Class Connections:
1. Through volunteering at KinderFrogs, I mainly learned that gender can be such a social construct. Meaning, we as humans either consciously or not, typically adhere to the different gender stereotypes that have been presented to us throughout our lives. While we have discussed this concept in great detail in class, we usually focused on the negative aspects of “socializing gender.” For example, we have talked about how boys feel pressured not to cry or play with dolls, girls feel like they can’t be as good at math, and one’s personal appearance determines what gender they are. All of these things have been drilled into our heads by society since we born and have caused negative outcomes. But what about if society used its influential power for good? After spending a semester volunteering at KinderFrogs, I feel like they are one of the only places to actually try and do this. I did observe some moments where gender played a role in what happened—like how the teachers were more physically aggressive with the boys and more verbally aggressive with the girls and how the children are made to sign their gender at the beginning of class—but overall, I saw a push within the classroom to promote gender neutrality. Based on all …show more content…
It is hard to make a prominent impact on someone’s life in just twelve hours but I’d like to think that our group made a positive one when it came to volunteering at KinderFrogs. I feel like the teachers generally enjoyed our presence in the classroom. By playing with the kids, we allowed them to focus on whatever student needed their undivided attention. And by asking them questions about their own lives, we pursued a relationship with them too which allowed them to feel appreciated. As far as the kids go, I hope that our constant presence allowed them to feel cared for and loved. We were unable to teach them anything of high value due to their strict schedule but we were happy just to get to be there and engage with
1. Through volunteering at KinderFrogs, I mainly learned that gender can be such a social construct. Meaning, we as humans either consciously or not, typically adhere to the different gender stereotypes that have been presented to us throughout our lives. While we have discussed this concept in great detail in class, we usually focused on the negative aspects of “socializing gender.” For example, we have talked about how boys feel pressured not to cry or play with dolls, girls feel like they can’t be as good at math, and one’s personal appearance determines what gender they are. All of these things have been drilled into our heads by society since we born and have caused negative outcomes. But what about if society used its influential power for good? After spending a semester volunteering at KinderFrogs, I feel like they are one of the only places to actually try and do this. I did observe some moments where gender played a role in what happened—like how the teachers were more physically aggressive with the boys and more verbally aggressive with the girls and how the children are made to sign their gender at the beginning of class—but overall, I saw a push within the classroom to promote gender neutrality. Based on all …show more content…
It is hard to make a prominent impact on someone’s life in just twelve hours but I’d like to think that our group made a positive one when it came to volunteering at KinderFrogs. I feel like the teachers generally enjoyed our presence in the classroom. By playing with the kids, we allowed them to focus on whatever student needed their undivided attention. And by asking them questions about their own lives, we pursued a relationship with them too which allowed them to feel appreciated. As far as the kids go, I hope that our constant presence allowed them to feel cared for and loved. We were unable to teach them anything of high value due to their strict schedule but we were happy just to get to be there and engage with