Tag: volunteers
Volunteer of the Month: February 2015
Congrats to our February Volunteer of the Month, Peter Murphy! Read our interview with Peter here:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
I had a friend whose friend that was involved with Big Class. After a night of conversation, I decid- ed to try and see what it was like to volunteer there.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
I do really enjoy being a help the kids, their homework being my specialty. After the day is done, I do have a great feeling self fulfillment. That addition of happiness into my life is a big reason for continuing my Big Class involvement.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
Silly laughs. It can be trying helping with home- work or creating new ideas. Completely break- ing focus and laughing reminds us that we can have a lot of fun while in Big Class.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
One of my biggest challenges at first was being authoritative. I didn’t feel genuine chastising anyone for making a ruckus. Over time this is something I’ve focused on getting better at, and its gratifying to see how much better I am at this.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
The pieces that stick out are of wrestling and the most recent future series. A couple of the boys will write of wrestling and tell of a match like no other. Seeing them laugh loudly about certain details they’re adding or get really excited about whats happening next can be fun and heart- warming. Some of the kids wrote about robots in the future recently. Talking about the details and plot was more gratifying that a lot of the writing prompts I’ve been involved with in the past.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
If I am not working I try to get out and ride my bike around. Risky at times, but New Orleans is a great city to explore by bike. I like to paint, draw and create art. I like to read books, articles and graphic novels. Recently I’ve found the graphic novel section at the downtown library. The librarians are so helpful there!
Volunteer of the Month: December 2014
Congrats to our December Volunteer of the Month, Alicia Forneret!
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?When I moved back to New Orleans I was looking for a way to get involved with kids. I freelance and was spending a lot of time working alone and needed an outlet that gave me access to young people. One night a friend brought me to a Press Street party and I was introduced to some awesome people – from there I was hooked.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
The kids, of course. Their interest in writing and food and publishing. Also the constant enthusiasm that comes from the people who are involved with Big Class. The ideas are constantly flowing for new projects and I think that that is what makes it an amazing space to work in/an amazing group to work with. It feels like everyone there (students, volun- teers, staff) all live to do this work and create – like we are all fueled by a really simple and simultaneously extreme desire to keep making work to put out into the city with kids and for kids.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
I’m chatty with the kids… I don’t think that’s a skill, but I think that it’s one thing that has helped me in my workshop and class and whenever I am volunteering. It seems to help a lot of them get their brains working to just chat about food – their favorite foods, their memories surrounding food, etc. Everyone has a story to tell about food, so it’s been a good way to get to know them and have them get in a storytelling mood with me when we first get to work.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
I am a hardcore planner and I think that’s been one of my biggest problems because things rarely turn out how I plan for them to with the younger students. Thankfully, working on projects with these kids has taught me that that’s okay – that amazing stories and projects can come from getting off topic or listening to ideas they have that contradict my own plan or idea.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
My favorite pieces were the ones we worked on for the Encyclopedia of Eats. The best was a list of the grossest foods two students could come up with. I never would have thought to include something like that, but that activity ended up being one of the funniest pieces in the book. I also really love one of the stories my student at Akili is working on for our book. It’s about finding a mermaid in the toilet. She’s been writing about monsters nonstop (very on topic with regards to our book theme) but told me she needs a break to write about meeting a mermaid in a toilet. I’m glad she’s taking the break.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
Cooking, eating, writing, writing about cooking and eating, eating and cooking while writing… And I work at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, help out with dinner parties around the city, and travel a lot.
Volunteer of the Month: November 2014
Congrats to our November Volunteer of the Month, Kelly Jones! Read our interview with Kelly:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
When I moved back to New Orleans in 2010 I began looking for organizations down here that were similar to the writing programs and artistic communities I had been part of in Seattle and Raleigh. Eventually I got in touch with Big Class. Their project-based model made sense to me and seemed doable. So I’ve been doing what I can to help out ever since.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
As Big Class has grown so has its programming, and I love working on special projects and events. Exploring writing and the arts with youth is great fun, and it provides an appreciated break from the collegiate environments I work in.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
I’m a poet, editor, and educator, which helps me communicate with Big Class students and assist them with developing and finalizing their stories. It probably also helps that I’m big on meeting deadlines and have a background in theater and improv, so changing things up as I go is pretty second nature.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
One of the great things about kids is that they are high-energy. Sometimes it can be challenging to match that after a full day at work. Luckily, their energy is often contagious.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH?
