Sunday, September 12, 2010

Service Learning: Week 2 - Relationships

The second week at Sao Mai, things got a lot better. Firstly, one of the teachers who use to work in the classroom left to another class and she wasn't really welcoming to volunteers, so it made the environment a bit lighter now. Secondly, the new teachers were a lot more helpful and seemed excited to have a Vietnamese-American helper. Also, there was a new teaacher, who is my age and just started working there 4 days ago. Even though she was a new comer, I could hardly tell that she had just started working there. The other teachers treated her as an equal and not like some newbie. So it was nice having both of us there together. This shows that the relationship at sao mai is a close one I believe. There has to be a close knit relationship between the teachers at Sao Mai because there are 3 or 4 teachers to one classroom. The teachers have to cooperate with each other and understand each other in order to handle the kids. Sitting there, getting to know the teachers and them getting to know me, we talk about where we're from, growing up, the differences between America and Vietnam, and if we have boyfriends or not. Talking with them, was just like having girl talk haha. They were asking me if i would rather have a Vietnamese husband or an American one, and i said whichever one had more money. And then, that I would teach them English so they can go get a rich American husband while they help me with my Vietnamese. Being with the teachers, I feel the relationship with each other is pretty solid.

With the children, all the teachers know their names in the classroom and the names of the childrens who are not. Often, teachers would come in and out of the classroom just to say hi to the kids. The kids seem to grow with the teachers and the teachers all know the preferences and how the kids interact with each other.

1 comment:

  1. I hope you are able to make some lasting relationships at sao mai. What kind of disabilities do the kids at sao mai have?

    Your comment about husband's and money is funny. I bet you hit the nail right on the head with the teachers, haha.

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