On March 14th, some TeachUNICEF members made the committee’s third visit of the semester. This time, we went to the Perry School, and since this group of children was different from the group at the Beacon House, we again gave an introductory lesson on disability awareness, focusing on the fact that children with disabilities are children first and should not be defined by their disabilities, the different types of disabilities, and the story of a girl, Nodira, who couldn’t go to school because she had spina bifida and couldn’t walk. Here is what the members have to say about their teaching experience this time around:
Ally: I really enjoyed my second trip to the Perry School. I feel like we really made progress even though it was only our second trip. I feel like I am getting to know the kids and understanding what kind of attention/teaching styles certain individuals need. I think our use of videos and then asking the kids about what they saw/heard was the most effective tool we used. I think we should keep trying out new methods while sticking to the ones we find work best. I would like to try and design a game that incorporates an aspect of the lesson so the kids can be more active while learning because they have so much energy!
Berk: I believe that there was a significant improvement during my second visit to the Perry School. The group was around the same age that we had during our first visit; it was not surprising to see that getting the initial attention tend to be tough. However, I believe we made a good beginning with exercise. Since we were four at the Perry School, it was useful to sort of divide the group among ourselves in order focus on different points and be able to draw everyone’s attention to the topic. I believe that although our main topic was disability, it was a very good idea to start with the earthquake incident in Japan. Kids were very interested about the topic and they did participate by telling their stories related to that. We were able to convey the main ideas on disability and I was confident that they all got something from it. As always, I guess the most important and necessary tool to maintain efficiency in these sessions is the amount of audiovisual and interactive material we use. Therefore it would be even better to elaborate and improve that area of our presentations. Discussion was very productive, and the developing leadership among the kinds themselves was one of the memorable moments for me. I think seeing them involving in discussion and leaving the Peace Room with something about disability in mind shows our success in taking our ideas into action.
Charlotte: I absolutely loved visiting the Perry School this past Monday! Because I said the children were amazing after my last visit, I can't even begin to think how to describe them now! When we first arrived, they were pretty frisky - as to be expected on a Monday. But within 15 minutes, the effect of our presence was obvious. Having seen us before, the children seemed to have found a sense of comfort and security in us, which was apparent in their behavior. Whereas last time they were easily distracted during our lesson, on Monday they listened whole-heartedly to us. Not only did they seem focused and concerned, but they also interacted with us. Our account of Japan's recent catastrophes resonated with them, as they were asked us several detailed questions. They had no trouble grasping the misfortunes of the opposite side of the world - a challenging feat for many children. Likewise, they seemed to grasp the concept of "children with disabilities" quite quickly. After this visit, I can say with 100% confidence that we have expanded their mindsets. I'm beginning to think they look forward to our visits just as much as we do. That being said, I cannot wait to go spend more time with them!
Lotus: I believe the four of us walked into Monday’s lesson mindful of what occurred during our last visit to the Peace Room and what worked and what didn’t. It was heartening to see how the children were so eager to participate in the discussions, and how some of them were starting to assume leadership roles. At the same time, I’m immensely proud of my team – they too showed commendable leadership skills as well as an incredible amount of patience during our lesson. The children took away from the lesson some knowledge of what disabilities can do to a person and the awareness that those with disabilities deserve as much respect as those without disabilities. We came away from the lesson with the knowledge that we had helped carry out TeachUNICEF’s mission.
