Patricia and Rui from Portugal are teaching at school in India
Patricia Oliveira & Rui Falhas Santos have been teaching at school in India. Both volunteer teachers com from Portugal and are giving back & making a difference in Jaipur.
Patricia Oliveira teaching at school in India
Teaching English Volunteering Journey, 3rd to 11th March 2019
Iko Poran Volunteer Abroad opened us the door for an amazing volunteering experience. Through this institution we met AII Group that is a local volunteering institution in India.
Our volunteering experience was remarkable. We had the opportunity to teach English to children from 4 to 13 years old. They were very kind and interested in learning new contents and games. Despite we have previously planned in detail our classes, we had huge support from the AII Group in regard to teaching contents and translations. Also, the school Director and teachers were very kind and supportive. In our last day at school, both the school Director and AII Group were so lovely in surprising us with a delicious farewell cake! Here we learned that it is important to teach children new English contents but also play and enjoy time with them, because they love the experience of knowing someone from a different culture.
During our journey in India (Jaipur), we stayed in a host family house, which allowed us to be even closer to the Indian culture.
The food in Jaipur is very tasty but highly spicy. When we ate in local restaurants we carefully selected less spicy food. At home, spicy quantity was carefully adapted, since we were not used to it.
AII Group provided us with a Hindi basics class that was really helpful during our stay, both to interact with locals and students.
We would like to thank Iko Poran Volunteer Abroad for providing us access to this amazing experience and total support during the planning phase.
Last but not least, we would like to thank AII Group for supporting us during our stay in India and for having made its best efforts to providing us with the most amazing experiences.
What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
– When staying in a host family’s house, spend some of your time with the family. On the one hand, it is what the family is expecting from you; on the other hand, it improves a lot the whole experience by allowing you and the family to share your habits and experiences;
– The day schedule does not occur as in Europe or other countries where punctuality is mandatory. Do not take it personally if the breakfast at your host family house is not prepared on time agreed or the cabs take more time than you expect to arrive (or are not available). It will happen you to arrive late to your meetings or volunteer activity. But remember that everyone in India knows that for several reasons and constraints you will arrive late several times.
– In India, water is a precious resource. You will see people on the streets with a small water container, which is all the water they have for the whole day. Make an effort to show your respect by avoiding waste. It is a good lesson to learn and to transfer to our countries, since social and environmental responsibility is crucial.
– Try to learn Hindi basics so you can easily interact with students and locals.
How to teach at school in India
As an assistant teacher, you’ll be teaching English at a Community school in India, situated in the southern part of Jaipur. Since the school is catering to children from an economically weak & marginalized area, quality English teaching with all other required amenities provided are a great advance for the young students.
Our in country partners have supported the school with all the furniture, infrastructure & teaching materials like boards etc. There are around 54 students who are studying in 1st to 5th grades. As a volunteer you will teach the students the necessary things that will help them in developing their interpersonal skills. You will also help the local staff in daily operations of the school. The top-most requirement of the project is to develop the overall personality of the students by encouraging extracurricular activities, art & craft, group discussions, teaching & communication.
Visit the teaching volunteer project in India, and sign up!
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