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Being able to volunteer at AGAPE this past semester has had its challenges but ultimately ended up being the highlight of my Thursday mornings. Throughout the semester, I developed relationships with the students. They became used to me being in class and knew that I was there to help them with math. Additionally, I was able to talk casually with them in addition to guiding them through math problems or helping them catch up during advisory. Also, I learned more about teaching. I learned how to work with ESL students and have learned about students with IEPs. It was challenging at first since I have had no prior experience to working with such students, but with practice, I began to understand different ways to help the girls. I plan to continue to volunteer with Ms. Voeks next semester to finish their academic year. This experience has taught me a lot about learning styles and how sometimes, school doesn't and can't come first. I attended to film screening of Paper Tigers and while watching, I felt like some of the girls at the school suffer from some sort of trauma in their lives relating to either motherhood or support. A couple of girls told me that they provided for themselves and lived in apartments with friends. From Ms. Voeks, I learned that some of the girls at the school didn't have a place to call home. Also, many of the girls have jobs or are in the process of applying for jobs. With a ton of responsibilities that teens and students should not have to deal with, it is understanding to me when kids can't focus or choose to skip class. However, I feel that school is important for them and it is important to support them throughout their school experiences so they can finish high school and continue. I feel like the AGAPE staff do their best to motivate the students and give them solid advice to plan for life and are committed to their success. I love that they are there for their students and I have really enjoyed being a part of the AGAPE community. I look forward to the future and hope to see some of the girls I have helped graduate in June.

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I learned a lot through this experience about individualized learning. From the course readings, everyone has a different reading style and differentiated or individualized learning helps a student to better learn the subject. Ms. Voeks does a good job of allowing the students to be in control of how much work they want to do for the class and allows them to learn at their own pace. By having video lessons, each student can take notes at their own pace and rewind if needed. Also, Ms. Voeks makes workbook pages worth only one point and allows students to decide for themselves if they need extra practice. Another thing I like about her teaching model is her idea of tests and quizzes. She allows the students to ask questions on quizzes and tests and guides them if they have questions because this is the only time they may ask for help.

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A lot of my experiences relate to ideas about alternative schools. My only experience to schools prior to this class was the public school system and the "normal" set up of curriculum and classroom policies. I had no experience nor did I know much about non-traditional schools. Learning about them through class and by volunteering in an alternative school opened my eyes to the different school systems in the education system. Also, it was interesting to learn that these schools serve purposes rather than the one size fits all public school model. I think that AGAPE is a great example of an alternative school because many of the girls can relate to each other in the fact that they are all young moms and may have similar stories/experiences. Also, because the school is so small, everybody knows everyone so it becomes a nice small community of teachers and students.

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Ms. Voeks is probably one of the most organized and prepared teachers that I have ever met. She teaches two classes that are composed of students at different math levels. In the class that I volunteered with, she had three classes going on at the same time: intermediate algebra, geometry, and algebra II. The way that she utilizes the students' access to technology to upload class lessons online that the students watch during class is awesome. She also manages to make her way around the classroom to answer questions and assist all students. Even thought the class size is small, around 10-15 students, she manages to get around to any who need help.

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My experiences at AGAPE were great. I learned a lot about different types of students and the levels of motivation for some. For me, it was difficult to see how many students would show up to school 1-2 times a week. It made me realize how busy their lives may be or how they believe that education isn't important. I think that for many of these girls, school is not their first priority since all are either moms or moms-to-be. Additionally, I learned that many of the girls support themselves because their parents or others do not assist them. The school does its best to help give these girls support that they may need by having a daycare and certified nurses on site that they may opt into. Additionally, many of the teachers contribute to the school store so that students can buy things they may need for their children with AGAPE money that they earn by attending classes. As someone that has always been motivated in an educational aspect, it was hard to see some of the girls giving up or only looking for answers rather than trying to understand the concepts. I hope that the girls that I have worked with this past semester will graduate and continue their education.

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Honestly, I did not know what to expect from this experience. I was nervous at first because I had never done any concrete volunteer work in classrooms. Also, I had little experience working with teens other than helping my friends or sisters so volunteering in a classroom setting was nerve racking for me. However, throughout my time with AGAPE, I have learned a lot about teaching and how to organize a classroom to meet many of the students' different needs. Additionally, I learned new strategies to teach math and make it understandable to different levels of English comprehension. I think for me, it was important to go into the experience with an open mind and no expectations to the experience. And through this experience, I have loved working with the girls and making connections with them.

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AGAPE stands for Adolescent Girls and Parenting Education.

I volunteered on Thursdays for 3 hours with Ms. Shannon Voeks who is the math teacher at the school.

AGAPE's mission is "To Provide a Holistic Education for Teen Mothers including: Personal, Physical, Emotional and Academic Integrity, Parental Support and Post Secondary Preparation."