Trip Digital Story

There is so much to be said about our experiences over spring break, but this is our week at Muchin College Prep summed up in a 3 minute video. 

Enjoy!

Chicago

I’m a senior, so this was my last opportunity to participate in an alternative break.  I loved every moment primarily because of the people I met. The students at Muchin, the teachers, my fellow participants, trip advisor, and  trip leaders, made this spring break one to remember. The students made me smile because they were just as excited to see me, as I was to see them. We left, at the end of the week, learning more from them then they learned from us. The teachers showed us how passionate they were about teaching. To work everyday from 7am-6pm and then work at home on curriculum, grading, and lesson planning and still be excited about your job takes passion.  My fellow participants were very supportive and made the trip fun and exciting. Our trip advisor was able to watch after us, but still allowed the trip leaders to guide us. Lastly, our trip leaders effectively guided us through our service trip. They not only planned this wonderful trip, but helped us reflect on the week’s service. By the end of the week I was sad to say bye to all these people, but I knew it wasn’t bye forever. I never knew how much a week could impact my life until this trip and I am glad I took the opportunity to go on an alternative break. Thanks to everyone who made this an awesome trip!

(Sorry I'm not a blogger..next time my post will be math equations)

Getting to know Muchin

Entering the first moments of our experience at Muchin, several us were anxious about the week ahead of us and how the students would accept our presence at their school. Little did we know, the week would turn out to be an incredible experience!

For the first couple of days, most of us spent time orienting ourselves with Muchin's organization and schedule, along with grading tests for teachers. Having graded so many papers in the span of two days, I can now say that I truly appreciate all the time teachers put in to grading! It sure helps to have some sort of an assistant; that way, teachers actually have more time to focus on their curricula, development, and other contributions to the school.

Additionally, I was a big fan of Muchin's schedule! The students begin the day with their advisors, followed by three periods of class, lunch, two more periods of class, and then back to another session with their advisors. Students utilize the time spent with their advisors to better orient and prepare themselves for a successful route to college. Further, the lunch period is split in half, such that one half is for eating and the other is for extra help with classes.

My favorite part of Muchin's schedule was the enrichment portion of the day. Enrichment activities take place after all classes and advisory periods, and these activities provide students with the opportunity to engage in really interesting stuff! For example, there was a Harry Potter club, film studies group, green club, coloring and conversation and other fun things to keep anyone entertained! I wish my school offered these sorts of activities at my high school!

Also, I was very impressed with the commitment to fitness and sports at Muchin. Students run around the hallways all the time during P.E. classes and sports team practices. After school we'd see the double dutch club, cheer squad, and teachers joining students in doing calisthenics. Muchin is doing something right! All the teachers and students remain energetic and enthusiastic from the moment the day begins at 7:15AM until they leave, which can sometimes be as late as 7:00PM. The atmosphere at Muchin was amazing!

Anyways, I'll have to share the rest of my experience in another post; I hope this post makes the experience seem as exciting as it actually was!