Week 4: Week of June 10th

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: This week the kids seem to be enjoying the teaching material a little bit more. We have been showing them more songs and videos so that they can engage more effectively with the content via for ex. singing along with the songs. Using games with balls has been really fun for them because they love passing it around so it is useful to use for english interactions when someone is passing along the ball for example. 

What could have been done differently: This week I met with the other volunteers and the head of the english programs for the children. We discussed what has worked in the past and what has not worked. It seems that a lot of kids forget content from previous years so including more repetition and review might be useful. 

What were some of the issues: A big part of why the kids are forgetting material is because when the school term ends, they don't get a chance to practice the material. Using more songs and games will be useful because if the songs are catchy for example, students might find themselves going back to them and singing them even when school is out. Over time, the songs could help them learn more english. 

What do I plan to do next: I plan to introduce some worksheets that reinforce material learned from the songs and games to continue increased engagement. 

Here is a highlight from class this week: