Out of Class Activities - Accompanying Teachers

August 12th,

Our names were listed as the accompanying teachers for a charity/volunteer program at the Pusat Tarbiyah Orang Asli Kok Lanas (about 40 minutes from the school). We were three out of five female teachers who were invloved with the program. It was a leadership program created to teach the BWPs of the school leadership skills by having them help the institution in the form of giving the 'orang asli' info about Islam and by helping the staff and the kids at the institution to clean and get the place in good shape.

Basically, we were pretty lost as to why we were listed as the accompanying teachers. Even the Ustaz responsible for handling the program was lost of words to explain to us. But,...oh well.

Speaking of lost. We were completely lost of what we were there for. After getting there, we got the chance to meet the staff in the institution and asked them about the kids there, and what do they do etc etc. That took about 40 minutes. And then we were told to have a rest in one of the rooms that the trainees used in the institute. Another teacher who came with us (in her own car) told us, "basically you just sit down and let the kids do the work. It's a program for the kids, not us". And we were like, (=___='). And that teacher left with her car to go and see her cousin/friend who lived nearby...which added to our confusion even more. 

And she was right. 90% of the time, we didn't do anything. The only one thing we did to contribute was that we had a small 'motivational' session with the female BWPs and the orang asli girls. I don't know if it was of any good since most of the 'orang asli' kids were not from Kelantan, some were not even from Malaysia! I don't know how much of what we did were useful to them...but we tried. And that's what's important! 

(* ^ *)/

Another teacher came later in the day, and left to get her kid, and came again...later. And left early since she's got a family to attend to.

What do I learn from the trip? 

1) The kids are really independent

2) The kids can be excellent leaders in the future

3) Having a car can help you a lot when you have nothing better to do

4) Make kids, quick! They're a good reason for you to leave early regardless of the occasion

5) When you have other newbies that are completely immobile and clueless, leave them to feel the pain of being accompanying teachers. Yeah!!!

And we left with the kids at about 9-ish that night. We got back to school at about 11-ish.