Volunteer information and handover 15 March 09

VOLUNTEER HANDOVER
For: Nirmal Pokhari (Library and Secondary School)

InfoNepal, RealGap, Frontier (and whatever other organization you came with)


Sections:
General
A. Resource Library
B. Secondary School
C. Note on other schools in the area

Specific
I. Name of Volunteer(s) and Dates volunteered
II. Daily routine/weekly schedule/lesson timetable
III. Materials
IV. What you did/(Ongoing) Projects
V. Ideas for the future
VI. Tips for rookies
VII. Challenges/Issues
VIII. Contact people
IX. Laxman and Sita
X. InfoNepal, Real Gap, Frontiers (and all other volunteer organizations)
XI. Comments/Other



General

A. Resource Library
It is unknown when the library in Miadan (village) in Nirmal Pokhari (area) was started. InfoNepal or Laxman may know more. The Library is an English learning resource center for the kids in the village before and after school. In general, volunteers have run two sessions: a morning session (usually 7-8 a.m.) and an afternoon session (5-6 p.m.). The morning and afternoon group have been split in the past (by English level or perhaps by availability) and this has seemed to help control the numbers. The Library can be an academic environment or a learn & play environment…that is up to the volunteer(s) and their own goals for the library. The hours can also be changed, as some volunteers have done 7-8:30 a.m. and 5-6:30 p.m., for example.

B. Secondary School
There is little to no information on teaching at the Secondary School, and so this is an attempt to start a record. The Secondary School has nursery and classes 1 through 10. It is unclear how much teaching volunteers have done or what daily schedule they have followed. Teachers meet in the teachers lounge before school and in-between classes. They are often late and the overall feeling is that they are bored, don’t care and/or have little knowledge or resources for teaching. Classes begin at 10:15 and there are four 45-minute classes before lunch. Lunch (tiffen) is at 1:15pm and volunteers can eat with the teachers. After lunch, there are 2 or 3 more classes (???). Teachers are friendly to volunteers and some are curious how volunteers teach classes and what teaching practices are outside of Nepal.

C. Note on other schools in the area
There is a Primary School in the area and volunteers from the organization, Cross Borders, teach there. Other volunteers are not able to teach there. There is also a private school (15-minutes beyond and up the hill from the Secondary School), volunteers have not taught here in the past.

Visiting these schools is possible, just ask. This may be a good way to get ideas and make friendly contacts in the area.

Apparently, there is also a day-care center nearby. I have no information on this.



Specific

I. Name of Volunteer(s) and Dates volunteered
Samantha Cooper (America), email: sjcooper79@gmail.com : March 1-12th, 2009
Amanda Savage (England):

II. Daily routine/weekly schedule/lesson timetable
Daily routine/
weekly schedule:
Sunday through Friday (often leave for Pokhara after Library on Friday morning and return to Nirmal Pokhari on Saturday evening).*

7-8 a.m.: Library
Around 9a.m.: daal bhaat
9:45: leave for Secondary School
10:15-11: teach a class **
11-11:45: teach a class
11:45-12:30: teach a class or take break
12:30-1:15: teach a class
1:15-2: tiffen (lunch) with teachers
2-5: break, lesson planning, nap, etc. (Could also stay to teach at
Secondary School)
5-6 p.m.: Library
7:30/8-ish: daal bhaat

* The Cross Borders volunteers teach Monday-Friday and have the weekend in Pokhara. I don’t see why other volunteers cannot have this same schedule. As long as this is discussed and agreed with Laxman and the Secondary School, I don’t see a problem.

** We have taught Class 4, 5 and 6. I recommend staying with the same classes each day, to give continuity and have more control over what is taught.

Library timetable:
We have students sit down on the benches outside the library (or line up) and do the register outside. We then invite them to come into the library and pass out exercise books. Overall class timetable: warm-up activity, one or two English language objectives, warm-down activity. Best to plan for several small activities to keep their interest and the class under control.

Secondary School timetable:
This is a challenge as we don’t have all the English books that students use and the Nepali teachers will teach them randomly, so we often have to ask the students what page they are on and then make up lessons on the spot. We often plan our own learning objectives and come with those activities already planned.


III. Materials
1. “Student Records” book, which is a journal of what past volunteers have down and their thoughts/advice (ask Laxman)
2. Register for the library, to record who comes/how many students in the library each session
3. English books kept at Laxman’s house (for Secondary School)
4. English books kept in the library (good resource for ideas and lessons)

Library: All the materials at the library have (seemingly) been brought and donated by volunteers. There are many reading books, English books (which are great), pencils, sharpeners, erasures, exercise books, etc. If you see a need for something, you can buy more materials in Pokhara at the weekend.

Paper is always needed.

Please be sure to keep track of erasures (rubbers) and pencil sharpeners. Don’t give them out, as students will spend all of library sharpening pencils and using the erasures. God knows why. They will ask incessantly for “cutters” (pencil sharpeners). We would just sharpen pencils during down time.

Warning: the family that lives next door to the library , and owns the room we use, likes to use the materials in the library (take paper and pencils, for example). I told the daughter that the materials in the library are for the children ONLY. She seems okay with this and so don’t be afraid to put your foot down. If you want to buy the family something, that is different.

Secondary School:
I asked and received some of the books that students use for learning English. At this time, we have the English books for Class 5, 6 and 7, and teachers books for Class 4. Obviously, the aim is to get all the books, or at least the books for the classes you are teaching. These are kept at Laxman’s house.


