Frist Day of School

Day 3
After a brief planning session yesterday, in which the Middlesbrough volunteers produced all manner of wonderful resources (from Teddy Bear songs to animal masks), we were off to the school to put them to good use! The classrooms that we were assigned were very different to those we're used to; we knew about the different style of teaching that was employed in Sri Lanka but the classroom also differed. With the heat necessitating grills instead of glass windows (not to mention the fear of a batsman putting a bit too much weight behind a swing!) and the absence of the colourful displays that we are accustomed to, the school had a very different feel. We set out to provide a different few days for the children, so that they could experience a more interactive learning environment and, as our main focus is teaching English, learn words through play. We've also decided that it would be nice to try and create some displays to brighten up the classrooms after we've gone.
Many have mentioned that the school environment differed from their expectations, it was widely felt that the school would be far greyer and have less of a positive atmosphere. The neatly kept playing space and the trees and paintings on the walls made the school far pleasanter than many had expected.
We were working with primary and secondary children, trying to improve their English through games and activities. After countless handshakes and 'What's your name?'s my group started off with a rendition of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'. From the classrooms around us, where our groups were working, similar songs and cheerful rhymes echoed back. An assortment of role plays, a medley of songs and a variety of games were tried out today but the one thing they all had in common was the children's reaction. Huge smiles and eager faces were everywhere we turned and their enthusiasm was astonishing.
We hope that this morning taught them a variety of things, from different body parts to phrases and greetings. Over the next few days it will be very interesting and exciting to build on this and see where we can take it. Already we are able to see the impact our contribution makes; with the importance of 'Hello, my name is ..... . What's your name?' being reinforced to us, we all ensured we started our lessons in this way. By the end of the day we were absolutely inundated this is from all sides... I don't think any of us have ever shaken so many hands in our lives!
In the afternoon we returned when the school day was over, to play games with those who had chosen to return. Walking down the lane on approach to the school we were met with a cacophony of noise from all the children who had chosen to return in their free time. Although we were delighted with the turn out, it was definitely more than we had expected (or planned) for!
Parachute, drama, ball and cricket games started off the afternoon which soon descended into a dance session in the hall, a cricket match on the field and a rugby style scrum out the back. It was all great fun and although a more planning is definitely needed, it was a wonderful experience to have to deal with so many children and completely think on your feet in an alien situation. I wonder how many people would be able to say they taught sixty Singhalese children the Macarena (sung, not played!) before they were twenty?! ...or maybe that's something we'll all desperately hope wasn't caught on video!
Katherine