It is hard to believe this will be my final post about my practicum experience. I met so many new faces along the way. The one person I really got to know was one of the counselors from the older kids. She is still in high school and wants to become a nurse. She has been working here at the recreational center for a couple of years. She has gotten to know the kids and parents really well. She wants to attend a nursing school out of state as well. Reminds me when I decided to attend Keene State College, which is about four hours away from home in New York City.

This counselor also taught me a valuable lesson that I could keep in mind at my first post-graduation job. "Keep your mind open to suggestions, and don't act stubborn when corrected." I couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth because I was so taken away by them. Your first job doesn't mean it's the only one you will have, but it is a great hands on learning experience. Having that open mind can lead to many more possibilities.





Speaking of hands on, the kids recently made broccoli cheese bites and reindeer snacks. The broccoli cheese bites were a hit, where some kids came up for thirds! Even the parents were astounded to see how fast their child could scarf down food. These delectable bits were gluten free as well. The kids probably did not even notice the difference.





Tis the season for Santa coming to town so why not make some reindeer snacks! Pretty similar to our spider snacks we used raisins, peanut butter, pretzels and red peanut M&Ms for the nose. Putting out examples and directions for the kids makes the job a lot easier as well.




Unfortunately, the reindeer snacks will be the last project of the practicum with the kids. What I would suggest to the next interns is to be ready for the spontaneous. Many moments at the recreational center I thought it would be an easy day. However, sometimes the kids get way to out of hand. Not even the counselors can help the situation so I usually help out if it comes down to it. Just the other day one of boys were smacking a girl with a hard covered book. I had to break it up and reach out to the supervisor to help reprimand the odd situation. However, the overall experience of this practicum had many more ups then downs. It is a super fun way to teach kids how to eat healthy without too much hassle. I loved this place so much I had to stay longer, so I applied to be a counselor for next semester. I'm excited to see what the next interns have in store for this wonderful experience.