What went well? 

This week I taught my first English classes alone. They went quite well, and I think I kept the students engaged for the whole duration of class which was my main concern. I have also learned much more from them about their experiences amidst the political situation in Myanmar, which has been very informative. I have also become closer to the other staff at FED, and learned more about many of their journeys as Burmese migrants to Thailand themselves. Hearing their stories and seeing their resilience and commitment to helping others has been deeply awe-inspiring. In addition, I also started to contribute to another project with the environmental sector of FED, which involved helping to coordinate and write a proposal for the installation of solar panels at the school. Through this, I learned about the different factors that must be considered for nonprofit organizations when implementing new projects. 

What could have been done differently? 

I think I could have done more to seek guidance from my supervisors. Although they have a lot on their plates, especially given that NGOs are often under-resourced and under-staffed, much of my work has been self-directed and coordinated solely between me and my co-teacher intern. While this has been relatively successful so far, we are seeking ways to better integrate our curriculum into what the students typically learn during the school year. This could be done by seeking more guidance from other teachers, or by making a larger effort to find them during less conventional working hours (e.g. during lunch time). 

What did I learn about myself when working with others? 

As my work has been relatively consistent and routine, I don’t think any particularly new discoveries about my working and collaboration styles came to light; overall, I have really enjoyed working with the other students and staff at FED. 

What did I learn about leadership? 

I learned that trust and conscientiousness are equally, if not more important, to keep in mind while executing projects. It is important to keep all the goals and objectives of the organization in mind; migrants have not only come to FED to learn new skills, but to seek new opportunities and communities as well. This makes it particularly important to not only keep cultural sensitivity in mind, but also social and sensitivity as well; for instance, this could look like not asking questions or prompts during english exercises that may trigger past experiences or traumas, and being mindful of the vocabulary used during lessons. 

What do I want to develop or focus on next? 

I hope to continue to strengthen my connections with the students and staff at FED. Doing so will enable me to understand not only how to better consider cultural and social sensitivity in my work, but also better understand the inner workings of such organizations.