Blog: My life with City Year London
By Harriet Batambuze, 28 November 2011
I have only been at City Year for a few months and I can honestly say that it is the best job I have ever had. I am working with a great team of people at Sebright Primary School in Hackney.
When I first started I was so nervous and had various questions running through my head as the 1st day of school was fast approaching - What if the kids didn’t like me? Will I be able to do numeracy without the aid of my Blackberry and how am I going to get up at 6am every day?
Luckily my worrying was for nothing, and all these fears disappeared the moment we met the kids. They were excited the instant they spotted our bright red City Year jackets and couldn’t wait to get to know all of us. My only worry now was if I would remember all their names. (Thankfully I have)
I have been placed in a year 3 class and I really like how easy the school has made it for me to fit in. So far I have been able to easily get involved in lessons by being able to work one-to-one with children struggling with numeracy and literacy, I have really enjoyed this as I am able to see the gradual progress of the children I work with. In these past few months, I have also helped write and organise a year 3 class play that was performed in their assembly. I cannot describe the pride that I had when I saw the children who are quiet and not very confident stand in front of their peers performing or putting their hand up to answer a maths question they had previously struggled with. These are the moments that make waking up at 6 am and struggling to figure out the northern line commute tactics worth it.
As a City Year London corps member, I find it easy to instil confidence in the children that require it as I can see how amazing they are and how far they could go if only they believed in themselves. When it comes to myself, however, I can honestly say that I was lacking in confidence before joining City Year. Thanks to the work I have done since joining, I have been able to build up and work on my confidence. Before joining, I would not have been able to stand in front of a group of children and take charge of a cookery or reading after-school club, nor would I have been able run a year 3 football match (which, may I add, can get nastier than a Manchester United Vs Chelsea game!).
Overall I am really enjoying my time as a City Year London corps member. It has give me the opportunity to do something I enjoy, which is working with children as well as enabling me to grow and mature into the adult I want to be. This is only after a few months, I cannot wait to see what happens after a year.
