Final Reflection

During my long and rewarding  journey with CAS I definitely become more reflective as I started to think about all I was doing and broader about my actions.  For service I decided to help in the local kindergarten, teach English and become volunteer in the orphanage house. Activity was the most pleasant from me. I did attending the gym, take part in school matches and sign up to local handball club. For sure the most tough part was creativity as I am not that kind of art-making person. Therefor I  have decided to learn German and later interested in Origami technique.

Most challenging for me was orphanage house. It had the biggest impact on me. I felt what ‘reality’ means. I felt uncomfortable there firstly as I did know how to act towards children. They are in a small degree different than normal children as they experienced a lot. I become more open-minded and carrying after visiting them. But with the time, in a way I become a member of these children family. They treated me as a kind of sibling with whom they can always talk about and I was always helpful. Despite that young age they know a lot about the life and I tried somehow influence their outlook to be better. I explain them that there are other ways of doing something and sometimes it is a better way. I have learnt that family and especially parent are very important in creating children character and perspective. This allowed me to reflect upon issue of global importance as well as develop new skills.

The most enjoyable was handball playing in the club.  Sport is the best example of collaborated work. Every club member is different however they form one person-team. I learnt how each of the girl in the club play and even was able to predict where to move to make a great action. It also was reverse that after time club member knew how I play. Sport is about harmony and non-verbal communication. As I was older than club members they somehow treated me as a leader and I had to be aware to not become too bossy, because they were creating the team and I was only temporary player. Thanks to that I also a bit developed my leader skills.

Gym exercises let me know more about my physical state and possibilities that I have or do not have. I am the most proud of them as I see the progress in my exercises which is that my body changed a lot. It will definitely bring benefits in my life, because staying in a good form is important in healthy life. I noticed that I am more about doing endurance exercises than weight training in which the technique is needed and apparently I had to learn it, which will be a lot of fun as I love to work out.

In German learning, definitely the new skill I acquired is knowledge about new language and how to speak in that language. It was challenging to remember different words and grammar and do not mix it with English or Polish languages. I used several methods for learning and tape my room with small cards and words on them appeared to be the most effective one. After all it wasn’t that hard and I know now that languages are really important in the self-development process and I want to learn more.

English teaching  was a service which I have done at my place, so I had to plan everything in advance. My school lessons finish quite late, so I had to consider additionally time for my school learning. I had to prepare myself for every English lesson as well as materials and choose proper topic. I have learnt that children are more likely to be effective if they are given awards. I used that method after several lessons and saw improvements in quality of lessons and amount

Most rewarding was working with children in the kindergarten. They were really cute and hug me a lot. I received also a lot of paintings after my services was about to end. However working with children require special ethical code which I had to follow. I had to be aware of the way I speak to them and about how much I can allow them to do. Sometimes I had to be firm but still kind to somehow not hurt children, find the balance and after time I learnt that. I had to control each of my action to be professional and to not cross some teacher-child boundary. Whole experience let me reflect that education is significant in child development and when I will have my own children I will spend time for teaching at home.

Most difficult was origami making as it is a type of work which demand patience and perseverance. Sometimes I had to use a lot of paper sheets to do a particular origami. I had to be focus and motivated and do not give up which I did not despite the fact that I  replay some videos with certain folding several times. It was the activity which I have done at home so sometimes I commit a meeting with my friends in order to finish what I have started and I did not regret it as I feel fulfilled when I saw that my origami looks like it should be. I become more creative and like to do some paper art now. I made several organizers boxes and flowers which decorate my room.

I am really glad that I could experience CAS. I learnt a lot about my abilities. I know that for sure I could become a teacher at kindergarten as I like collaboration with kids and showing them the beauty of living. There is also a lot of things I have to work on. For sure I have to work on my body appearance more and now I know I can handle this. After service in the orphanage house I become more aware of the fact that there are more people who needs our help and basically us. I set up a goal and after my final exams I will undertake for sure another voluntary service and it will be hospice or nursing home.

Creativity - Origami

After some time making origami I examine how much paper I actually used. I will definitively continue to do that paper folding game, but I will consider the ethical issue and use paper that is already used and intended to be trowed out. I have practiced working with small elements which requires a lot of concentration and patience. 

Initially I treated origami as something I have to do in order to fulfill creativity, but as time goes by I have to admit that I do it with pleasure and consider it as the time for relaxation and quietening. I am really happy for starting to do it.

