Monday, May 24, 2010
End-of-the-semester Reflection Report
For the end-of-the-semester reflection report, you need to write your reflections about your experiences about the NGO you worked at. In general, we want you to write what you have learned about voluntary work, the structure of the NGO, how successful you think you were working for them, your developing views on related important social issues, education, people, and “yourself”. End of semester reflection paper should be 1500 to 2000 words long.
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Communıty service is a lesson that give you a better change to improve your english teaching method.I really believe that it will help me to improve my speaking as well as my teaching method.Because it is really difficult for me to teach somenoe something although ı know everything about the subject.It requires practice. Also, ı am a bit shy and it is really difficult for me to come in front of the students and teach them something.For that reaoson, ı always tell to myself that ı wıll not be a teacher.But if I take the advantage of this course ın the best way ı can overcome all these problems.Therefore, ı must not miss the lessons.Actually, it prepares you to be a teacher.Knowing everything does not mean that you can teach it.Because teaching is a different process.You have to practice much more over it and you have to be ready for that.For example, ı will teach the chıldren between 10-12 years old.It will be very difficult for at first.Because, ı will be very excited.But, if ı consider the future it will make me gain me many things in my life.I hope that this course will change myself. I will overcome many of my individual problems.The other point is we we should not think the way that it will just have advantage to our teaching method. Moreover, we teach the children that who cannot affort to go to the special courses to learn english.It is also a good opportunity for them to take the advantage of us.To be voluntury in helping or teaching to the children is really very important.For that reason, ı really thanks and appreciate those who have arranged this course especially to my teacher Pr.Isil because of giving us such a opportinity.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, I know that it will make us gain many think but ı think it will be beyond our expectation
That is the end of the semester during which I experienced many new things before a being a teacher. I went to ANACEV to be a volunteer teacher and teach English to young learners between the ages of 10 and 11. I wanted to teach those children very basic structure of the language because I had only one lesson a week, which wasn’t enough to teach them very detailed information. So I had planned to teach my students pronouns and their usage, new vocabulary; for example, colors, professions and animals. Also I had plans to teach them new verbs related to their daily life; however, because I have very limited time I couldn’t implement it. Yet my students could learn very well pronouns and verb “to be” which was very important for me because for their young age it was a little bit challenge to learn very well. Moreover, they now can introduce themselves when they are in the new class, they are not shy and can communicate in the class without hesitation which is also important for me in terms that I could guide them and during the class session they were not close to new knowledge.
ReplyDeleteDuring the semester beside of me was the student of METU Pinar Koseci who, I hope, will be an excellent teacher in the future. She was very kind toward the students and we were helping each other to teach student English, I very liked to work with her in a group. When I wanted to explain something to students but they couldn’t understand she was helping me to demonstrate the action. For example, when I wanted to explain the action of formulating the question sentence by exchanging “to be” verb with pronoun, because students couldn’t totally understand it from words, she proposed me to play it as a train game; we stood as a train, she was pronoun and I was “to be” verb and we told students that when the sentence wants to be a question sentence “to be” verb; i.e. me, replaced Pinar and stood in front of her and said that I am not only verb “to be” but also have my question mark at the end. It was funny game so they were laughing and after the teaching when we decided to ask them very fast pronoun with verb they didn’t hesitate at all and were answering with fun and were very happy during the lesson.
In addition, during the semester we got very warm relationship with the manager and people in the NGO and when we had difficulties with desks and chairs during the semester the manager was helping as to bring them from the other classes and if we didn’t have board markers with us he could borrow us their own as well. People there were very kind, kindhearted, and smiling when they see us. I liked it very much.
While I was in NGO with Pinar there wasn’t always fluent process of teaching, sometimes we faced with situation when children became more active and difficult to manage because in a first session we had only six students but then the parents began to bring other children as well, so they became 9-11 students and I had difficulties with managing the class; however, we couldn’t offend people and tell them that the children are a little bit more than we expected. So we decided that it would be better if we talk to students to be quite in the class because we came here for them to teach and help them but if they will be too active and will disturb the class we will not be able to teach the class, and if they want to learn English they should listen to teachers. I explained that I respect them very much and I want them also respect my labor, and if they listen me more I want to teach more. So the problem was solved easily; and here the main idea was that they really wanted to learn something. The other problem and challenge for us was that there were students who even couldn’t answer the question in Turkish as well because they were too shy. We wanted them to be very confident in themselves, to earn self-esteem which is very important in their future. So I forced them answer the question not only aloud but also shouting the answer because I wanted to hear them and laughing at their own actions so that they understand that laughing and making mistakes are normal things in life.
