Week 1: Week of May 20th

Context:  As part of Laidlaw Leadership in Action, in the summer of 2024, I have volunteered to teach English and help out at the largest slum community in Bangkok through the Duang Prateep Foundation.

What went well: I met up with the existing instructors to talk about the ciriculum they have been using to teach the students. All of them seem very friendly and passionate about teaching the kids. Additionally, I met the kindergartners this week who have been very sweet. They do not understand much english yet but it has been fun teaching them with songs and games. 

What could have been done differently: Some of the children were a little bit shy. I tried to speak to them in english to introduce myself but they were still a little bit anxious at times. I hope that they will continue to warm up to me. I hope to do more fun activities with them to break the ice. 

What were some of the issues: The foundation needs help teaching the older kids.  I have volunteered to do so but they were a bit wild and hard to control. Since they are older they have a bit more freedom so they tend to run around the classroom, at times, fight each other, or even start shouting. I need to be very patient with them while establishing that we are all here to learn and not to always play. 

What do I plan to do next: I may ask for additional help from the leadership of the foundation to calm down the older children. This may be through the form of more volunteers in the classroom.