Teaching Volunteer Stories, Sri Lanka

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Sinead Watt I was 17 when I left school. I just felt like I’d rather be somewhere else, doing something exciting and worthwhile. I planned on going to university but not before I had had an experience of some sort which I would never forget... That’s when I discovered Projects Abroad.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Victoria Plume As I stepped off the plane and Charley, a legend of a man who works for Projects Abroad drove me to the office, I wondered why I had chosen to volunteer in Sri Lanka. It has no Taj Mahal, pyramids or Grand Canyon - so why do I travel to the other side of the world, to a little island nestling in the shadow of India? Ironically, it is now - at the end of my two month stay - that I know exactly why.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Rosanne van Herksen Since the beginning of September I, Rosanne van Herksen from The Netherlands, have been teaching drama whilst volunteering abroad in Sri Lanka. I'm teaching two different classes, both classes contain children of different ages (from 4-24 years!). In Panadura I am teaching at the government Siri Seevali school, from grade three to seven. We had a bit of a difficult start as I explored the lack of creativity, together with shy and scared children. But everything got better when we got to know each other and when we could start practicing the Ugly Duckling!

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Helen Poole Travelling to an exotic country and experiencing a completely different culture and way of life is something that I have always wanted to do, so after leaving university I thought 'well it's now or never', but I was apprehensive about travelling completely alone.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Adam Kessler I arrived in Sri Lanka with Projects Abroad about a month ago now, full of enthusiasm. I had passed a TEFL course just before coming out, so had a month of intensive teacher training under my belt. I felt ready. I knew what concept questions were, and I was proficient in over nine tenses. I could say 'shut the hell up' in six different languages. However, perhaps predictably, school was nothing like I'd expected.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Claire Blakemore I must start by saying that if you're contemplating going to do a project in Sri Lanka, stop thinking about it and just do it. My 3 months in Sri Lanka were some of the best moments of my life and it was truly a special and fulfilling experience.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Fiona Whyte & Ash Morton Being the first ever volunteers at Pinwatha School, there was no real way of knowing what to expect. No reports from previous volunteers or anything. On the other side, the teachers wouldn't know what to expect of us either. It was a new experience for everyone involved. Thankfully, it has been a hugely enjoyable and fulfilling one too.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Freddie Green As the term drew to an exciting close, I was really happy to see that improvements had been made in the English department. My most notable satisfaction was the raised enthusiasm of several pupils about learning the language, as numerous children appeared completely disinterested in attaining any knowledge of spoken English at the beginning of my time.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Paul and Penny Cannings A few thoughts for anyone thinking of volunteering as a couple or leaving their children behind in the UK. Just do it!! It was a big decision at the time and we had to find some very good friends for our two children to live with. But actually it was great for us and the children.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Claire Fuller To begin with, I was naturally apprehensive about teaching but my first few classes were so much fun. The younger monks have an incredibly short attention span so I learnt quickly that games are best. I got to know their individual characters very quickly as they are not at all shy.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Katie Finlay When I arrived in Wadduwa I had no idea what was in store for me or what to expect but the whole experience blew me away. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, from the TPA staff to my host family and room mate.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Andrew Siggers Despite only teaching for nine days we managed to cover a range of topics including clothes, food, transport, time, shopping, as well as a few adjectives: colours and size and shape. It was great to teach these children as they were keen and motivated right until the end of the week! I was also lucky as the children are used to the routine of going to school and so this made things more manageable for me with classroom management. The shelter had enough resources such as pens and books for every child and a white board and marker for me to use.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Hannah Raines It's impossible not to love the children, they are so happy to have you there and get so excited when they see you. Everyday, they give me presents, sweets, cards and loads of flowers. The children know my English songs and love to sing. Every lesson I am greeted with shouts of "Teacher sing! , Teacher dance!" and I am eventually persuaded to sing and dance - something I am not very good at to say the least, so there are many laughs all round. "Alice the camel" has been a favourite with grade 7 and every student in the school seems to know "Jingle Bells" - it still feels so odd singing about snow when it's so hot outside!

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Joanna Gwaspari & Josie Barton We ran onto the bus soaked to the bone, clothes rapidly going see-through which greatly amazed our favourite bus driver. However, he then proceeds to grab our umbrella in exchange for the bus keys and disappear. After much deliberation we decided it was best not to hijack the bus as driving in Sri Lanka is somewhat perilous.

Teaching in Sri Lanka - Barbara Hackl I've been in Ratnapura for 3 weeks now. I live near Ratnapura town, with a host family who have two daughters and one son, but as there are at least 20 people in or around the house the family seems to be much larger.