by Mariana Dougherty
TAP Teen
Adath Israel
I have really enjoyed volunteering my time as a teen assistant. I have taken the role of a teen assistant not only to my assigned child, but the entire class. It has been a lot of fun to spend time with my class of fifth graders. I love to see how close my student is in the class and how they all treat each other so well. He is a really kind kid and although he’s a little shy, it is great when he opens up. He comes out of his shell every time he gets to do a creative activity or when the class is playing a game. The information I learned from TAP has been very helpful for encouraging him to talk more in class, as well as the other students who have difficulty learning hebrew. I always remain optimistic especially when the student has lost some confidence from a mistake and give positive remarks to not discourage them from trying again. Also, while resolving disagreements among the children when they are working in small groups on projects, I have used the tricks I learned from TAP to create compromises. My experience as a teen assistant has been really fun and informative for me so far, and I am really excited to continue with the program for the rest of the school year.