Teacher Colleague Letter written at the end of the semester on December 7, 1999

Dear Colleague,
I chose the ROR program because it gave me an opportunity to interact with children and parents which is what I will be doing as a teacher. I gained three things from doing this project and they include a new friendship with my partner from ROR, valuable experience with children, and a new level of confidence in talking and interacting with parents and children that I did not have before. Three questions that I still have are: if a group of children have gathered to hear a story and there is a very young child present as well as a 5 year old, what reading material should I choose? What exactly to do when no one is interested in reading with me? this was a common occurrence. How do I approach a parent who does not seem very friendly and willing to talk to me?

Sincerely,
Julie Ivan

I went to my first Reach Out and Read visit and was pretty anxious because I didnt know exactly what to expect. I arrived and was given a smock and shown the reading corner. I took out the books that I had brought and waited for some children and my partner I signed up with to show up. I waited for about twenty minutes before anyone came in. By this time, I realized that my partner was not going to show up. The first patient to come in was a teenager so I did not approach her. I waited for another 10 minutes or so before a mother and her two daughters walked in. The older daughter looked about 5 years old or so and her younger sister looked about 2 years old. I thought this would be my perfect opportunity so I approached the mother and asked if I could share a book with her daughters and she said sure. I asked the older girl (who was playing Legos) if she wanted to read a book with me and she quickly responded with a no! I was definitely surprised to hear a no from her but then asked the little sister the same question and she just stared at me. I took that as a somewhat encouraging sign and started showing her the covers of all my books hoping to entice her with the colors and pictures. Jesse, her mother told me her daughters name, pointed to Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree and I sat down next to her on the floor to start reading. She grabbed the book from me and started walking all around the room with it and I didnt really know what to do. I eventually got her to stay in one place long enough to read the story and she after I was done she kept saying monkey so I read it to her two more times. I kept pointing out the bananas in each picture and the last time we read the story she would always show me where the nanas were. Right after we finished, the nurse came out and called the girls to their appointment. Shortly after Jesse and her sister left my time was up. I was disappointed in myself that I hadnt been able to talk to more children. Some other children had come in during my hour but were called back immediately and some children went to the opposite side of the room and I didnt feel comfortable approaching them. It was very difficult for me, I found, to actually get up the courage to walk up to the parents and talk to them. This anxiety is something I hope to completely overcome in my next few visits.

When I got to Oxford Pediatrics the waiting room was pretty empty. I noticed my partner and was glad to have someone there with me. Shortly after I arrived, a mother came in with her little boy who was 2 years old. He was running all around the room with his mother following closely behind him. Erin and I decided to read to each other to see if the little boy would come over to see what we were doing and join us. Well, the mother actually picked him up and sat down next to us while holding her son and said, wed like to hear a story. We read him a story about baby animals and he was called for his appointment. We were feeling pretty confident after this and went over to a grandmother with a boy and a girl sitting with her. She asked us if we were there to watch children because she needed to go to the car for the diaper bag. We told her that we were there to share books with children but that we could watch them while she was gone. I took this time to read to the little girl. She was very quiet and did not say one word throughout the entire book but would keep looking up at my face as I read. We read a book that was from the selection of books provided and she enjoyed opening the flaps to see what animal was hiding. The little boy did not want to read with us but I gave him a book to hold and he actually did flip through the pages.

I found it interesting that when I was reading to children, I often saw parents reading books to their children. It was wonderful to see this because it is one of the goals of ROR, to show parents the joy of reading to children and encourage reading to take place at home or anywhere they have a chance. I definitely enjoyed my second visit to Oxford Pediatrics much more than my first. It made me more comfortable to have a partner there for some support and I also felt more confident talking to parents and children. My goal throughout this semester at ROR is that I read to more and more children each time I visit the hospital.

My partner and I switched times so now we are starting our time earlier in the morning and I hope it is not as slow as it was last Monday at nine in the morning. Since it was not very busy whenever patients did walk in they were almost immediately called in to see the doctor. To keep busy I thought we could straighten up the books in the reading corner so we spent some time trying to sort through the books by age group and set them vertically on the shelves. They were very messy just lying on the shelves. Hopefully they are still neatly arranged and somewhat organized the way that we left them. Eventually a woman walked in with two sons. The older son wanted to play Legos and of course the younger boy did just like his brother. The mother tried very hard to help our cause and called Sam over to sit on her lap so we could read to them. We took turns reading books to Sam but he would occasionally slip out of his mothers lap to run around the room. She told us that it is hard for her to read to him at home because he doesnt have much of an attention span yet. The nurse then called the boys. I talked to a young mother with an adorable little girl. The little girl might have been a little older than 6 months and her mother sat down next to me and said were going to read a book to her daughter. The little girl pointed and touched the first page with her hand and just as I started the story she was called in. Unfortunately I did not have much of an opportunity to share the books I brought with too many.

It was nice to have such nice cooperation and enthusiasm from so many parents this time. It was encouraging to see them trying to interest their children in books instead of toys. Often, the children could not be persuaded but it was still wonderful to see the parents excited about reading too. I really think that having ROR volunteers even sitting there makes the parents more aware of how important reading is and I have seen many parents even in the sick room asking their kids to read with them. I am not so sure that would be so prevalent without our presence there so that is wonderful!

