2008 Woodie Awards
Not A Traditional Spring Break: Student Reflects On Very Valuable Time Spent With Family
Rachel Smith
Issue date: 3/20/03 Section: Feature
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Spring break is a time to relax and forget about all the troubles of the semester and to get refreshed. For spring break, most students go and sit on the sunny beaches and party all week long. Yet I took a different road. I would have loved to have gone to a tropical climate but I went home and spent time with my family. It was a week of realizing how much I enjoy my family and seeing a different side of my cousins.
For my week at home I had planned to go to school with my cousin Christopher and observe him for a class. Christopher is in the second grade and a little behind most of the other students due to having problems with comprehension and focusing because he has ADD. He was so excited that I was going to spend a day with him in school and told his mother he had to wear a special outfit because I was coming.
When I went to see Christopher I saw a completely different boy then I would see when spending time with him at home. He was quiet and very diligent in his work. At home he plays wrestling games and is almost always off the wall. During a time of reading with partners the smile on his face when he read a hard word could melt anyone's heart.
Christopher was a different child at school. He worked so hard to understand and his frustrations were evident but his work does seem to be causing him major difficulties. It allowed me to better understand him and made me appreciate teaching a lot more and look forward to when I will be teaching.
My day with Christopher was the only time I planned to spend with my family. I expected to spend a lot of time with friends from home. Unfortunately on Sunday, Christopher's grandfather died which caused my week to completely change. Though I think the change was for the best. On Monday, I drove Christopher home from school and spent the night at his house helping with various things.
I got to help Christopher with his homework and also spend time with his two year old sister, Victoria and his twelve year old brother Paul. Basically that night I just took care of the little things their father was not able to do because he had to plan for the funeral. Then on Thursday I went to their house and watched the children when they came home from school and stayed the night because the funeral was on Friday morning.
For my week at home I had planned to go to school with my cousin Christopher and observe him for a class. Christopher is in the second grade and a little behind most of the other students due to having problems with comprehension and focusing because he has ADD. He was so excited that I was going to spend a day with him in school and told his mother he had to wear a special outfit because I was coming.
When I went to see Christopher I saw a completely different boy then I would see when spending time with him at home. He was quiet and very diligent in his work. At home he plays wrestling games and is almost always off the wall. During a time of reading with partners the smile on his face when he read a hard word could melt anyone's heart.
Christopher was a different child at school. He worked so hard to understand and his frustrations were evident but his work does seem to be causing him major difficulties. It allowed me to better understand him and made me appreciate teaching a lot more and look forward to when I will be teaching.
My day with Christopher was the only time I planned to spend with my family. I expected to spend a lot of time with friends from home. Unfortunately on Sunday, Christopher's grandfather died which caused my week to completely change. Though I think the change was for the best. On Monday, I drove Christopher home from school and spent the night at his house helping with various things.
I got to help Christopher with his homework and also spend time with his two year old sister, Victoria and his twelve year old brother Paul. Basically that night I just took care of the little things their father was not able to do because he had to plan for the funeral. Then on Thursday I went to their house and watched the children when they came home from school and stayed the night because the funeral was on Friday morning.