I think all the writing is great! I’m hooked on writing because of the process, the challenge, and the practice; whenever students engage with that I am impressed. But, a favorite publica- tion of mine is And Nothing Else Bad Happened, New Fairy Tales. I’ve loved Fairy Tales for as long as I can remember, so I really enjoyed reading and editing the new fairy tales that 2nd graders at ARISE Academy came up with. And I love how these stories were accompanied with illustrations from artists all over. However, as someone who can’t stop buying, hording, and sending postcards postcards, I also was really stoked to be teamed up with a pen-pal from Akili Acade- my’s Stamp Champs last year. Letter writing and storytelling are two of my favorite things, so To Pen is to Pal was a really exciting publication for me.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
If I’m not Big Class-ing then I am likely either teaching, tutoring, writing, putting together the next issue of The Gambler Mag, biking, baking, dancing, making silly animations, covering something with glitter, walking Mr. Beaux Jangles (my pit bull pup), or drinking coffee. Actually, I am often engaged in a combination of two or more of these things at once
Volunteer of the Month: October 2014
Congrats to our October Volunteer of the Month, Josie Scanlan! Read our interview with Josie:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
I love writing, and I wanted to share that love with other people. Learning how to write well is empowering. I also love kids.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
I love when a kid has an idea in his or her head and I can help get that idea onto the page. They think something or feel something, and then they get to read it and know that when other people read it, they will think and feel the same thing. That is tremendously exciting. The entire writing process is exciting for kids. When you throw out preconceptions students have about writing, a whole big world of possibility opens up. The other day I was in a writing group, and we were listen- ing to one student read a story about how tyrannosaurus rexes got their short arms and there was all this funny dialogue in the story, and another student said, “Oh you can make them talk?” And I got so excited to say, “Yes! Yes, you can make your characters talk.” When you lead a young writer through the writing process, it’s almost like you rediscover all the steps yourself and remember why you fell in love with writing.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
Listening. And having a good sense of humor.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
A lot of students have such incredible and wild ideas. They can spin elaborate tales with tons of detail, but when it comes to actually putting a pencil to paper, they get stuck. The actual writing part is always hard.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
I helped this student with a story about a dog that was completely over living in France. The dog was tired of fromage and the French language and so the dog decided to move to New Orleans. I don’t want to spoil the entire story, but there was this part where the dog gets to America and smells a McRib and the student described how the dog rose into the air as if in a trance and floated toward the McRib. I always think about that description, how good food can move you. Really though, every story I have worked on with Big Class has been so much fun. I smile every single time I read a new story.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
I teach and write in New Orleans and I spend a lot of time with my golden retriever whose nickname is Bad Dog Oppie.
Volunteer of the Month: September 2014
Congrats to our September Volunteer of the Month, Aaron Lopez-Barrantes! Read our interview with Aaron:
What first brought you to Big Class?
I initially heard about Big Class through a friend who was working on one of the Big Class short story projects. I’m a big fan of art, illustration and drawing, and I loved the idea of being able to illustrate short stories written by kids. Once involved in that, I began coming to the Open Studio after school program and working with the kids. Had a blast, loved the kids, haven’t stopped coming back since.
What keeps you coming back?
Obviously the kids keep me coming back. It’s great to be able to interact with the kids in an out of school context. It’s a more laid back atmosphere, a lot more one on one help, and you really get to form close relationships with the kids you see every week. I realized how important it was for a lot of these great kids to not only have after school help with homework, Big Class art projects, and writing, but to have an adult that they can look up to and ask for help, and advice with in school and out of school issues.
What are some skills you have that help you out at Big Class?
