My teacher’s experience

After a week of doing Forest, Shimony Community was like a breeze!

Gone are the hot and arduous walks and new are the refreshing children’s faces looking up at me.

A little bit anxious for not knowing what to expect, the first classes were a learning experience. To me. I’m not the children’s teacher by nature. That busy, noisy little critters. Not different from my own school days, but anyhow. However . . . , the good ones, really make me glad I’m assisting the ever patient Conor and other teachers. And yes, I’ve said it, those noisy and unruly ones make it hard on me to maintain my cool. I’m not a children’s teacher but very happy with those nuggets in between. Those seem to be much present at Matunda Bora and Base Academy making those experiences so much more sweeter. Small classes with two GVI teachers prove an amazing successful enterprise.

Shimoni community was a breeze!

Doing some TEFL training before is definitely a confidence builder. I found the non-verbal communication help to be a great help in class. I’m a tall guy and when looking a bit stern combined with some hand movements could set most of the children straight. Amazing . . . An attentive child trying to grasp what I prepared for the lesson. Being the PITA that I am when it comes to preparation I put a lot of effort in doing those lesson preparations. So much so that I couldn’t find time to do the last one. Feeling sorry for Conor who nevertheless had to do the lesson, I thought, but as ever life with GVI is a bunch of surprises, it actually turned out that class was doing exams and no lesson was to be done. Phew. Got away with that.

Preparations for the lessons - map of the world for Wildlife Club

Some highlights:

That long class doing the comparatives and superlatives I prepared. And getting it!

That amazing Wildlife Club class at Matunda Bora with Jodies' full World map and animal pictures.

Good luck to all,dopghlj

My teacher’s experience