electives update!
this is long overdue but i couldn't possibly blog about it if i didn't finish it, right? =P
i completed my electives last friday and left the school i was teaching in with a heavy heart, knowing it'll be a while before i return. it was a great 3 weeks and all the reservations and doubts i had prior to going were dispelled the moment i started work with the kids.
for those who dodn't know, i did my 3 week long electives at Careheart, a school set up to cater to kids with autism, Down Syndrome and other mental disabilities. there about 20 odd kids and about 6 teachers in the school, housed in a single storey bungalow somewhere in JB (for JB folks: it's behind Peking Restaurant in Taman Sentosa)
working with the kids was an amazing and humbling experience and frustrating as it was trying to teach them, i cannot help but feel rewarded and blessed for the oppurtunity. the kids there are divided into several groups, based on their ability to do certain tasks. the higher function kids were given simple math and language work whereas the kids with lower capabilities were drilled in easier, more technical tasks such as tearing up paper, weaving and preparing the sand used in sand art. these tasks are, to you and me, simple and mundane tasks that require very little concentration but for these kids, the simple duty of tearing a small sheet of paper is a living nightmare. some of the have poor fine motor skills, others are hyperactive. so making them sit in one place to do any task is quite a challenge. more for them than for the teachers.
the kids there (most older than me, but still kids =P) are mostly well behaved and quiet. there are a few that have occasional violent outbursts but all in all, the kids are adorable. they can really test your patience sometimes but wenever you're dealing with these special kids, special consideration has to be given to the fact that they cannot respond normally to stimuli.
the teachers were really really pleasant to me, teaching me patiently and pardoning my noobish mistakes. they're a dedicated bunch and i'm really proud to see how sincerely they love the kids.
on my last day (sob sob) the kids even presented me with two mats which the kids had made. apparently, the mats take a real long time to complete and the students really toiled to complete it (all together now : Awwwwww)
a special thanks going out to the my family who encouraged me through this challenging electives, Prasad for his encouragement, Ivy for her kind words and Denise for her advice ("bring tissues!")
and of course, thanks to the kids, teachers and volunteers for taking me into their little family and making me feel welcome.
p.s - to all those who wish to purchase crafts made by the school (painting, mats - i've got pics i'll put up) or better yet, volunteer to help out, contact me. do your part to make a diffrence, people. =)
i completed my electives last friday and left the school i was teaching in with a heavy heart, knowing it'll be a while before i return. it was a great 3 weeks and all the reservations and doubts i had prior to going were dispelled the moment i started work with the kids.
for those who dodn't know, i did my 3 week long electives at Careheart, a school set up to cater to kids with autism, Down Syndrome and other mental disabilities. there about 20 odd kids and about 6 teachers in the school, housed in a single storey bungalow somewhere in JB (for JB folks: it's behind Peking Restaurant in Taman Sentosa)
working with the kids was an amazing and humbling experience and frustrating as it was trying to teach them, i cannot help but feel rewarded and blessed for the oppurtunity. the kids there are divided into several groups, based on their ability to do certain tasks. the higher function kids were given simple math and language work whereas the kids with lower capabilities were drilled in easier, more technical tasks such as tearing up paper, weaving and preparing the sand used in sand art. these tasks are, to you and me, simple and mundane tasks that require very little concentration but for these kids, the simple duty of tearing a small sheet of paper is a living nightmare. some of the have poor fine motor skills, others are hyperactive. so making them sit in one place to do any task is quite a challenge. more for them than for the teachers.
the kids there (most older than me, but still kids =P) are mostly well behaved and quiet. there are a few that have occasional violent outbursts but all in all, the kids are adorable. they can really test your patience sometimes but wenever you're dealing with these special kids, special consideration has to be given to the fact that they cannot respond normally to stimuli.
the teachers were really really pleasant to me, teaching me patiently and pardoning my noobish mistakes. they're a dedicated bunch and i'm really proud to see how sincerely they love the kids.
on my last day (sob sob) the kids even presented me with two mats which the kids had made. apparently, the mats take a real long time to complete and the students really toiled to complete it (all together now : Awwwwww)
a special thanks going out to the my family who encouraged me through this challenging electives, Prasad for his encouragement, Ivy for her kind words and Denise for her advice ("bring tissues!")
and of course, thanks to the kids, teachers and volunteers for taking me into their little family and making me feel welcome.
p.s - to all those who wish to purchase crafts made by the school (painting, mats - i've got pics i'll put up) or better yet, volunteer to help out, contact me. do your part to make a diffrence, people. =)
posted by yih_seong at 7:19 PM
3 Comments:
I'll be free in June (if nothing goes wrong, that is), how do I go about volunteering? And what's the job scope like?
i'll give you a phone number and you call to arrange. basically you'll do anything that needs doing. you'll supervise the kids as they do their work, thei activities, their exercise and gardening, etc. not very structured or fixed stuff. veryday you do something new =)
woi, i come stay in jb at your place and volunteer there for a month can ah? :P
and what encouragement? :P i'm glad things turned out alright, told ya things wouldn't be as bad as u thought they'd be. visit my blog soon for a post on my electives ;)
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