ReplyDeleteIn this volunteer experience I wished to put all my knowledge and theories about ELT into the practice; for example, Communicative Language Teaching; teaching through the chunks. We wanted them to talk and communicate in English; however, because of their lack of information about English we couldn’t totally achieve this goal also we had very limited time and one class a week, so it wasn’t intensive learning of English. If we had plenty of time maybe we could achieve what we wanted. So, firstly, we decided to teach them a little bit grammar. Most of the time in the class, we had to use Grammar Translation Method which was very effective, and to which students got used to. In this session I understood that not all methods and approaches are useful in the classes, they stay as theories and in the practice they are all different. In the class all the things are unpredictable, one can’t know how one student will behave and how you as a teacher should response. So, some methods just stay in the air, and you as a teacher should go with one food with situation occurred in the class and during the session. I think it was good experience for us as a student because it was the first steps to be an affective teacher, and what's more, it was useful for learners to love English and participate in other classes which this organization will provide in the future.
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ReplyDeleteBeing a volunteer was very interesting for me in terms of that your lessons are not restricted by any governmental issues. You can carry on the lessons with your own paths, and nobody controls your actions, so you can provide students with any information they will be interested in. So if you can see the progress of your students and if you can notice that students are able to do more than you can expect from them you can provide them with more complicated tasks. It was really challenge for me and I liked that very much. In this session I was free in my actions and I could provide students with information that will be useful in the future, even if it was Basic English information.
ReplyDeleteIf I wanted to go back and change something in this session I would change my strategy of teaching into more interesting side; for example, when new comers were coming to our class we were supposed to go back to the previous lessons topic and explain them all the topics, so doing that we couldn’t go further. In that situation I should have probably used the 3 path teaching, i.e. have 3 categories of teaching, for new comers, for first comers, and who comes and not able to continue the sessions. This method is used in England for many years, and if had a chance to change something in my session I would change and use this method so that I can teach them more.
I liked being a volunteer and I think in the future I want to use my knowledge to share it with people. This experience change my point of view in many ways; for example, I thought that teaching young learners is very complicated and they cant learn what we want them to learn, but I was very wrong about it. They are very cute and listen to the teacher as she is an idol for them and learn what she wants from them. When we told them in our last session that we were leaving them and we will be the guests in their organization after that, one of our students became so sad and said that they will not have teachers as we are anymore, I was very surprised and sad about this situation and after she went up to the stairs where here mother was waiting for her… At that point I understood that young learners are more devoted than the adult learners.
BETÜL SAN 1620301
ReplyDeleteEnd of semester reflection paper
I regulary attended to the kindergarten. It was such an enjoyable experience that ı went on going there after ı had completed my duty. We had great time there. In the mornings, ı was going to the kindergarten at about 8 o’clock and after that hour, the children were being brought to there one by one by their families. We met them in front of the door. At about half past eight, most of the children were there waiting for the late comers. At nine o’clock, the teachers,children and I were going down to the refectory to have breakfast. First, we were preparing their breakfast plate. Actually, they didn’t need our help. As they were able to manage eating without pouring anything on the floor. After they had had their breakfast, we went up to the classroom again. The teacher used to bring some books which include different stories. She would read them with showing the pictures on the book. After they had completed their reading activity, the teacher put the books on the selves and that time wanted to sing all together. The teacher was selecting the song and all together they were singing. While some of them just sitting and singing the song passively, the others were also playing and jumping while singing. Later, the teacher wanted them to sing individually.. Some time later, they finished singing in a row. Then, the teacher brought the toys to their playing place. The children were playing with the toys till the hour of half past eleven. At half past eleven, the students had lunch. They were having different meals each day.. As usual, there were some students who didn’t want to eat and drink anything. We were trying hard to persuade them to eat by making up stories and creating a new idea to deceive them to take their spoons on their hand. They were finishing their meals usually at 12 o’clock. We went up to the classroom again. And it was their sleep time. They were sleeping everyday from 12 o’clock to half past three. And ı was leaving the kindergarten at 12 o’clock. My experince there was like that. I observed that everything was happening in a row. The teachers were approaching to the situations so systematically. The time of all actions were certain. If they exceeds their time in one activity, they hurry up to finish it or skip to the next activity. Like that, everything was done perfectly. The teachers were enjoying themselves while being busy with the children. The children were also pleasant with the activities or spending time with their friends and teachers. I think sending a chil to the kindergarten is necessary. As, it helps them to broaden their horizon and learn what the sharing is. I severely recommend to the families to send their children to a kindergarten for a year or more. That will help children to be more clever and open minded in the future.
