As an 8th grader getting ready for Confirmation, I need a minimum of 20 hours of community service. Normally I’d get a few hours at the library, a few at school, and not much else. But when I heard 20, I knew I had to do something more. Of course I still volunteered in the same places I had before, but I also decided to volunteer for an hour every Saturday. My school has a Saturday Recreation class that I am now too old to take. So instead, I volunteer there.

Every Saturday I wake up at 8:00 and get to my school at 9:30. I sign in and run to the computer lab upstairs where I help out. There, I help the Kindergarten through Fourth grade students sign onto the computers. After the long loading period, I open up Explorer for them and type in sites they want to play on such as Miniclip. For the next half hour or so, they have free time. During this time, many of the kids come up to me asking for help. I then help them find games, pass levels, and print out coloring pages.

Then the next half hour is the fun part. While they have been playing on the computer, I quickly put together a PowerPoint presentation or a SmartBoard lesson teaching them how to use the computer to help them in their school life. After half an hour, the children gather around near the SmartBoard and I actually teach them. Not the teacher in charge. Me.

Although it is nerve-wracking, I have come to realize that the children don’t care if I mess up. This whole experience is amazing. As a student who wishes to be an elementary school teacher in the future, this is really worthwhile. I get to experience lesson planning, lesson making, and teaching. I do not regret choosing to do this, and I have built wonderful relationships with the children there. They know me by name, as a teacher, but also as a friend. It is nice to know that these little kids who I will only know for 17 weeks all ready look up to me so much.

Community service may have been mandatory, but now, this is something I really want to do. Not because I have to, because I want to. I hope that other kids will be able to see this too because it is great and someday, it can, and most likely will, help you in the future.