On Friday, Oct. 21, we made our first TeachUNICEF visit to the Peace Room at the Perry School, focusing on the topic of child survival, and worked with two groups – the first being early elementary, and the second being later elementary and early middle school. This is our third semester working with the Perry School. Below are reflections from some of the members who made the visit:
Ifeatu: I really enjoyed my first time teaching at the Perry School with TeachUNICEF last Friday. At times it was really difficult to gauge the children's interest, but I think the interactive activities where each child partnered with a TeachUNICEF member helped in that regard. I think the children really enjoyed receiving one-on-one interaction and it allowed us to learn about each individual child a lot better. I think for future lessons we should incorporate a lot more interactive activities or small groups and to include more colorful visuals to help the children learn better and to really get a sense of the type of challenges faced everyday by children of the same age around the world in terms of survival, education, and access to resources.
Elle: The first TeachUNICEF that I had was far from what I expected. There was more direct interaction between us and the children, which to me seemed far more engaging and worthwhile, yet at the same time raised new concerns, such as being aware of the sensitivity of certain topics and keeping their attention. Albeit a little anticlimactic, it was a rewarding experience, and I think it was a great start for the year!
Lotus: I am immensely proud of this team! We had a plan going into the Peace Room, but had to change things up a bit once we started teaching. We found the topic to be more sensitive than expected as we taught it, but I commend the team for being able to mold the lesson based on how the students were responding. The children loved interacting with us and answering questions and working with the members on a handout. They were all eager to contribute to the lesson, which was amazing. The members were also able to stay focused and unfazed despite every unexpected variable that appeared before them. Excellent job!