Because of upcoming Easter I did something not specially from paper however as well demanding and creative.

CAS outcomes:

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow, 

- Showing perseverance and commitment, 

- Undertaking new challenges,

- Developing new skills,

- Consideration of ethical implication,

- Planned and initiated activities. 

Service - Orphanage

Orphanage house was quite a journey. I thought that it will be the children who would have to get use to my presence, but that was me who had to domesticate. They welcome me with open arms and I felt as a part of their family. At the turn of those few months I saw that I somehow influence their perspectives on life.  I talk with them a lot and explain some things. I could say that I felt life theirs older sister and they liked me.

Now I know that I would be able to become a teacher or the superior of such kids. I developed my being-mother skills. I also believe that supervisors of the orphanage house were happy about work with me. I helped them a lot with helping to do children's homework.

I am glad that I have family that will help me if I would be in troubles or have problems and place where i am always welcome. I started to appreciate my parents massively. Moreover I decided that when I will start earning I will help some children charities as I am know fully aware that their need other's help.

CAS outcomes:

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow, 

- Showing perseverance and commitment, 

- Undertaking new challenges,

- Developing new skills,

- Consideration of ethical implication,

- Working collaboratively with others,

- Planned and initiated activities 

Creativity - Origami

During these recent months I saw that I made a progress and I am actually looking for more complicated origami to do. Lately really strong comparison came across my mind. Actually origami is like life. Sometimes it works and is easy and sometimes it does not. Sometimes you put it together in the wrong way and you have to improve it to make it right, which sometimes is hard as you not always know where you made a mistake. Same situation is in life, you are making mistakes and have to know how to work them out.

Even when you plan things in advance, that you will do this or that origami is not always accessible as when you examine the step by step instruction sometimes you are confused and you can not understand, thus you do not do it. Basically, you cannot always control either you are able to do something or not, same in life there is a higher power that in some way affect your decision and actions, thus not always you can realize what you have planned.

 Here are some of my works. It is clearly seen that they are slightly more time- consuming and demanding than my last origami.

Activity - Gym

Recently, I have again started going to the gym. This time I intend to build my muscle (at least try to) and focus mostly on abs and gluts parts. I decided upon drawing inspiration and creating my workout plan from videos shared by people on Instagram. I have to admit that exercises are quite creative and I would never thought that I can do them on particular gym devices.  I seems sometimes to gain other's attention and be in the spotlight as mostly 30-40 years old people attend the gym in the time I also goes there. Thus, I have to deal with glances, which is stressful and intimidating, however I proud that my work might look professional.

What I started to like and respect is the fact that some people are able to devote their life to staying in healthy condition and basically accept the gym as their second home.  I do not know how they can stay motivated for that long time period. Also I have noticed that many of elders attend the gym. It brings thought whether I will find determination in their age and try to be fit.

CAS outcomes:

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow, 

- Showing perseverance and commitment, 

- Undertaking new challenges,

- Developing new skills,

- Consideration of ethical implication,

- Planned and initiated activities.

Service - Orphanage

When decided upon that type of voluntary I was partially consciousness that it will bring something different to my life. It does. Actually, I have started to deliberate about meaning of the life.
I  think about what some people have done to live the life they have. Did they deserve it? It is unfair that we cannot fully control our destination. In the very begging of their lives they were marked with the adversity. They do not distinguish between good and evil, because there wasn't anybody to taught them - no parents.

 I know that there are people in the orphanage, who look after them, but I swear that it is definitively impossible for 1 person to raise that number of children.  Yeah, there is only one supervisor on the work-shift, who is there sometimes half of a day. So I am asking HOW he or she can handle it? Especially that these children need special care, they need somebody to be with them all the time. I can see, for example, how hard it is to do a homework with them. Sometimes I literally spend 2 hours helping a girl to do  4 math's tasks. And know imagine that there is 15 or 20 kid, who need the same help. In my opinion the government should introduce some solution, because at least 2 supervisors are needed at one work-shift.

Because of that experience I am glad that I have both parents, who are who they are and I am quite often complain about them, but I know that they love me and they contributed to making me who I am.

Creativity - Origami

I am doing my best to create some origami-looking like "art". Actually, I thought it will be much easier to only fold the paper several times in various directions, but it appeared differently. The origami has several main basic forms which are needed to create more composed figures. I hope I will learn them and won't use instruction every time I started to do some origami.