The first thing which I want to talk about my voluntary work in Altındağ is related to the relaxed and respectful atmosphere there. We felt there as we are real teachers thanks to Bilal Bey and the students. The manager treated us like real teachers, addressed us like teachers and tried to provide us with the opportunities to teach. For example, at the beginning, we had a classroom problem. Two groups were being taught in the same classroom at the same time. In the coming weeks, this problem was solved. Apart from this we were able to give breaks whenever we and the students felt the need. Therefore, I feel that respect and relaxed atmosphere are key elements to enjoy our work. On the other hand, working in a suppressed and unkind environment only affects the workers negatively. As we went Anaçev, it was necessary to feel this. Fortunately, I could feel this in Altındağ.
ReplyDeleteI have also learnt lots of things about social issues. It was a good experience to teach these children. Altındağ is a suburbian area. It seems that many of the students there do not have the chance to take any extra or private education other than the school. And some of the students we met were not happy about the teaching of some teachers in their school. Therefore, providing these children with the opportunity of extra learning made us happy. I, with the other friends who worked in Altındağ, could feel the need very well. Being needed, and helping students made us feel excited about teaching. If I had the time and the place was not so distant, I would go there more often. It was also nice for us that the students were interested in learning in general and respected us as their real teachers. They tried to appreciate this opportunity provided for them.
However, an upsetting problem was that there were a limited number of classrooms. Therefore, we could teach a very limited number of students. The students who did not apply for the courses at the beginning of the term were not accepted. Bilal Bey was sorry about this. We were also. He did not want to turn the new comers back, but because of the limited number, he could not accept students more than a certain number. I wish more students could have the oppotunity to attend these children.
A good thing about this voluntary work is helping people. Some of the students I was teaching seemed to be very promising about feature. It was good to have some part in helping these students reach their goals for the future.
Another thing I have realized is that as teachers we will not always have many materials and a suitable environment to teach. I mean, most of our training at Metu is computer-based and requires a great number of materials. However, as we experienced in Altındağ, we may not have enough resources to use for teaching in Turkey. That is a reality of life and we should be ready for this. We want and aim to work in modern areas and teach using a variety of materials. However, these may not be always possible. Therefore, we as future teachers should be ready to each in all circumstances.
In conclusion, the voluntary aspect of the course may provide us with the opportunity of practising our knowledge as well as gaining social awareness. But, the institutions and places to go should be carefully selected in order to reach these purposes.
Community service gave us improving our English teaching method. Even tough ı had some mistakes while teaching, I improved my teaching method. In my expectation paper also mentioned about this issue. Knowing something that you can teach it to the students. It requires practic and I got it from community service. It lasted nine weeks. Actually, it was a bit difficult to go to the adres because we went early in the morning and it was cold. But, I really enjoyed and learned many things from this organization. So far we have learned many things from our department and our English has been improved greatly. Until I took this course I thought that we already know everything and we can teach to somebody English easily. But when ı began this course ı saw that knowing and teaching are different elements from each other.Because at department we just learn we do not apply it, so the organizations like coomunity service are a good opportunity for us. I remember my first week. I was so excited even I asked to my friends let’s they began first. Because ı had some individual problems like shyness, extitement. Firstly I had to overcome over these obstacles. Even tough it took my two weeks, I overcame over it. By the way, I did not let children noticed my deficiency, because it would affect them in a bad way. I think teacher’s prestige, position in front of students are very important. You may have some deficiency or lack of experience but students should not realize it. Because generally students are affected from teacher’s position. Also, I want to confess some things.While teaching ı realized that ı forgot many fundamental expressions or some simple grammatical rules.:) I think all these because of not being applied.In this way we saw this course’s advantage as well.