My partner and I started the morning off right away taking turns reading to one another. This drew one little boy over to see what we were up to but as soon as we directed our attention to him, he ran away. We had the books spread out around us on the floor and one little girl seemed to recognize a book and grabbed it and took it with her into her appointment. I noticed an older child walk in who gave me a big smile and thought shed be fun to read to. I asked the girl, who was about five years old, if shed like to read with us. She said sure! and sat down on the floor between us. She then went about pointing to the books that were her favorites always with an excited I know this one or This one is my favorite. It was very neat! We took turns reading the books she chose and she stopped me while I was reading to cover up the re in the word there and proudly told me that that word spelled the. It was so encouraging to be interacting with a child who is beginning to read and is so enthusiastic about the words she has mastered. After Katie was called in, a mother sat down with her young son and said that they would like to hear a story. The little boy noticed Goodnight Moon but just as the story started, he was called into the office.

I had a really fun time with Katie last week. I must say that she has been my most involved book sharer so far. I do feel like I am making a difference. I mentioned in my last reflection that I have observed a lot of parents especially those in the sick area who are pushing their children toward books rather than toys. I saw this again this last week. One woman was reading with both of her children on her lap. We found out later that she had been an elementary teacher before having her children. I also saw another mother in the sick room reading to her son, who would occasionally walk away with the book, go to the opposite corner of the room and flip through the pages himself looking closely at each picture. Each week, I feel, has been building on the last. I am more confident in why I am there, what I am supposed to be doing, and the difference I am making.

When I arrived at Oxford Pediatrics there were a significant amount of people in the waiting room already. It was pretty noisy and there were many children having fun with the toys. I got out the selection of books I had picked out for this week and starting looking for my first reading partner. A little girl walked in and I said hi to her as she walked through the door and walked past me. For some reason I started this new practice of saying hi to all the children that walked in. It seemed to make me feel much more confident, having already spoken to the kids, and I did not have any trouble walking up to the little girl and her mom that walked in. Both Sara and her mom sat down with us and I read her a book with baby animals in it. With help from her mom she made all the animal noises. It was adorable. It seemed to me that Sara was accustomed to reading, she was very patient and paid very close attention and was an active participant. Unfortunately during our time with Sara, most of the other children had been called in to the doctors office and shortly after Sara was also called. A mother did walk in with her two children but they walked in the sick room and Erin and I watched as the mother read to her children while they were both on her lap. Erin was also taking pictures and got a picture of the reading session.

Aside from the fact that the last part of the hour was spent arranging the bookshelf, I had a great time with Sara. Every time I come home from ROR and look back at the time Ive spent with the children, it reinforces for me the reason I want to be a teacher. So I can be around such wonderful little human beings that can be reached and excited about learning if someone cares enough about them to push and help them to succeed.

Today was probably the least productive visit I have had at Oxford Pediatrics. Erin and I placed books on the lego table and waited for some children to arrive. It was not long before a little girl, her mom, and a little baby came in the office. Erin and I approached the little girl and she declined our offer to read. Instead she wanted to play with us. Brianna pointed to different objects describing the color and type of animal object represented. She told us about her arm, which was wrapped up and in a sling, and about her baby sister. We played with her at the lego table and chatted a bit with her mother before Brianna was called into the doctors office. Throughout the rest of the visit older children all came in the office. Some were even doing their homework. I did take some books from the reading shelf and place them around the room in places that there were not already books. I hope to have more children to read to next week. Today seemed to be the least busy thus far. However, each week I am feeling more and more comfortable going to Oxford Pediatrics and am not nearly as shy approaching parents and patients.

Unfortunately I have to report another rather unsuccessful week. We approached several of the children that were in the office for appointments and they either said no or ran away. Two different children were looking at books that I placed on the table next to me (we were seated in the Lego play area). Each time I asked if they would like to share the book with me and one little girl gave me a funny looked and ran away and wouldnt come near me again. Another little boy who looked at the cover and was touching the book immediately took the book and went to the opposite side of the room after I addressed him. I tried playing with the children after that but many had siblings that they were much more comfortable playing with. It seemed that we did not have many to ask either. Many of the children were probably middle school age. I think we have at least two or three more sessions to attend OxROR this semester and am hoping to go out with a bang- meaning that I hope I have the most productive sessions coming up. I am seriously considering participating in ROR next semester depending on my schedule. I am still happy to go and just be around children and watch them interact with siblings, parents, and myself. It is a wonderful experience for a future teacher like myself.

Today I arrived at Oxford Pediatrics and found a few older children in the office waiting. Two appeared to be doing homework and another was reading a magazine. I rearranged the shelf, which is always a mess every time I come in, and then sat down to wait for some children. A small family walked in and I tried to start off on a good foot and said hi and waved to the kids. The little boy smiled back. I was anxious to read to him but then his mother took them all in to the sick area. Shortly after, a little girl came to play with the legos. I sat down next to her and asked if she wanted to share a story. She bluntly said no and continued playing but she included me in the building of her creation. After she was called into the office, a young toddler came in with his mother. I have never seen such a smiley youngster! He had the most adorable dimples and you couldnt help but smile when you looked at him. I waved a little hello and he then started looking around the room and mumbled a mmm, meaning mommy, and found her over by the nurses window. His mother brought him over to the lego table where Erin and I were seated. He touched Goodnight Moon, which we had placed on the table along with a few other books. Erin and I sat down next to Alexander and took turns reading the pages to him. He was a delight. He didnt say much but he was very good at using his fingers to point! We had no other children after Alexander left.

It was great to have such a wonderful time interacting with a child like Alexander. It was interesting to see what kinds of things he reacted to the most. When he heard or saw something familiar he got excited and turned to his mother. I am so encouraged some days after leaving Oxford Pediatrics because I love being near children. I miss all the babysitting I used to do at home and it makes me all the more anxious to finally be in a classroom where I can actually get to know my students on a more personal basis. At those times when it seems like it might be a tough job and I dont know if I have what it takes, I think about how working with these kids makes me feel and the doubts disappear.