Experiencing the City's Youth, Elizabeth Ann Seton Pediatric Center

Reflections on Visiting the Elizabeth Ann Seton Pediatric Center by volunteer Jacqueline

Jackie is a junior at the College of Mount Saint Vincent studying special education.

Charity in the City was an experience that I will never forget. All the places that we visited left a strong impression in my heart, but the one that touched me the most was the John Coleman School inside the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center. The John Coleman School's mission is educating students with disabilities. I have always wanted to be a teacher who leaves footprints on her students' lives. As many people have told me, the field of special education might be rough, but it is truly rewarding.

During the visit, I got the privilege of sitting in one of the preschool classes in the John Coleman School.  When the teacher found out that I was going into Special Education, she got so excited and said, "That's great; we need more special education teachers out there." I could tell she cared so much about her students even while simply going to each student's assigned area to draw a fish for them to color. One of the boys in the class was coloring in a circular motion rather than straight lines, which is a positive sign of development. One of the girls I was working with had such a lively personality and a contagious smile. She also seemed really sweet because she gave me a sticker.

The school's music teacher also came into the class and did some exercises with the students. He played music and gave out bells for the children to ring, which I thought was a great way to get the students involved with the lesson. I was going to participate in a counting activity in which all the adults would assist the students, but unfortunately, right when it was going to start, our group was leaving. I felt bad because the student I was working with wasn't going to have her own adult to do the activity with her, but there was nothing I could do. When I left the school, I was already aware that it was amazing in so many ways, particularly because of the positive attitude and commitment of the teachers.  I would love to visit the John Coleman School again and get to know the students well.