IV. What you did/(Ongoing) Projects
For our time here, we concentrated on teaching and figuring out a schedule that worked for both volunteers and the Secondary School. Larger projects are harder in such a short period of time (please see below for ideas for the future).

Established this handover document (wooohoo) and website for communication!

I imagine this section being an overview of teaching objectives and where you left off, so that future volunteers can continue teaching from the book, or certain lesson plans. Also, longer term projects that you want to continue could be captured here.


V. Ideas for the future
• Create blog/website so that volunteers can handover information and share ideas (I will try to set this up before leaving Pokhara-Samantha).
• Overlap of volunteers: in addition to a handover document, I think that there should be an overlap of volunteers so that new volunteers can be introduced to Nirmal Pokhari and what they will be doing while volunteering.
• Volunteers need to know what they will be doing BEFORE they arrive in Nirmal Pokhari (InfoNepal needs to ensure this).
• Visit the Primary School with the Cross Borders volunteers: these volunteers seems to have an excellent organization and are really well supported. Also, they seem to be making a real difference at the Primary School and we can learn a lot from them.
• Teacher training: I believe the real way forward with the Secondary School is to start with the teachers. They have little to no training and very little motivation. We would need someone that speaks very good English and Nepalese to facilitate, but a volunteer that is here for a longer period of time could really make a difference with the quality of education at the Secondary School if the entire school is part of the change. Perhaps workshops on teaching practices, grading, discipline, personal responsibility, etc.
• If not above, then perhaps thinking smaller…come up with an English plan for the year with the teachers of the school. Communicate this to InfoNepal so there is no gap in volunteers.
• New and better books at the Secondary School. The government issues mandatory books, but I believe there are some optional books that volunteers could introduce and perhaps fundraise. Please speak to the volunteers at Cross Borders, they did this at the Primary School.
• If you can’t do above, just collecting copies of all the English books for all classes at the Secondary School will be helpful!
• Homework help: the library could also be used for homework help and tutoring for the more advanced students.
• Adult English language classes: I imagine there are a few adults interested in learning more English. Perhaps small group classes (4 people, for example) could meet at Laxman’s house for English classes.
• Trash/recycling: Basic trash pick-up and recycling could be introduced to Nirmal Pokhari.
• Hygiene: teaching children basic hygiene practices, washing and brushing teeth in the morning, washing hands before eating, etc.

VI. Tips for rookies
• Establish a schedule with the Secondary School from the beginning. For example, if you want to teach Monday through Friday, instead of Sunday through Friday, then agree on this right away.
• Establish what classes you want to teach at the Secondary School and stay with them…the students will learn more and have more continuity. If you want to teach at the Secondary School all day, then do it.
• Decide what you want the library to be (more academic and school-like or more facilitated play). We found that students were more open to learning in the morning and so saved longer English lessons for the morning and had more fun activities and games in the afternoon.
• More volunteer is better than one when it comes to teaching at the school and the library. Ask for another volunteer if you need it!

VII. Challenges/Issues
Teaching at the Secondary School and Library will always be a challenge. Teaching is an emotional rollercoaster, you can have one great class and then an hour of class that breaks you (he he).

I found the biggest challenge to be overcoming the lack of organization and feeling that my small help is making a big difference. Again, I think more sustainable and long-term change will come with helping and supporting the community of teachers. The teachers complain about the low quality of education, but seem to miss that they are one of the big reasons why the education is so poor. I believe they are willing to learn and change. I think long-term volunteers (with help from a Nepalese translator ) could really help.


VIII. Contact people
Asim (InfoNepal): 9851054813
Laxman


IX. Laxman and Sita
Laxman and Sita are wonderful and living with them is definitely the highlight of the experience. Honestly, if you need anything or any help, you can always go to them.

Water: you can ask for boiled water from Sita, or you can also get water from the natural tap and use purification tablets. The store in Miadan does sell water, but there are too many plastic bottles already, so think of the environment!

Washing: During the week, you can wash your hair down at the tap, and if you want to bathe, Sita will put up a Sari or blanket in front of the bathroom for you.

Food: You will get daal bhaat in the morning (usually around 9 a.m., after library and before Secondary School). You can eat lunch with the teachers if you like. Sita will often do snacks and tea in the afternoon. You will get daal bhaat for dinner around 7 or 8 p.m.

Gifts: It is nice to bring a gift when you arrive, and perhaps also as a going away present. You can also bring things from Pokhara after a weekend away if you want to (Mandee would buy veggies and cooking oil, I brought cookies)!

X. InfoNepal, Real Gap, Frontiers (and all other volunteer organizations)

InfoNepal seems to be the main agent for several larger international volunteer organizations. You can go directly through InfoNepal or through another organization. The general rule of thumb, is the more organizations you go through, the more money you will pay.

InfoNepal seems fairly organized and I found their orientation to be great in Kathmandu and their staff really helpful and warm. They are not that organized with the actual volunteer placements, and I am not sure if this is just InfoNepal or endemic of Nepal in general. Overall, however, they have been willing to listen and hear feedback.

XI. Comments/Other

It’s your experience, make the most of it (don’t wait to be told) and have fun!

The kids are great and I will miss them so much!! It is exciting to see them come running to the library and I love all of their songs. They can be a bit unruly and you will have nightmares of “Miss, Miss!!!“ ringing in your ears for years, but you can really see the impact you have. Most of them are just craving individual attention and really respond to praise. Discipline is hard but needed, and they also respond well to boundaries. They are fun and exhausting and adorable.

It has been amazing to be here and be a part of the village and everyone’s lives. People are so warm and welcoming and I feel lucky to have been here and been a part of the family.