Teaching
I can definitely say with assurance that until this internship, I never had a clue what teaching is about, what it entails. It’s kind of difficult even to describe the ups and downs I’ve had just in the the few days that we’ve been teaching already. First, there is the language barrier. But the real shock to me was having to come up with lesson ideas, and the stark difference between planning those lessons and actually presenting them. It’s so easy to wonder if we’re really even accomplishing anything with these kids. If we drill into their heads the english for Helicopter, what difference is that making? Sure, they can learn that word, but once we’ve left, what have we given them? So I find myself wondering what teaching really is, or at least what my role is right now as these students’ teacher. Am I here to help them a bit on their pronunciation? To give them the experience of working up the courage to talk to a native English speaker? To encourage them to want to study this for themselves? Given our short time with these kids, I feel mostly like it’s the latter reason. Kind of like that saying about giving a person a fishing pole instead of a fish. I feel like drilling words into their heads is giving these children fish, but maybe that being there and showing interest in them is giving them a fishing pole.