Reimagining Service

Author: Marta Dorovic

This is my fourth year in ArtistCorps, serving at Diggs-Latham Elementary with the Vivaldi program. After a COVID-imposed absence of a year and a half, we were finally able to return to in-person service again this fall. A lot has changed. Kids have to wear masks, groups are smaller, we have to be extra cautious of space, etc.

Some of those limitations actually have a positive impact on the education (both the children's and ours). For example, the fact that the number of kids per group is smaller allows for more focus from students and more commitment in the learning space. Also, since the children have assigned seats and are not allowed to move around much, our team has had to brainstorm new activities and ways to transform and adjust all the group games so that they can be done in place but still be fun and active. 
However discouraging it might be to teach in this new, and, in many ways, a restrictive reality, we must strive to find opportunities for growth and learning. Shifted perspective encourages us to be creative and urges us to reimagine / redesign the way we serve so that we can give and take the best from the given situation.