I’ve learned how to work with kids one on one. Trying to be a better listener, and trying to find ways for a student to better understand whatever task he/she is working on. Even if it’s not a conventional way of teaching, I want to try to help them figure out ways to complete homework or a project when they feel they’ve run out of all ideas. Also, being a fan of drawing, it’s easy to captivate kids by drawing stuff they like and identify with, I always get a lot of love by attempting to draw Spongebob, and their sports heroes. I like being able to show kids that being creative and artistic is actually something they can do in the future whether it be high school, college, or getting a job in art.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced at Big Class?
Learning how to be patient. Kids are kids, they’re going to be crazy sometimes, especially after school. They have a lot of energy that they need to release, and some days the craziness is hard to manage. I’m not a teacher, but I’m trying learn how to balance my power as an adult and as a friend to create a place where I’m respected but also can be approached as a mentor. Some days you have to let it all go because these kids have harder days than I do, so you have to pick your battles.
What are some great pieces of writing you’ve helped with? Tell us the story behind them if you can.
I love the Big Class books. It’s amazing seeing what these kids come up with in their stories. I loved being apart of the Zombie Tales book project. It was amazing to read the zombie stories and also help with the illustration side of it. Being a big basketball fan, I personally loved being able to draw zombie Lebron James, who was in a lot of the stories.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
When I’m not at Big Class, I’m with my guitar. I’m a full time musician, singer songwriter in the french quarter. I play five nights a week (Tuesday-Saturday) at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, where I play an acoustic set of my songs and other music that I love. I’m very big into blues, folk, and americana music. I’m really lucky to do what I love. Every now and then I take time off to travel and do little tours all over the country. On August 20th at 8pm I’ll be at the Republic doing the opening set for the RAW artists organization of New Orleans. It’s a really cool event showcasing New Orleans artists, and I’m honored to be apart of it.
Volunteer of the Month: February 2015
Congrats to our February Volunteer of the Month, Peter Murphy! Read our interview with Peter here:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
I had a friend whose friend that was involved with Big Class. After a night of conversation, I decid- ed to try and see what it was like to volunteer there.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
I do really enjoy being a help the kids, their homework being my specialty. After the day is done, I do have a great feeling self fulfillment. That addition of happiness into my life is a big reason for continuing my Big Class involvement.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
Silly laughs. It can be trying helping with home- work or creating new ideas. Completely break- ing focus and laughing reminds us that we can have a lot of fun while in Big Class.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
One of my biggest challenges at first was being authoritative. I didn’t feel genuine chastising anyone for making a ruckus. Over time this is something I’ve focused on getting better at, and its gratifying to see how much better I am at this.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
The pieces that stick out are of wrestling and the most recent future series. A couple of the boys will write of wrestling and tell of a match like no other. Seeing them laugh loudly about certain details they’re adding or get really excited about whats happening next can be fun and heart- warming. Some of the kids wrote about robots in the future recently. Talking about the details and plot was more gratifying that a lot of the writing prompts I’ve been involved with in the past.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
If I am not working I try to get out and ride my bike around. Risky at times, but New Orleans is a great city to explore by bike. I like to paint, draw and create art. I like to read books, articles and graphic novels. Recently I’ve found the graphic novel section at the downtown library. The librarians are so helpful there!
Volunteer of the Month: December 2014
Congrats to our December Volunteer of the Month, Alicia Forneret!
