Sum Yi (Donna) Cai
Through this experience, we tried to make a minor difference in the Thai educational system for low-income people. Teaching English to impoverished children was quite challenging initially. We had no teaching experience but still needed to achieve our goals. Our main struggle was finding what worked for the classroom so the students could learn quietly while we delivered information. We had to work on our resolve to finish the job we started.
Our first class was quite hectic, to say the least, as the students were often distracted. The entire class was turned upside down in mere seconds. There were some cases, however, where the classroom learned in unison, which was when we incorporated hands-on activities. We observed what worked and what didn't. We fine-tuned our lesson plans to benefit the class equally and not be one-sided. The students were given opportunities to share and test their understanding of what they had learned in the classroom. Naturally, we helped those who struggled; we answered those who had questions.
We were motivated to continue this project over two to three months during the summer before our senior year. While we could not continue due to other obligations, the experience has demonstrated our abilities to work together and give back to society to combat major underlying issues.