Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Megan Reigard
YTH 220
Meg.Reigard@student.indwes.edu

Practicum Report
This semester’s practicum I worked at the Body Shop teaching a High School Girl’s Discipleship Group on Wednesday nights. Every week I was in charge of coming up with ice breakers to play with the girls and I also got the opportunity to lead the lesson on occasion as well. I strongly feel that I made a connection with the girls and that they enjoyed what I taught them as much as I enjoyed teaching them.
My supervisor was Julia Hurlow and Charlie Alcock. There were a few times that I helped out with the youth group on Sunday nights, that I got to work with Charlie but most of my work I did with Julia in the High School Girls Discipleship Group. Julia was very helpful and influential advisor who always aided the girls and I whenever we needed something. Julia spoke the first night but from then on allowed the other (college) girls and I to take the lead as she supervised. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better advisor she was so kind, helpful and uplifting.
I have definitely grown through this experience at Body shop both personally and professionally. Personally I’d say I learned to give it all to God, sometimes you could be having the worst day and think your lesson is just not anything of what it could be and yet those are the days that even just one girl is touched by your message. Also I’ve learned how rewarding it is to be able to be there for someone and show them God’s light. This one girl I taught was a foster child who, the first night, didn’t even want to be there; now she looks forward to coming every week and she gets involved with anything she can. Professionally I’ve learned a few things as well. One things is that you can’t please everyone; please God first and foremost and that’s all that matters. Secondly, I’ve learn that you don’t have to do it all yourself; let others help you and it takes a lot of pressure off you. Lastly, I’ve learned that if you ask for volunteers when doing ice breakers no one will step up, however; if you don’t ask them and you make them do it everyone joins in and has a lot of fun.
Some patterns that I’ve seen throughout my practicum experience is that things really haven’t changed much since I was in youth group. Everyone still follows the popular kids and you still have clicks. As I said with the ice breakers; ask for volunteers and you get no one, don’t give them a choice and make them play the games and they all end up having a lot of fun. One thing I also noticed was that I was working with a bunch of high school girls, they’re talkative, but when it came to the lesson they were dead silent. I didn’t know if they were really paying attention or just tuning me out? But even when we think we’ve accomplished nothing God uses something to speak to someone. We had some of the girl’s parents call us to tell us that their daughter loved our class so much that they couldn’t stop talking about it. If I got nothing else out of my practicum experience, just that along that the girls are really getting it; is satisfying enough for me.