Last year I spent months trying to commence and implement my biogas plant project. It took several meetings and many emails to get the project approved at school. I was able to get it going thanks to the help of Mr. Lockwood who consistently supported my project and helped pitch the idea to the school board. At the start of the school year of 2018 – 2019, the biogas plant was brought to school. It was  truly rewarding feeling to see it in action. However, I wanted to extend that project and really make an impact. After a couple months of brainstorming and trial, I understood that the most effective thing to do would be to conduct recycling and sustianability workshops with the primary school. As I believe that we need to provide the tools for the next generation of citizens to care for the planet. I was able to collaborate with Ms. Chee Wan, a primary school teacher (preschool) who was keen on executing my idea. Our views on recycling and waste management aligned, making the project a possibility. It was agreed that I would be conducting around five workshops during my Monday lunch to really get the children to think about the global issue. I was motivated to make a difference and to conduct these session, due to passion in caring for the environment around us. Everyday I am driven by my want to make a difference in society wheatear it is with my service group Care For Paws, my biogas plant project or in daily life.

I had to plan a very detailed lesson plan to make effective use of my time and ensure that the children are enjoying themselves. the first session took place on Monday the 28th of January 2019. My lesson plan was as follows:

It took me several days of preparation to formulate the plan. As I had to plan educational games in which the children could interact with. The overall idea of the first session was plant the seed of recycling in their minds. As for a young child it can be difficult to actually fully comprehend the idea and purpose of recycling. Which is why I ensured that session was rather active to keep them on their toes.

The session actually went quite smoothly as the children were very responsive to my explantations and would help each tore understand. At first I commenced with a rather abstract idea of recycling and caring for the planet. But with the recycling games that we did as a group they were able to really understand the bigger picture. As they were all very keen to give the answers and share their thoughts. I ended the session with a Pepa pig video, in which she was teaching them about recycling and how she does her best to look after the planet. Most of the children had seen the video before, but now with their new knowledge they were able to make connections. This was evident as they were eagerly commentating on what Pepa pig was actually doing. It was clear by the end of the session that the children had a much firmer idea on the matter of recycling. It was interesting to listen to their stories of how they do their part. One of the kids that made a treasure box with all recycled material, I was impressed with the active thoughts the these children are having.

 

 

I biggest challenge I faced as a teacher was meeting their level of thinking. As initially, I actually found the children to be intimidating as I normally don’t interact with such young children. But speaking with them I had to be conscious of my speech to ensure they could grasp the concept I was attempting to communicate. Through breaking down the ideas to their simplest forms, it was evident that I had a firm understanding for the topic as I could explain such large and abstract ideas to them. I was lucky enough to also receive the help of Ms. Chee Wan who gave me some teaching tips, as it can be difficult to make sure that everyone in the class understands what you are trying to communicate. It was a successful session overall, I am looking forward to the next one as the children seem to be quite interested and keen on the topic!