Child Vision - C Kelly
Myself, Julia, and Emily were in child vision for our first week of community placement. We were there from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm every day from the 4th until the 8th of November. We were working in the equine area, which is where the therapy horses are kept. These horses are used to help children with disabilities.
Monday 04/11/24:
Today we swept the stables and the courtyard, learned how to lead the horses, took the horses around the trail and we brushed and groomed the horses. I really enjoyed my first day because I got to talk to some more TYs from other schools in Dublin, and there was also a girl from America there with us, and we really enjoyed speaking to her about America and comparing our lifestyles. I also gained confidence in myself as I never thought I would be able to lead and take care of a horse. Today during our break we went and got acai bowls which was really nice.
Wednesday 06/11/24:
Today we started the morning by sweeping the courtyard and around the stables again. I found that there was something quite calming about sweeping in the cold, fresh air, and it gave me an opportunity to talk to my friends. We then cleaned out the stables, emptied some wheelbarrows out onto the paddock, and took the horses out on the sensory trail a few times. We helped the kids on the horses with the activities and it was really nice talking the the children.
Thursday 07/11/24:
I really enjoyed child vision today. It was a long day but I really liked getting to spend more time with my friends. Today we had to colour, laminate and cut out letters to spell the names of the horses, which we then hid around the trail for the kids to find. I really liked this and later we went on the trail with the kids and helped them find the letters. We talked to them and it was really enjoyable. During our break Emily, Julia, and I went to 'Ultimate Coffee' and we got hot chocolates and pastries which was really nice. Today we also got a chance to have a turn riding Fred, one of the horses which was so much fun. Today was definitely my favourite day.
Friday 08/11/24:
Today was our last day working in child vision and although the days were long and cold I was sad to see it come to an end. Today we swept, groomed the horses, and helped with the children on the trail again. Today I was given more responsibility with the children, when there was a child who wanted to lay down on the horses' back, and was struggling to stay on the horse. I was helping her to stay on the horse when she would slightly lean to one side, by just holding onto her harness or her arm. She was very relaxed so it wasn't too difficult, and I made sure to be gentle with her. I was a bit nervous at first to take on such a big responsibility of keeping her safely on the horse but it wasn't as bad as I was expecting and I was happy that I could help.
Reflection:
Working in child vision was one of my favourite learning experiences I have ever had. I enjoyed spending time with my friends, socialising with new people, and helping out a community of people who help so many children every day. I also learned new skills on how to take care of the horses and work with their equipment. I learned so many things this week but I think the most beneficial was the responsibilities I took on. I was nervous about helping out with these children at the beginning, but despite how unsure I was I gave it a go. Much like the activities in achill, I unexpectedly really enjoyed it, and got the hang of it after a while. I am so happy that I did this placement this week because I proved to myself that I can do a lot more than I thought I could.
Dublin City Council - F Cleary
For my community placement I went to Dublin City Council with my friend. It was very interesting and we did a bit of everything. It made me decide what I wanted or didn't want to do when I leave school.
Monday: Clareville Day Centre
On Monday I helped out in an old persons day center. It wasn't the best experience. We had to help give them coffee and talk to them. We started there at 10 and finished a bit after 3. Me and my friend, Alix, talked to some of the old women who went to our school when it was on Eccles Street which was quite interesting. I don't think I would ever get a job in nursing in the future but it was a good experience.
Tuesday: City Hall
On Tuesday I got to go in a see a meeting between the council and the local TDs. Alix and I went into town to go to City Hall to observe a meeting. The meeting was quite interesting to see as they were talking about issues within our local area. After the meeting we went to a fitness class. The fitness class was not fun and I found it quite hard. We then got to see one of the DCC offices.
Wednesday: Clarkes Bakery (Coffee Morning)
On Wednesday I had to help out at a coffee morning for old people. It was alright but it took up a lot of time. We had to hand out coffees to the people who came and also write their names down on the sheet so that we had their emails and phone numbers. We then had to create a spreadsheet with all their phone numbers, names, and emails. It took an hour to do.
Thursday: DCC Cabra Office
On Thursday we went to the Cabra office. We had to hand out leaf bags and work at the front desk. We didn't do much other than that and a bit of leaf picking.
Friday: Playschool and Walking Football
On Friday we went to help out with a play group. I loved it. We got to play with a little girl called Eimear who was in emergency accommodation. It was so fun to get to help the young children! Then we went to check if the correct gym equipment was in a nearby gym and noted what wasn't there.
In the afternoon we played walking football with older men. I didn't like it at all. It was really hard not to run and I also found it hard to play. I'm bad at playing football in general so I was very bad at this.