a framework on the importance of discussing this concept and the significance of multiple stories. Borrowing constructive ideas from a single story paradigm, I have always encouraged the student to consult with their colleagues before approaching me for help since they possess different ideas within the classroom that can provide them with significant insights into their future learning.

In sum, I managed to create a cohesive learning environment evident by the increased student to student consultation, which eliminated discrimination among the students and bridges the learning gap between top-performing students and low performing students. I also emphasized to the students that discrimination derails learning, but collaboration fosters adequate learning and good collective results for the class. Undeniably, my liberal arts education has helped me with effective study skills and appreciate social skills which I was capable of passing to the students at Montessori.

The education has given me the much need 'training of the mind' that I can now give back to the community. Ideally, I am giving the best to the students, and I think it has to do with how I applied myself in my liberal arts education, which made me become a better student. Moreover, the multiage learning community's system is significant in assisting students in learning in groups. Children can progress through the curriculum at their own pace. Older student acts as a role model for their juniors. There through group learning, I had opportunity to educate the children on various topics, including HIV/AIDS, which was essential as far as community and public health, is concerned. This topic has posed a major threat to humanity, and I thought it wise to enable senior students to be acquitted with its origin.

Liberal studies are concerned with the study of humanity and sciences, and thus shedding significant light on this topic proved significant. I would use Jacques Pepin's origin of AIDS to reveal to the senior students the origin of aids and its scientific conclusion. It Maybe three decades down the line since the discovery of this deadly pandemic; however, its origin has remained a puzzled both to the scientists and doctors. Jacques traces back in the twentieth-century events in Africa that triggered the emergence of HIV/AIDS. In acquitting students with the concepts of the pandemic helps in creating awareness among themselves on how they can relate, associate with those affected with the disease both at school and community.

Moreover, the student were capable of understanding how the disease is being transmitted, scientifically, which made them ask more significant questions about the topic leading to future research on the topic. These groups of students are vulnerable to HIV infection due to global statistics, which indicate that the spread of HIV is on the rise among adolescents. Thus sexual behavioral change can be the only preventive measure. I think I contributed significantly at this point, not only to the students but to the entire community. My knowledge of liberal studies has enhanced significant engagements through reflective thinking of important topics of discussion with the students. Moreover, the liberal studies have also structured the way I reason and apply the knowledge to the students; the students are now aware and could now take the necessary measure of staying safe of this pandemic.

I was capable of training the mind of the student as liberal study warrants. I created positivity in the student, and since I wanted them to be good servants of their community. I did not want the students to be like the revelation of America before the Columbus in which a perception that the pre-Columbus native Americans were uncivilized and that they had a dismal influence on the land despite occupying the land for so long. Owing to these sentiments, I created a sense in the students to be beneficial to the community through practicing positive behavior while engaging themselves in innovative scientific research that could benefit society. For instance, I encouraged them to explore the opportunity of using the school internet resources in conducting worthwhile research capable of transforming the community. Within a few week's students started approaching me with multiple research ideas, which I was able to advise further as appropriate.

The student needs to learn scientific facts, and this is one of the principles that I embraced. I have learned to train the student's mind to think in a broader perspective beyond the school set up and to have an open mind, especially for the environment. I emphasized to them that, despite learning from the books, it was also essential to learn from their environment, which would give them greater experience on how to interact with their surroundings. For instance, for each class that had got an opportunity to interact with the students, I taught them that, they should always consider other positive thoughts while in the classroom like the importance of people they interact within the community. They should emulate Benjamin Kline's book, First Along the River: A Brief History of the US Environmental Movement, which highlights the importance of people, places, events, critical societal concepts, and the impact of government on population.

Notably, the school is not all about 'pen and book.' Still, it involves nurturing students to be greater people of tomorrow by empowering them on how to relate with people and the importance of society in their lives. Moreover, I was capable of creating more emphasis on the children on the importance of obeying societal laws and norms. in the long run the student was capable of embracing reflective and active learning skills. I instilled the two concepts to the students since the concepts are applicable to the students in their lifetime even after finishing their studies. These concepts will continuously be applied as the students grow and get to interact with their environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think I have done a great service to the community by not only teaching students how to learn but also about significant aspects concerning their societal life. I was capable of teaching them multi-cultural education, which has taught them how to perceive their society, studies, and how to accept every member of the society, including those living with HIV/AIDS. I was able to acquit the student with a lot of cultural knowledge, considering that I am a liberal student major, which I was able to connect with the prevailing circumstance in my community. I also instilled positivity in the students for being creative and acting for the overall good of the society.