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion, in my expectation paper’s last sentence ı mentioned that this course would be beyond out expectation and it was like that. I realy enjoyed this course and gained many experience thanks those who arranged this organization.
Throughout this term, working in a non-governmental organization changed and improved my views about doing something for others expecting nothing from them. It was really helpful in terms of our academic achievement, our self-respect and respect for others.
ReplyDeleteWorking in an NGO requires responsibility, first of all. If you feel the responsibility for helping others, you can do your best for the people and the welfare of the organization. With the help of what we have done in Anaçev, our sense of responsibility developed in a different sense. We learned caring for others, and the problems of the society. I mean that we became more susceptible to these notions. Before that, the sense of responsibility was mostly on duties and towards the people around us. Being sensitive to the problems of the society and such a critical issue as education is possible mostly by experiencing. Working in such a place helped us in this sense.
Education is very important for the welfare of a country. The place where we worked was in a suburban area, where lots of courses were given both for adults and children, from needlework to courses for helping schoolwork. Working in such a place showed us that people need education in everywhere, under all circumstances. Being volunteered to work here was a great opportunity for me. I gained awareness about the importance of working in a non-govermental organization after my experience in Anaçev. I plan to work in such an educational NGO in the future. I think that would be very gratifying for me. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to practice my knowledge and skills that I learned in the lessons. I improved my teaching and classroom management skills to a certain extent as well. Although I did not have so much experience, I encountered a few examples of teaching and learning problems. I tihnk that it was a helpful experience for our future career as a teacher.
I also learned a little bit about how a non-governmental organization works. After all, voluntary work is vital. Everything operates according to the sense of voluntariness. The biggest problem of the NGO we worked for was the financial issues. Even the manager wanted to do something for the organization, lack of resource created a big obstacle that is almost impossible to overcome.
All in all, I am really content about my experience in Anaçev during this term. It influenced my opinions and views both about my career and about the social issues.
This is the end of the semester and we have been teaching this nice, cute students during the semester. It was really a good practice for me. Being a teacher and teaching something to someone is very enjoyable at the same time wants really hard effort. It was my first teaching in class and it is totally different from private lessons. I gave private lessons before and it was only with one or two students so it was not difficult. I could easily understand my student’s problem and help her with her problem, however in Anacev there were many students and some of them get the topic easily and some of them had difficulty in understanding the topic and I had problem in balancing the class. despite all the problems that I faced I I really liked the this community service activity very much. Before I did not want the teaching very much I had no idea about becoming a teacher, however after my methodology classes I started to love teaching. With the help of this community service activity I totally loved teaching. One day when I came to the class early in the morning I found an envelope on my desk and there was a note on it ‘sevgili ögretmenime’. First I thought it was not for me and then I looked in it and there was my name on the note. It was the note from one of my students and there was so sweet words in that note. It made me so happy. I felt myself like a teacher for the first time. I guess I want to be a teacher now. This children are really needs our help they are enthusiastic about learning but there is no one to teach them. That is why we really must continue to have such courses which are helpful for our community. We are university students and to be helpful for our society is a must for us. I really want to thank to the people who have arranged such an helpful activities for our society.
ReplyDeleteEND-OF-THE-SEMESTER REFLECTION REPORT
ReplyDeleteThe Community Service Course that I took at the 2nd grade altough I must have taken at the 3rd grade was really a great opportunity for me. In fact, before taking this course, I didn’t think of being a teacher. I thought that teaching is a boring and monotonous profession. But after taking the course, my thoughts about teaching changed completely. I noticed that teaching was not a boring and monotonous occupation. I realised that teaching was probably the most perfect profession in the world. Because, for this job, the money or salary is not as important as it is in the other occupations. In that profession, love, affection, sacrifice, devotion, goodness and a lot of inner moral and good emotions and instintcs exist. The main aim of yours is not doing your job and getting your salary.
