1. Taylor Pamplin
Family Academy – Extra Credit
When I signed up for extra credit, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Two semesters ago, I
went to a classroom observation at Northridge Elementary in Lubbock, and that was my only
prior experience in an observational setting. Though I teach Sunday school for fourth and fifth
graders, it’s completely different observing others teach children.
Pulling up to the address listed for Madison Park, I realized that the Family Academy
classes would be held in a sort of small banquet room at an apartment complex. There were two
portable walls that divided the large room into three smaller rooms, the middle of which where
my fellow Tech students and I originally sat. The first few minutes of the family academy were
set aside for children to eat. Our first task was to help bring chairs over from one room to the
room where all of the children and families were. We soon realized that there would be more
children than originally expected. Children had to even start sitting on the ground, since there
were not enough chairs. After everyone ate, we began to begin an arts and crafts activity, where
we gave each of the children supplies to make a heart for the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday.
Since there were so many children, some didn’t get all of the required materials, but the
volunteers of the Family Academy made it work. Some of the volunteers were pulling students
throughout the night and seemed to be testing them on grammar / vocabulary skills. After the arts
and crafts activity was through, we gave the remaining children coloring pages with crayons. At
this point, many of the families had already left, and I wasn’t sure if some of the families simply
came for the free food.
After observing the Family Academy class, I have a great respect for volunteers who take
time out of their busy teaching schedules to help with certain neighborhoods that need more
attention. This was clearly something that needs more volunteers and just attention in our city in

2. Taylor Pamplin
general. Though things were somewhat hectic the night I came to observe, I can tell that it really
made a difference for the children to get to have a little time after school to eat food with friends
from their neighborhood, and do some activities with a little bit of learning mixed in.