Teaching in After School Care

This is my second year of being an after school care teacher. To me this is just as rewarding as being a classroom teacher because you have your regular students and you fall into a rhythm.  The students really count on you as the teacher to keep to a schedule, make the experience fun and to keep them safe.  This year we have changed our program at Blessed Sacrament in order to make the time spent in after school care (ASC) as beneficial as possible for the students. We make sure that all of our students in ASC work on their homework first everyday. Most of the people that work in this program are certified teachers and we want to make sure that our students can ask questions while they are working.  The students are also able to work in centers once their homework is done. We have board games, puzzles, word puzzles (crossword and word searches), coloring sheets to match the seasons and areas for students to play with their own toys. This is new this year and has worked very well. It keeps everything organized but it also gives students the freedom to choose what they would like to do.  Once centers are finished we try to get the students outside, but in bad weather the students are able to utilize the gym. We recognize that the students need to run and get their energy out after sitting in the classroom all day. The students usually have about an hour to an hour and a half to run and play in the gym or outside. 

This can be a challenging job but I have learned to embrace it. I have been able to connect with the students that come to the program on a regular basis. The students give input as to what they would like to see or do during ASC and we try to honor that. I am happy that even though I cannot have my own classroom currently I can work with children everyday!