I noticed that it is also a hard work for me, because it needs patient and involve precision with small details. It amuse me that folding the paper could be a tough task and surely I would say that physical work is much easier for me. My work look like a child's work, which is more ridiculous. I have to say that I really challenged myself, but I won't give up and I expect that successful progress would be seen sooner or later.





Here are some, let just call them "work".

A dolphin 

A frog

A box for my fineliners markers and pens

A bookmark

3D Hearts

Service - Orphanage

Tomorrow I will start voluntary service in the local orphanage. I have already been there last week to check whether I will handle that hard task. To be honest it was difficult for me. First I got there, the supervisor of the orphanage was busy, because some parent came to talk. I stood in the corridor and saw some children passing by - one boy and 2 girls.

One of the girl, she looked like she had 6/7 years old, stopped and introduce herself, than she started to asking questions. She acted as she know me and had no barrier. It was like hundred question per minute and I felt weird. I was more embarrassed than a child.

There are 14 or 15 people form 6 to 17 years old. Boys are so aggressive. When they were asked to get ready, because we were supposed to go to the circus, few boys started to tease one another and start a fight which was 'for fun'. I was shocked, but wasn't frighten. But what surprise me was that they acted as normal even as I was somebody new. I said them to stopped and thought that, maybe, because I was a stranger they would stop, but they wouldn't.

Children there are either to open and emotional or aggressive and shameless. These 2 girls are the only girls there, and they truly want to know everything about me. I feel a bit sorry for them and even for these boys. Before I went there I said that I will try to treat them as normal people, that is why I try to not look at them with compassion, but sometimes it is hard. I hope it will not overwhelm me and my psychology.

Creativity - Origami

Recently I purchase an origami book. I decided that I will be a really creative and demanding work form me especially that I am not that patient with really little elements. I will maybe also use some internet tutorials and sources. Once a week I will update a blog with new created "piece of art" that I have made. 

I've started with really simple things:

Activity - Gym

During last month of my summer holidays I started to attend the gym. I said myself that there is a right time to change something. Friend of mine did a huge progress while exercising in June/July, so it motivated me even more.


I build more muscles while my weight went down. I lost 4kg so I thing is a quite big achievement. My legs got slimmer and my stomach flatter. Also after a week I was able to run 10 minutes more on running machine and lift heavier dumbbells. For a very first time I decided to support myself with some supplements. I started to drink protein shakes and by that I gain more power and was boosted to do even more work at gym. 

Working out showed me also that there is a lot of areas that I have to work on. My abs are weak comparing to my legs and that is not good because they are the most important muscles in whole body, they are center of muscles.

CAS outcomes:
- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow  
- Showing perseverance and commitment 
-Developing new skills
-Planned and initiated activities
- Undertaking new challenges  

Activity- Handball

During those two months of handball training I surely improve my condition. I also formed relationships with members of the team. What I like about it is that actually age, in case of sport, is not that important. 

Girls with who I was training are 2 years younger than me and I was able to find common language and topics to talk about. Till now we are in good relations and still sometimes hang out. Despite our age difference we both have respect towards each other. 

The problem I met during our games was issue related to fouling and aggressive game. As I am older I have more strength. My previous opponents, when I was playing matches in middle school, were particularly girls who were professional players. Their game differs a lot from the game of girls I played recently. That is why it was though tough for me to play in the way to not hurt any of these younger girls. After few meetings I have learnt how can I play.

It was really pleasant time in my life. I will certainly reminisce that adventure.


CAS outcomes:
- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow,  
- Working collaboratively with others,   
- Showing perseverance and commitment, 
- Consideration of ethical implications,
- Developing new skills,
- Undertaking new challenge. 

Service - Kindergarten

My voluntary in the kindergarten end. I am really glad that I choose as my service working there. I become more open and related with how these little children see the world. I gain a lot of complacency and learn how to be patience. Actually, being a teacher in the kindergarten is a really good thing. I feel like I could become a teacher. Children gave me big amount of happiness and working with them gives fulfillment. I feel being appreciated by them. They talked with me a lot and told me lots about their lives, even about their little problems. I've learnt that if you want them to do something you have to be firm but pleasant. I think that when I will have more time after I finish school it will be good idea to start that voluntary service again just to brak away from my own problems. At the end children gave me painting which they made for me than I felt as a part of their 'family'.

