2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
As a member of the Serwis club, me and other members volunteered to read a storybook to Wells primary school kids. We joined a Zoom call, read "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss, and played the game "Simon Says" with commands related to "The Cat in the Hat."
It was the first time I had to interact with kids for an extended amount of time. I found that communicating with them was difficult. Because I was wearing a mask, they could not see my facial expressions, so the only way I could communicate my emotions was through my tone, which made controlling it all the more important. However, this proved to be a challenge because I rarely spoke energetically or enthusiastically.
Still, within the limited time given for the activity, I became conscious of and attempted to alter the way I talked and acted to fit my audience. Especially for kids, I learned that they understood my tone better than the words I was actually saying. For example, during Simon Says, I found that they enjoyed it when me and the other members sounded livelier, more cheerful, and encouraging whenever they did something, so I tried to focus on doing that. By the end, I was able to improve my presentation skills and control my voice better to appeal to a new type of audience.
Lastly, having the other Serwis members alongside helped this activity go smoothly. While we were all learning how to talk to children on the spot, we also had to keep the activity going. By being in a group, we took turns reading and covered each others' mistakes. It became a less daunting and slightly more enjoyable activity than if I were to do it alone.
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