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?When I moved back to New Orleans I was looking for a way to get involved with kids. I freelance and was spending a lot of time working alone and needed an outlet that gave me access to young people. One night a friend brought me to a Press Street party and I was introduced to some awesome people – from there I was hooked.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
The kids, of course. Their interest in writing and food and publishing. Also the constant enthusiasm that comes from the people who are involved with Big Class. The ideas are constantly flowing for new projects and I think that that is what makes it an amazing space to work in/an amazing group to work with. It feels like everyone there (students, volun- teers, staff) all live to do this work and create – like we are all fueled by a really simple and simultaneously extreme desire to keep making work to put out into the city with kids and for kids.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
I’m chatty with the kids… I don’t think that’s a skill, but I think that it’s one thing that has helped me in my workshop and class and whenever I am volunteering. It seems to help a lot of them get their brains working to just chat about food – their favorite foods, their memories surrounding food, etc. Everyone has a story to tell about food, so it’s been a good way to get to know them and have them get in a storytelling mood with me when we first get to work.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
I am a hardcore planner and I think that’s been one of my biggest problems because things rarely turn out how I plan for them to with the younger students. Thankfully, working on projects with these kids has taught me that that’s okay – that amazing stories and projects can come from getting off topic or listening to ideas they have that contradict my own plan or idea.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
My favorite pieces were the ones we worked on for the Encyclopedia of Eats. The best was a list of the grossest foods two students could come up with. I never would have thought to include something like that, but that activity ended up being one of the funniest pieces in the book. I also really love one of the stories my student at Akili is working on for our book. It’s about finding a mermaid in the toilet. She’s been writing about monsters nonstop (very on topic with regards to our book theme) but told me she needs a break to write about meeting a mermaid in a toilet. I’m glad she’s taking the break.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
Cooking, eating, writing, writing about cooking and eating, eating and cooking while writing… And I work at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, help out with dinner parties around the city, and travel a lot.
Volunteer of the Month: November 2014
Congrats to our November Volunteer of the Month, Kelly Jones! Read our interview with Kelly:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
When I moved back to New Orleans in 2010 I began looking for organizations down here that were similar to the writing programs and artistic communities I had been part of in Seattle and Raleigh. Eventually I got in touch with Big Class. Their project-based model made sense to me and seemed doable. So I’ve been doing what I can to help out ever since.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
As Big Class has grown so has its programming, and I love working on special projects and events. Exploring writing and the arts with youth is great fun, and it provides an appreciated break from the collegiate environments I work in.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
I’m a poet, editor, and educator, which helps me communicate with Big Class students and assist them with developing and finalizing their stories. It probably also helps that I’m big on meeting deadlines and have a background in theater and improv, so changing things up as I go is pretty second nature.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
One of the great things about kids is that they are high-energy. Sometimes it can be challenging to match that after a full day at work. Luckily, their energy is often contagious.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH?
I think all the writing is great! I’m hooked on writing because of the process, the challenge, and the practice; whenever students engage with that I am impressed. But, a favorite publica- tion of mine is And Nothing Else Bad Happened, New Fairy Tales. I’ve loved Fairy Tales for as long as I can remember, so I really enjoyed reading and editing the new fairy tales that 2nd graders at ARISE Academy came up with. And I love how these stories were accompanied with illustrations from artists all over. However, as someone who can’t stop buying, hording, and sending postcards postcards, I also was really stoked to be teamed up with a pen-pal from Akili Acade- my’s Stamp Champs last year. Letter writing and storytelling are two of my favorite things, so To Pen is to Pal was a really exciting publication for me.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
If I’m not Big Class-ing then I am likely either teaching, tutoring, writing, putting together the next issue of The Gambler Mag, biking, baking, dancing, making silly animations, covering something with glitter, walking Mr. Beaux Jangles (my pit bull pup), or drinking coffee. Actually, I am often engaged in a combination of two or more of these things at once
Volunteer of the Month: October 2014
Congrats to our October Volunteer of the Month, Josie Scanlan! Read our interview with Josie:
WHAT FIRST BROUGHT YOU TO BIG CLASS?
I love writing, and I wanted to share that love with other people. Learning how to write well is empowering. I also love kids.
WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING BACK?
I love when a kid has an idea in his or her head and I can help get that idea onto the page. They think something or feel something, and then they get to read it and know that when other people read it, they will think and feel the same thing. That is tremendously exciting. The entire writing process is exciting for kids. When you throw out preconceptions students have about writing, a whole big world of possibility opens up. The other day I was in a writing group, and we were listen- ing to one student read a story about how tyrannosaurus rexes got their short arms and there was all this funny dialogue in the story, and another student said, “Oh you can make them talk?” And I got so excited to say, “Yes! Yes, you can make your characters talk.” When you lead a young writer through the writing process, it’s almost like you rediscover all the steps yourself and remember why you fell in love with writing.
