Teaching Primary Education in the PI Written by Shaun

For the last three months I've been teaching at a local elementary school in the Philippines. It's the same school Elijah has been attending. The classes I teach are Math and Christian Living. Also, the team and myself do a Bible lesson and skit during the school's chapel each Friday. Teaching first graders in a cross cultural setting has been challenging. Before this summer my formal teaching experience had been with college age students. However, I've welcomed this challenge and the Lord has definitely helped me throughout. A highlight for me has been watching the kids behavior improve during my time. An observation I made early on was that some of the boys in particular had discipline issues. Through investigating the situation further, I've discovered the reasons for this are multifaceted. Part of my strategy for addressing this issue has been to teach the kids Biblical principles and values. A highlight for me came the other day when one of the kids who always misbehaves approached me after a bible story about Jonah, thanked me, and said, "that was a great story." Upon learning more about his life, I found out that he is neglected at home. When I first began volunteering, he wouldn't listen to me at all, but now I've earned his respect and attention. I really value the time I have with the children and think my teaching contributions have benefitted them. The kids affectionately refer to me as "Teacher Shaun." I will miss them when we return to Olongapo in a few weeks.