Documente Academic
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WEEK 1
I will be undertaking my placement at the Christ Church Meals Program in Geelong, which is a
program that runs 7-days a week to provide breakfast and other meals for all members of
community, however is aimed towards serving the more disadvantaged members of the community.
All people are welcomed to this program, regardless of their current or past circumstances - this
includes the homeless, the unemployed, street kids and simply those in need of company as much as
a substantial meal. My initial impressions of the setting and role I will be undertaking (which includes
cleaning/set up of the area, serving meals and actively communicating and engaging with members
of the program) are both excited to be actively participating in making a true difference to the area I
have grown up and lived in my entire life, but also I am preparing myself mentally to see a side of
the community that is often disregarded or overlooked. I have never actively engaged or applied my
own skills to assist the more disadvantaged members of the community, which this will be a great
opportunity to not only provide food for the people that partake in this program, but more
importantly an opportunity to be someone these people can communicate and socialise among. This
may seem like something so small and insignificant because these are things I do and most people
do on a daily basis, however to most of the participants of the Christ Church Meals Program, it
makes all the difference in their life to simply have someone that is there to talk to and takes an
interest in their life.
After reading Clancy's posting, I too am hoping to establish relationships and reach out to
those members of the community that may be disadvantaged or simply wanting a form of
socialising. I hope this experience increases both my awareness of these issues within my
own community as well as my confidence to do more and be more of an active participant
within program even after the required community engagement hours.
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
WEEK 2
I am really enjoying my time at the Christ Church Breakfast Club. It is definitely an eyeopening experience to how many people are affected by poverty, unemployment or
homelessness that attend this program. It's such a rewarding experience to give back to these
people through both serving food but more so simply talking and connecting with these
people. From a teaching perspective, this program has not only assisted me in making
connections with the local primary schools of the area that also assist in the program, but it
has certainly made me recognise the different backgrounds each of these students bring with
them to the classroom. Seeing students as young as a Grade 3 Level attend the program just
goes to show the diversity of backgrounds between students as well as the hard times these
families must be going through.
Courtney, I completely agree that it is crucial to develop a solid rapport with students as it not
only increases the student's confidence around yourself as a teaching figure, but more so it
creates a relationship built on mutual respect. It sounds like your placement is a highly
engaging experience, and like my own, is built on the foundations of developing a mutual
respect for those around you.
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
WEEK 3
Placement continues to be a highly beneficial learning experience. The other volunteers that
assist running the program are more than welcoming and have been easily approachable to
talk about any issues or queries I have in regard to the program. It can be difficult at times:
the different range of people that attend the program sometimes do not get along well
together and difficulties arise, to even simply having a rough night previously and become
aggravated at the smallest of things regarding their meal. However, as a volunteer, it is
important to remember that most of these people are having a "rough night", every night. The
breakfast club is somewhere they can feel welcomed and comforted. All of the people that
run the program are volunteers, taking time out of their lives to assist these people in need
and will do anything within their means to ensure everyone feels safe, supported and
provided with a decent meal. All people that attend this program acknowledge this and
mostly are deeply appreciative for the help and support they receive. Overall, despite it's
challenges, placement so far has been nothing short of a rewarding experience for both my
learning journey to becoming a teacher, but more so for my own personal learning and selfawareness.
Julia - Your community engagement seems like a highly beneficial learning experience and
I'm sure working with students from a different background will greatly improve your ability
to adapt to all the different situations that the classroom environment throws at you in your
future teaching.
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
WEEK 4
This image is one of the stained glass windows at the breakfast program. The Lamb of God
represents the same values that are reflected within the practices of the program such as
sacrifice for others and acceptance. All of the great people that make this program possible
are volunteers, giving up their own time to ensure those less fortunate can have a decent meal
and more so be treated as an equal in society.
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
WEEK 5
Having attended several days at the breakfast club, I am beginning to notice the realities and
hardships that most of the people attending the program endure. Each time I have been at the
program there have been many of the same common faces as well as new people coming in
every day. These people are beginning to open up and share their stories with me, which is
just, if more important than simply getting a decent meal at the program. The people that
attend the program, including the homeless, lesser fortunate families and children, and the
unemployed, all value the worth of having someone they can talk to and assist in any possible
way. From a teaching perspective, this engagement has been a hugely rewarding experience.
It has made me realise not only the family hardships that students may be enduring within
their home environments, but also how this may affect their participation and punctuation in
class. Participation in the breakfast club has also made me more aware of how dependent
these programs are on the volunteers. These people are more than welcoming to anyone that
attends the program, without question or judgement of their past history, and dedicate time
out of their day to assist those in need in every way possible.
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
WEEK 6
WEEK 7
My experience throughout community engagement has been nothing short of amazing and
one of the best hands-on learning experiences I have had this year. At the beginning I was
originally nervous about completing the set hours of community engagement, however
despite having completed my hours, I am planning to continue volunteering once a week at
the meals program. One of the biggest highlights of my time throughout my at the meal
program was simply the reactions from the people that I was helping. These people, although
mostly are enduring serious personal issues and hardships, never cease to thank-you before
leaving and have a positive reaction from the smallest of deeds. The relationships I have built
with all of the people that attend and make the program possible have definitely been another
major positive in my community engagement experience. Overall I have had such a
rewarding experience throughout my time at the community meals program and I have learnt
a lot about the implications for my future teaching
(Keegan Doherty, S00153812)
Student ID:
S00153812
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Explanatory comment
Page 10 of 14
Before my
involvement in this
Community
Engagement
Placement I thought
1. Fixed-mindset
regarding the
type of people
that attend the
Community
Meal Program.
After my involvement
I think
Significance of
outcome/achievement for
you
As noted in my third
wiki post, I was
amazed to see the
large diversity of the
people attending the
program. School
students as young as
a Grade 3 level
attending the
program to the
elderly that simply
come for the
company and
someone to talk to. I
also took note of how
these peoples
backgrounds and
2. The teaching
implications that
I have gained
from my
experience.
Prior to the
commencement of my
community
engagement, I did not
consider the vast
range of teaching
implications and
learnings that I would
gain from this
experience, besides
the communicational
skills.
As mentioned in my
sixth wiki posting, as I
became more known
to the people
attending the
program, I began to
conceptualise the
hardships that these
people have faced in
their past and
continue to endure.
Upon seeing lessfortunate and
struggling families
attend the program, I
began to consider the
large diversity of
student context I may
be teaching at school
in the nearby future.
Although I have
always acknowledged
the different socioeconomic and
ecological impacts
that a childs
environment has on
their learning, only
when I talked to the
families of such
students could I begin
to conceptualise
simply how hard life
outside of the school
environment can be
for some students.
factors in a students
personal life (such as family,
community and
neighbourhood) affect their
schooling performance only
truly became evident to me
having seen and heard their
stories firsthand.
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