An Interesting Session with Two SPACE Students

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By Gainya St Clair
ENP Volunteer

Today I went to the boys' school where I am volunteering for the third time. I worked with two 12 year-old kids that I have never met before—David and Shlomo. The boys are actually related- David  is the uncle of Shlomo. They told me they do not like to tell other kids this, though, because they find it strange.

During the session, I had a very hard time engaging David. He was working on a math assignment from a very strict teacher who assigns a lot of homework. I got him to do a few small activities in English, but overall he was uninterested. Shlomo was also working on the math homework, but he was more interested in practicing his English. He is at a much higher level than David; although his grammar is not perfect, Shlomo can fully communicate in English. He quickly zoomed through the lesson and practice exercises I had prepared, so we just spoke in English for the remainder of the time, and I corrected his grammar when necessary.

Shlomo was inspired by his brother to learn English. One day, he was in his room singing an English song. His brother walked by and asked if he even knew what he was saying. He did not, of course, and from then on, he worked on his English.  

Overall, listening to Shlomo and understanding his background has gotten me to think more critically. Considering I am only here for a few months, how I can positively impact these boys in a lasting way?

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