And, while teaching Social Sciences in Anaçev, I gained a lot of qualities and specialities. Firstly, I didin’t know how to teach in an effective way. I did learn of course from my Methodology Courses; but I didn’t have the chance to practise those. So; they stayed as only theories. And, they were mostly related to English teaching; but I was teaching Social Sciences. That was a problem. However, I had learned so much from my Education Courses at high school and METU. I had the chance to use these learnings while teaching. They were really helpful to me during those courses.
I improved the expressing yourself ability while teaching to my students. Altough I was not good at talking in front of a group about a subject, I started to lecture on a course from all aspects. And, since my students respected me so much, I gained more self confidence. And another point is that I understood that “ What you can express is as much as the person listening to you can understand.” (Mevlana Jalal-ud-Din Rumi) Moreover, I understood that to be able to teach a course, you have to be interested in that course. As I was greatly interested in Social Sciences, I didn’t have difficulties in teaching it.
Besides all those, I think I opened a way to the future for my students. I tried to prepare them for SBS. We all know that to be able to have good profession, it is compulsory to pass those exams succesfully. However, they don’t have much chance to get ready for those Exams. Their schools are not sufficient for them. And, I hope that I could be helpful them to achieve their goals. And, also being a university student I became a model for them. They had a sense for university.Now, they would want to study in universities, I wish so much.
Moreover, I think I supplied them with some characteristics. For example, at the first lesson, they were so shy and silent that they were not saying even a word. But after a while, they were not so reserved. They started to talk and expressed their thoughts. And also, they gained the thinking way of Questioning. They started to try to find the reasons of a case.
As for Non-Govermental Organization, Anaçev; I must say that Mr. Bilal is really good at his job. He supported us so much. Even, he made tea for us with his own hands. That is incredible. We had a little conversations with him. He explained his past experience about the education in different organizations. He gave us fredoom to teach in the way we want. I am really grateful to him.
Overall, that was really a great experience in my life. I like even loved it very much. I think that every person in his life sholuld do some community service.
Thanks…
First of all, I like helping people very much, when I help somebody I become very happy. The voluntary work we did in Anaçev was an organized one and a different experience for me. I expected my students to be young learners but when I learned that my students were adults who will learn reading-writing, I was so surprised. I didn’t know what to do with adults and how to teach. Also first transportation to the charity was a bit hard. I got on the bus but I didn’t know where to get off. I asked to driver and some other people on the bus, where the police houses are, but they also didn’t know. Luckily of the women knew in which bus stop I would get off and she helped me. When I went to Anaçev, one of the students were waiting for me. For the first lesson we started with the letters. Then the principle, Nurhan Hoca, provided me with a book which is prepared for reading-writing lessons. The second week there were two students, the new one was so shy and excited. She was so respectful to me; she called me Ahmet Hoca or Ahmet Öğretmen. I felt different things; I didn’t know how to behave towards her. As we proceed I get accustomed to them and to my job.
ReplyDeleteEach week I tried to do my best. The levels of the students were different so I had difficulty sometimes. So I did different activities for them. I gave homework every week.
Also people working at Anaçev were so good to me. Even the principle, Nurhan Hoca did lots of things for me, every week she asked me “are you hungry? I can prepare a toast for you. I can bring tea for you” and lots of things.
Working for Anaçev, helping adults there made me so happy, when I go to Anaçev I forgot my problems, I didn’t anything think about anything other than the course. I believe that I was successful in my job, I like it very much and my students can read now. Now, I know what to do with adult learners, how to behave towards them.
Lastly I will never forget my experience in Anaçev and my first students there.
Ahmet ÖZKAN
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ReplyDeleteCommunity service course taught me a lot. Firstly, a NGO work requires responsibility. You should responsible enough to do something useful for people. I think the community service work taught me tha responsibility. After I saw the bad conditions of the area in which I had students, I promised myself to work for young learners effectively and in a responsible manner. At the end of the semester, I saw I helped them to gain a lot. At the first classes, they were very shy. I helped them to express themselves in every situation. Also, I tried to make them good readers, so I gave them books to read. Actually, they didn’t make me disappointed. They read their books and that made me very happy. As for “Social Sciences” which I was responsible for to teach, we left a yielding semester behind. We practised a lot for their exam “SBS”. They learnt the topics very well and they were capable of solving questions based on these topics. I hope they will be successful at the exam.