CAS outcomes:
- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow , 
- Working collaboratively with others,
- Undertaking new challenges,
- Showing perseverance and commitment, 
- Consideration of ethical implications,
- Developing new skills,
-  Planned and initiated activities. 

Activity - Handball

Handball is the sport which was, or partially still is, a part of my life. I am not that committed to it as I was before because I had a gap year in training, but that sport is still in my heart. 

It was really hard for me to again start to train that intensive. I mention in previous posts about handball and basketball interscholastic matches, but  during those trainings we were practicing more tactic than actually felt the pain and the sweat.

In the club I attend now trainings are much different. I would say they are more complex and required more involvement from me. I forgot how it is to constantly be in move and  how it is to do aerobic exercises for more than half an hour not even having a break. After 2 hours I am literally in perspiration form head to toe.

I am really happy and glad because trainings encouraged me to start doing something with my life. I decided to try to lead the healthy lifestyle and doing workouts. Unfortunately I cannot find time to go to the gym but maybe in the near future I will try to figure it out.

Activity - Handball and Basketball

I used to play basketball when I was in the primary school. I remember it was the first sport discipline I felt in love witch and which made me entry the sport world. Then I started to play handball and it has became my passion till now. Unfortunately I had a one year gap at playing handball.

Recently there were the interscholastic games. Basically I do not know how I land in that situation where I took part in the basketball and handball competitions.
When I started to attend training I felt that I really missed the sport. That one year of not playing made a lot of lacks in my condition and skills and at the begging I couldn't catch my breath in the first minutes of a game. Fortunately with every next match I get better and my technics returns, which makes me really happy.

Also another good aspect is that I got to know new people and had to learn again how to work as a team. The hardest thing to me was to be self- confident with my actions. I always was afraid to do whatever because I thought that if I make a mistake the team would be angry at me. But after some time, when I got to know them well I'm not more afraid of anything.  

CAS outcomes:

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow, 

- Showing perseverance and commitment, 

- Undertaking new challenges,

- Developing new skills,

- Working collaboratively with others 

Service - Kindergarten

Some time ago I have started a voluntary service in the local kindergarten. It is the kindergarten I used to attend when I was a child. It is really nice to go back there not as a student but look at everything with the teacher's point of view. When I went there for the first time I was afraid and didn't know what should I do to not break any rules which are set there. I didn't know how to act towards children. I might say that I was more stressed than those children when seeing the unfamiliar person. 
My first task to do was to help in decorating the hall for the masked ball. I saw that being the teacher in the kindergarten not only means to teach children but also have different work such as hang the string right under the ceiling. 
What intrigue me is that in every group, independently of age, there are same people such as leaders or the outsiders. You can watch their behavior and make some conclusion. By now I had my service in the two groups - in 4  and 6 ages group. The interesting and quirky fact is that in those two groups I immediately focused my attention on children who are somehow different, who are unique. They diverge form others. It is really strange but I feel bonded with them.

Service - English teaching

It has been 4 months since I've started to have lessons with Mikołaj.I feel that I faced that challenge successfully. It was hard for me to learn how to work with him. 

Because of our meetings I've became more assertive for sure. Sometimes he requested to end our lessons when we were only half way through, but I always tried to somehow change the subject and continue our learning. 

What's really interesting is that, when I tell him that I would give him a reward, his work was more efficient. He was more focused on what I was wanted him to do and even asked me for more information.

 Sometimes it was also difficult to manage my time and I had to plan everything out, but I handled it and I feel I become more organized. 

What makes me really happy is the fact that I hear form his mother that he started to use some words at home. It means I encourage him to English. He really improves so I guess I've done my job well.

CAS outcomes:

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for grow, 

- Showing perseverance and commitment, 

- Undertaking new challenges,

- Developing new skills,

- Consideration of ethical implication,

- Working collaboratively with others 

Service - English teaching

Working with Mikołaj gives me a lot of happiness. He has changed his attitude towards our lessons and he is more eager to gain more knowledge. I hear from his mom that he often asks her when I will come, which makes me really satisfied, because begging of our collaboration was tough. He couldn't focus and remember new words.

Now Mikołaj acquires more and in the shorter time. What is the most important he does not forget what he learnt. On every lesson we recall what we learnt before. Lately he even asks for more words and he himself proposes what we can do on the next lesson. I speak to him in English and he understand more and do what I currently tell him to do.

I am really glad and feel proud that during such a period I encourage him to English. In my opinion is amazing that a child, as he is, wants to learn something new.