Ciara will soon finish her more than 6 months volunteering at BBBB online. (And this summer we will be welcoming in-person volunteers to Malaysia for the first time in over two years!)
My name is Ciara and I am currently studying Social Sciences (BSc) at the University of Bath. Working for Just Volunteers has been such a great experience for me and it has taught me so much.
Not only have I learned a lot about the children I teach, I have also learned so much about myself and my own interests through lesson planning and finding new topics to teach the children. I have always loved learning new things and so being in a role where I am able to expand my own knowledge further through researching and teaching the children a range of topics has just been perfect for me.
Prior to joining the programme, I assumed that with our new normal of everything now being online it would naturally make interactions less friendly and familiar, but I can honestly say that my experience has been the opposite. Getting to know the children and building a rapport with them has been lovely, and their enthusiastic nature and dedication to learn makes my role as teacher so worthwhile.
Online teaching does come with its challenges since it can be difficult to keep a class engaged and entertained through a screen and since you are limited to what games and activities you can do in an online setting. However, this becomes easier with experience as you get to know what works and what the children enjoy. Also, the children’s motivation to learn and the fact they’re always putting 100% effort into everything they do makes online teaching far less challenging.
As a whole, my experience on the programme has been so rewarding and I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful organisation!