By ecirrincione
I am now coming into my last two weeks volunteering with the Mubarrat Um El Hossain. This week in class we are busy doing class presentations and we will have our final exams next week. I am excited for it, but I hope that they will prepare! It is hard because we do not have that much time together.
Teaching English was the volunteer opportunity that I was hoping to get; I have such a passion for language and I know that English is in high demand. When I arrived in Jordan, I noticed how eager people were to practice their English with me. The amount of students that tried to get into the class also confirmed my belief that it is important to teach English.
One of the challenges I have faced is the difficulty I have sometimes trying to explain things to my students. There comes a point when my Arabic is not as advanced to explain the concept, so we can be frustrated when this happens. The important thing is to stay relaxed and try to find other ways to explain something. If you keep trying, you will eventually find a solution to the problem.
We had to cancel class because of some protests, which was a bit of setback. The Mubarrat is in East Amman, which is more urban than West Amman, there have been other instances when the roads have been closed and it took me longer to get to work. This has been a domestic issue that has had a negative impact on my volunteering work, but I hope that the next two weeks will go smoothly.
I am particularly proud of watching the students’ progress. When I step back and remember how shy they were and how they hesitated to speak in the beginning, I am really shocked at how much they have improved. Alhamdullah, we have great class chemistry and everyone loves to encourage one another.
I hope that I am impacting the local community in a positive way, by providing a space for women to learn English. I know that I am only one piece in the puzzle, but I hope that because I am also a Muslim woman, it has allowed my students to feel comfortable in class. I hope to keep in touch with these women, I do not want them to stop learning English once the class ends!