About The Programme

Experience Description

The programme consists of two stages: 15 hours of theoretical training and 15 hours of service learning. 

In the training sessions, guests from Hong Kong mainstream and special schools were invited to introduce their career planning programmes for students with SEN. Different from my original perception that SEN graduates may end up being in the rehabilitation center or doing elementary jobs only to make a living, the guests emphasized that they still have the right and possibility to chase their dreams and to live a worthwhile and quality life. I was more than impressed when the guests demonstrated the curriculum designed by the schools. Attractive activities were provided for students in different grade levels, guiding them step by step to understand themselves, discover their potential, explore different careers, and acquire essential skills to work in the selected industry.

While in the service sessions, I assisted in the photography and Mandarin courses which contained over 30 students with different special needs. My job was to make sure the students can follow the teachers' instructions and communicate with them to foster their social interaction skills. I even made friends with one student who is planning to become a teacher in Tourism and Hospitality Studies and provided some advice. 

In one lesson, a student suddenly lost control of himself and began hitting his head against the wall. Shocked and a bit scared, I could do nothing but stood there and watch all the other students acting calmly and orderly to stop him. Some tried to prevent the boy from self-hurting, while others contacted his parents and the social worker for emotional support. Other than pure classmates, they tolerate and support each other just like family. And that's when I was totally touched by the potential and spirits of those students and changed my perception towards them. 

Analysis and Reflection

Throughout the experience, I was able to consistently care for those students and offer help patiently. My internal passion also drove me to get along well with them and learn hard about how experts in other institutions are supporting the special group. However, the incident in class reminded me that I was still weak in dealing with emergencies and lacked skills in effective communication. 

The experience itself was meaningful because it promoted my understanding of the aim, value, scope, and operation of career planning education, especially for young people with SEN (Knowledge). It also refreshed my perception towards the SEN community, as being weak in certain abilities doesn't mean lacking sincere friendship, care, or the possibility to live a good life. As a future educator, I should view them as important as "normal" students and never give up bringing out their whole potential (Awareness). 

Though informative enough, the experience still had some limitations. Most of the time, I was a passive receiver of knowledge but seldom had chances to apply what I have learnt to real-life practice. Working only as an assistant for pre-designed courses, I could only make little contribution to improving students' abilities or delivering some meaningful message. Thus, I plan to enrich my experience with activities that allow more autonomy and can make a larger influence.