Last summer and with support from a Hatfield Grant, I spent two weeks in Bali, Indonesia, teaching English to 4th-grade students. I chose to volunteer in my home country, Indonesia, for several reasons, including practicing my speaking skills in Bahasa, reconnecting with Indonesian culture, and serving my fellow Indonesians. The ability to speak, read, write, and understand English is essential to Balinese people because many of them are employed in the hospitality and tourism industries and are required to use English daily. This program helps Balinese children become exposed to and learn English at an early age.
A typical day of this program started with researching class materials. My teaching partner and I would decide on a topic to cover that day, such as animals, weather conditions, or clothing, and then look for relevant resources. After lunch, we would make our way to the elementary school and spend two hours with the students. During this time, we taught them the new words, then played games, read books, completed worksheets, or sang songs that incorporated those new words. Finally, we challenged them to write and read out a simple sentence using some of those words before letting them go home.
Like any group of 9-year-olds, the class we taught was energetic and playful, which was fun but overwhelming at times. Many times, we struggled with getting the class to quiet down or stay seated. Other times, the students inspired and amazed me in small ways. Every time we distributed colored pencils, for example, we always found them neatly arranged back in the pencil box at the end of class: something I find hard to imagine with fourth graders back in my own elementary school. Some of them loved to write and would ask us for additional worksheets to practice. Those who were less interested in English excelled in other areas too, such as their love for drawing or their kindness when playing with other children.
From this experience, I carry three main takeaways: stay curious, appreciate learning resources, and remember to have fun. First, being surrounded by children who asked questions nonstop reminded me to keep wondering about the world around me, just as I did when I was 9. Second, this experience made me more aware of the learning resources available to me, including books, the internet, and, especially, teachers. Teaching is such a challenging and vital profession; we all need to appreciate teachers more! Lastly, watching the students fly kites or laugh with friends reminded me that I should do the same by having fun and enjoying the small moments at Taft.
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William W. Hatfield ’32 Grants are supported by an endowed fund established in 2010 and made possible through the generosity of Guy Hatfield ’65, Ross Hatfield, and the ongoing support of William W. Hatfield's family. The grant celebrates the ideals of Horace Dutton Taft—service above self—and is given annually to one or more students whose commitment to volunteerism brings to life the message behind Taft's motto: Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret—Not to be served but to serve.