Teach English in JiAnshAn Jiedao - Tianjin

Volunteer TeachingTwo weeks before I began my TEFL course online, I had the opportunity to be an english teacher volunteer in a women?s association somewhere here in the Middle East. The association has existed for many years already before I embarked on my volunteer teaching career with it. As a newbie in this country as two months, it didn?t give me an in depth understanding of the culture aside of the petty ideas that I slowly learned day by day. The idea that women are second class citizens here therefore suspends them in their house?s premises. Barely have I seen women in public places which limit my capacity to observe them and learn. The intimate kind of interaction here is not even encouraged which almost bury the passageway where I can dig deeper into these women?s culture. The idea of volunteer teaching came into me when my spouse unearthed this opportunity from his colleague. I didn?t have any second thoughts when this proposal was right on my face then. What I was thinking is that this is my chance to pave the way on discovering the women?s culture in the country where I am bound to settle and would serve my plan of getting a teaching experience as well. Also, there?s an inner longing in me to perhaps bring enlightenment into these women?s lives; unleashing their potentials as persons and not just as second class citizens. There were different things that played in my mind upon embracing this role. Yes, volunteer teaching! And in a place where women like me are not given equal opportunity to compete with men in the affairs of the society because that?s just the way it is, volunteer work in a group where I am still bound to determine their customs, ways, and practices. The first day of class left me with all smiles, kisses in both side of the cheeks, and hugs from each of the association?s members. And that?s the women?s way of greeting here while exchanging the ?Hi. How are you? I?m fine, thank you.? conversation in their own language. I discovered that some of them knew few words, some really didn?t, and only one who can carry a conversation in english fairly. One of them even approached me in private telling that she is head over heels interested to learn the english language. There were those who are enthusiastic to learn for reasons that I didn?t know yet and those who seemed to be just passive. But the fact that they?re attending the english class at a given time for whatever motivation would that be is good enough to justify the existence of a chance; chance that might take them perhaps to a wider world. Weeks had gone by so fast that I started on my TEFL course at the same time teaching. The introductory part of the course on how to be an ideal teacher served me a lot in the other undertaking. I discovered more and more about these women tagged as second class citizens and as students while at the same time putting my learning from the course into practice. While in the class these gorgeous women showed diligence in taking down on their notes every single english word that I wrote on the board. They were also curious enough to ask about words that weren?t so familiar to them. At the early days of my teaching, these women speaking in their own language inside the class were so prevalent. But the good thing is that I was able to keep the class always interesting for them and not lose my presence in their midst. Thanks to TEFL for this output! It wasn?t so long until another teaching opportunity came to me. And this time, to teach in a Montessori which is affiliated with the women?s association. I happily welcomed this teaching opportunity again without any hesitations thinking that teaching children would be fun. There were 80 children at the Montessori comprised of two different levels. I taught one level which is regrouped in two classes every session. These young learners opened my eyes of how challenging yet fun and rewarding it is to teach children. They made me contemplate on my TEFL course much more than the adults on my other class. And yes, I am giving a big yes that their attention span is so short that I needed to prepare different teaching strategies for them at every session or else I?d get stuck at their rowdiness. Handling these young learners made me contemplate on the different nursery rhymes that I always hear from my mom and her students every week days in my mom?s owned Montessori. Those were fun times that I nonetheless took for granted but provided me insights that I found out to be very useful in my case as of this moment. I saw how my students were eager to sing the song every time I met them. One time I was surprised that even my students in the women?s association sang the song too. They excitingly asked for a copy of its lyrics from me and we had to even practice the choreography for the song until they were able to master it. Yes, the women sang the nursery rhyme too and with movements! During one of my sessions with the women, another woman not from the class courteously interrupted and opened up a tutorial job for me. This time I got to teach an individual which is one of the many particles in the realm of teaching. I felt great and motivated while pursuing my TEFL course because of the presence of these opportunities that allow me to bring into practice what I am studying. I just can?t believe how opportunities rained down on me since I started my first volunteer work. Volunteer work is indeed a great way for me not only in helping a community, getting a classroom experience, but also in paving my way to a wider network and employment in a place where I before considered myself a stranger.