ReplyDeleteOf course, I experienced some bad things at community service work. At first times, it was difficult for me to cope with young learners. However, in the long run, I discovered their characteristics and I found some techniques to cope with them. My lazy student Yakup sometimes made me upset, but he taught me a lot as well. I learned how to cope with lazy and naughty students by the help of Yakup.
Before the community service work, I was very shy for being a teacher. However, I think I overcome my shyness now by the help of my students. Near the end of the semester, one of my students, Fatma told me that I changed a lot during the semester, I was very shy at the first classes. Even she noticed that :) As you see, they taught me a lot for being a teacher. By the help of my experinces at the community service work, I consider being a teacher. I had a chance to practise what we have learned at our courses, so it was a very useful experience. Teaching is an exhausting, but enjoyable job. I will certainly think being a teacher.
On the other hand, I liked the manager, Bilal DİBEK. By the help of him, I got used to there. He tried to solve our every problems. Next year, I will certainly visit him and “Altındağ Cumhuriyet Evi”. If it is possible, I will go on community service there. ANAÇEV made me addicted to them:)
This semester, we have been given a great chance to develop ourselves. We are asked to work in a non governmental organization, ANAÇEV, by doing various activities such as reading, writing, teaching English, etc. And I and my partner, Birsen, are sent to Çukurca-Birlik Eğitim Evi. There we taught reading and writing to our students who were over fifty. It was really fun, but at the same time, really challenging, because teaching reading and writing requires a lot of effort and energy for both learners and teachers. In the first weeks, I had a great difficulty to determine how and what to teach. However, as time passed, our work got more systematic and we and also our learners started to have fun in the lessons.
ReplyDeleteTo arrive at our destination, we had to take two buses and this was the most challenging part of the Community Service because the bus we had to take goes every half hour and when you miss it, you have to wait for thirty minutes at least. I think that while deciding on where to work for students, it should be pay attention to the destination and transportation. After we went to Çukurca Eğitim Evi to teach people how to read and write, firstly, we met with our students. They all were women who were over fifty and they were very willing to learn. At the beginning, there were just three students; actually I was a bit surprised, because, I was expecting more than them. However, their number increased in the following weeks. All of our students were not in the same level. Some of them knows reading and writing a bit, some of them don’t know anything, some knows just reading, in that, it was a really mixed class so we had to group them according to their levels. After grouping, we faced with another difficulty. What would we teach and how? Actually, this was the first time for me to teach someone reading and writing so I couldn’t be efficient very much at the beginning. Firstly, I started with letters. However, I was in the wrong way, because they had learnt them already. Then, I tried to teach vowels and consonants. Of course, it was very challenging for them, and then my friend suggested me to simplify my teaching. She said they didn’t have to learn vowels and consonants, just teach them reading and writing and she was right. After that, we followed a book prepared for adults learning reading and writing. Then, our teaching has gained a system and each week, so our work got a bit easier.
In the following weeks, we kept on our lessons very seriously. Our students were aware of their responsibility and attended every class regularly and they were willing to learn. Actually, this was a chance for us because thanks to their willingness, our job was getting easier and easier. In addition to these, each week were fed by both our students and the officers in the organization. We were giving our lectures with tea and börek or something like that. Also, at the end of the course, they prepared a feast for us. It was great for us, dormitory students.
As time passed, community service started to give us feeling of responsibility and being useful for the community and all of the society. Every time we went there, our joy and willingness were increasing. As weeks passed, we could easily observe that they made progress. The women I was dealing with most improved her reading very much. She could read faster and more accurate than before. Also, they made progress in numbers and numerals.
In the Community Service, I felt that I was useful for my society because these women would make their lives easier thanks to us. In addition to this, I thought that I was getting patient and patient. Seeing that your students are making progress is a really wonderful feeling. After finishing my job in the vakıf, I get more proud of my choice on teaching career.