Student by Day, Teacher by…Later in the Day

Before COVID, I used to go to a small school in Borella to help the teachers teach English. The school is not an official one, and it’s a very small space. It’s an old house that was turned into a school for the underprivileged, and the teachers there are mostly volunteers that lack the materials to teach as effectively as possible. I found out about this school when my family donated our whiteboard to them almost right after we moved here, in 2019. My mom went to deliver the board, and saw the children and teachers at work. She asked them if they needed an extra set of hands, and they were delighted to have me come in and work with the students. I taught children between the ages of 5 and 9 whenever I had time. I designed games to help them learn the alphabet, used songs to teach them how to spell, and simply spent time with them exposing them to the language. Then, COVID struck, and we decided that it probably wasn’t the safest area to be in terms of how fast the virus was spreading. I stayed home, and for almost a year and a half, couldn’t go back to the school.

Unfortunately, even after the threat of the virus had died down, I was swept up in the storm of the DP program, and had forgotten entirely about my ex-students. Then, a few weeks ago, as I was walking with my mom, and she was giving me a lecture on my lack of productivity and involvement in anything outside of school. I started thinking about pre-covid times, and wondering how I’d used to keep myself busy. That’s when I remembered the school. While standing on the side of the road, before even waiting to get back home, my mom immediately wrote to the school asking if they were still functioning and if I could come back and teach them. They responded with enthusiasm within a few hours, and so, I was once again a part-time teacher. When I went back, I was amazed that some of the children I’d taught when they were younger were still there, and still remembered me! I was really happy to be back. After my first session back, I was talking to the lady that runs the school, and she told me that the children were so excited to see me, and loved whenever I’d come and teach them. She then gave me a permanent slot, and even my own small class! So now, on Tuesdays from 4 to 5, I teach a group of around 5 students basic English. Last week we practiced reading and pronouncing simple words from a beginner english learner workbook. The week before that, I had them draw animals on the board, and taught them how to spell their names. Here are some pictures:

It truly is a nice feeling to know that I am giving back to the community in some way, and it’s an even more wonderful feeling when the children jump and clap with excitement when they see me, or refuse to go home even after our class is over. I love my Tuesday afternoon classes, and it’s always a nice way to end the school day. If I am being honest, it is an effort to sit in the car after-school, exhausted, and still not be able to go home, but the second I step into the classroom and see the enthusiastic smiles and excitement of the students, it’s all worth it!

Learning Outcomes:

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth: I think working with younger children is definitely a strength of mine, and I do think that I am able to teach the students more effectively because of this. After each class I learn more about the best ways to hold a child’s attention, and how to improve as a teacher.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences: Coming back after the pandemic is a demonstration of my commitment to this activity. And even when I’m tired after-school, and want to go home, I push myself to go and teach, which I believe is a sign of my perseverance.

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance: Poverty and lack of access to education is a problem that impacts people all over the world, and is definitely one that is significant in Sri Lanka.