Volunteering at the Center

Well, things got off to a slow start at the center, mostly because we needed to observe in all the classes, and see what they are currently doing. Then there was Bayram, so everything took a break. Now, we have had an in-depth conversation (with translation, thank you Linda!) with the manager and the prinicpal-figure of the center, which resulted in what will be a regular routine. We are at the center three days a week. We decided to spend our mornings rotating back and forth between two classrooms. This way, we will not overwhelm the small class (usually between 3 and 6 students) with both of us, but we will still be able to talk through the day and brainstorm together, about the same groups of students. Without realizing it, we chose to work with two different teachers who happen to be married to each other!

This is one of the classes. The students are about 8 and 9 years old, with varying ranges of ability. There are usually 2 assistant teachers to help the teacher, so there is a pretty good student/teacher ratio, especially once Alli or I are in the class, though we can't do a whole lot just yet. All the teachers and assistants wear white lab coats, and some of the students wear uniforms (though some don't). With this class, I get to lead lots of songs. They sing "Where is Thumbkin?" in Turkish, and I sing along in English. So far, I know about 2 lines of the song in Turkish. All the kids are super cute, and have such good hearts, and of course, the usual amount of mischief! =)

In the afternoons I work with individual therapists, working with students with autism and other disabilities. I'm trying to rotate between 3 therapists, so that I can get to know the students that come at particular times, and can give ideas that pertain to those students. In working with these students, I realized how much I rely on the adapted materials and classroom components that we have in the states. At home, we rely on positive reinforcement, and the idea that we as teachers need to make the learning activity interesting enough to hold the student's attention. I believe I need to give the student a good reason to complete a task, other than the fact that I as an authority figure have commanded it. This doesn't seem to be the mindset here, so using reinforcement as a tool is a new concept, which I find very hard to explain with so few words. (Darn language barrier! We have started Turkish lessons though, and I am learning to conjugate verbs, so hopefully this problem will not exist for long!) Aside from educational concepts, there are all kinds of things I would love to have here - like kid-sized cube chairs, chewies, lots of toys at my disposal, visual timers, a sensory table, etc. I am trying to think creatively about what I could do instead, that would help the student in the same way. There are students here who are really stumping me - this is where my lack of classroom experience causes problems. I have lots of theory, and some practical application, but I just haven't been around the business long enough to know everything. I guess that's what the rest of my career is for!

In the classes, the students spend most of their time copying or tracing words in a notebook. The teachers spend most of their time writing out the words for students to trace in their notebooks. The focus is on learning to write the letters and words, as well as working on fine motor through repetition. I am stretching to find ideas that I can bring to the classroom, without completly overthrowing their whole system, which is completely unlike what I am used to. Part of it is that I work with preschoolers, who wouldn't be doing this kind of work anyway. Alli and I are hoping to visit a regular ed, public school, just for a day, so that we have something to which we can compare Turkish special education. So much to think about! In general though, I would say things are going well. I am starting to have ideas for particular students, and I am definitely feeling like a regular in the classroom. The other teachers are really fun, and we have made definite friends. The other day Alli and I played volleyball at lunch with the physical therapists!