WHAT ARE SOME SKILLS YOU HAVE THAT HELP YOU OUT AT BIG CLASS?
Listening. And having a good sense of humor.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED AT BIG CLASS?
A lot of students have such incredible and wild ideas. They can spin elaborate tales with tons of detail, but when it comes to actually putting a pencil to paper, they get stuck. The actual writing part is always hard.
WHAT ARE SOME GREAT PIECES OF WRITING YOU’VE HELPED WITH? TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM IF YOU CAN.
I helped this student with a story about a dog that was completely over living in France. The dog was tired of fromage and the French language and so the dog decided to move to New Orleans. I don’t want to spoil the entire story, but there was this part where the dog gets to America and smells a McRib and the student described how the dog rose into the air as if in a trance and floated toward the McRib. I always think about that description, how good food can move you. Really though, every story I have worked on with Big Class has been so much fun. I smile every single time I read a new story.
WHAT ARE YOU UP TO WHEN YOU’RE NOT VOLUNTEERING WITH US?
I teach and write in New Orleans and I spend a lot of time with my golden retriever whose nickname is Bad Dog Oppie.
Volunteer of the Month: September 2014
Congrats to our September Volunteer of the Month, Aaron Lopez-Barrantes! Read our interview with Aaron:
What first brought you to Big Class?
I initially heard about Big Class through a friend who was working on one of the Big Class short story projects. I’m a big fan of art, illustration and drawing, and I loved the idea of being able to illustrate short stories written by kids. Once involved in that, I began coming to the Open Studio after school program and working with the kids. Had a blast, loved the kids, haven’t stopped coming back since.
What keeps you coming back?
Obviously the kids keep me coming back. It’s great to be able to interact with the kids in an out of school context. It’s a more laid back atmosphere, a lot more one on one help, and you really get to form close relationships with the kids you see every week. I realized how important it was for a lot of these great kids to not only have after school help with homework, Big Class art projects, and writing, but to have an adult that they can look up to and ask for help, and advice with in school and out of school issues.
What are some skills you have that help you out at Big Class?
I’ve learned how to work with kids one on one. Trying to be a better listener, and trying to find ways for a student to better understand whatever task he/she is working on. Even if it’s not a conventional way of teaching, I want to try to help them figure out ways to complete homework or a project when they feel they’ve run out of all ideas. Also, being a fan of drawing, it’s easy to captivate kids by drawing stuff they like and identify with, I always get a lot of love by attempting to draw Spongebob, and their sports heroes. I like being able to show kids that being creative and artistic is actually something they can do in the future whether it be high school, college, or getting a job in art.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced at Big Class?
Learning how to be patient. Kids are kids, they’re going to be crazy sometimes, especially after school. They have a lot of energy that they need to release, and some days the craziness is hard to manage. I’m not a teacher, but I’m trying learn how to balance my power as an adult and as a friend to create a place where I’m respected but also can be approached as a mentor. Some days you have to let it all go because these kids have harder days than I do, so you have to pick your battles.
What are some great pieces of writing you’ve helped with? Tell us the story behind them if you can.
I love the Big Class books. It’s amazing seeing what these kids come up with in their stories. I loved being apart of the Zombie Tales book project. It was amazing to read the zombie stories and also help with the illustration side of it. Being a big basketball fan, I personally loved being able to draw zombie Lebron James, who was in a lot of the stories.
What are you up to when you’re not volunteering with us?
When I’m not at Big Class, I’m with my guitar. I’m a full time musician, singer songwriter in the french quarter. I play five nights a week (Tuesday-Saturday) at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, where I play an acoustic set of my songs and other music that I love. I’m very big into blues, folk, and americana music. I’m really lucky to do what I love. Every now and then I take time off to travel and do little tours all over the country. On August 20th at 8pm I’ll be at the Republic doing the opening set for the RAW artists organization of New Orleans. It’s a really cool event showcasing New Orleans artists, and I’m honored to be apart of it.
