Lessons from the Little Ones...

One of the things that I planned to do for this summer was to volunteer in a non-profit organization to get a volunteer experience. For the past 18 years in M'sia, I've never done any volunteering. I thought since there is the opportunity and convenience in the U of M with its Community and Service Learning Center to help us decide where we would like to volunteer and the processes involved, I should give it a shot.

So, here I am, volunteering in a school for children with special and typical needs - Fraser School. All sorts of services like occupational, physical, and music therapies are available for the children who need extra help. The school is an all inclusive environment in which it caters to the need of all children. As for children with typical needs, being there in the school exposes them to the people's differences and allows them to learn compassion and understanding as well as respect towards others.

As I enter the Hummingbird room (each classroom has a name) every Friday, I feel the presence of joy that overflows the young ones. The curious little ones, eager to learn and play, unstymied by daily worries. The smiles and innocence or unadulterance in my small friends almost never seize to make me tear a little. That keeps me motivated to travel 2 hours back and forth every Friday to play with them.

Sometimes, I feel like I am entering the Twilight zone (the tune's playing in my head now). It is definitely a cultural exchange, in the sense that they are kids and it's a challenge to understand them and talk to them. In addition, the toddlers are smart, verbally competent; the reason being that adults around them speak to them like adults and they don't limit their vocabulary and slow down in their speech for the little ones. This is so different from how it is in M'sia. "Goo goo, gaga..." Haha...adults trying to speak on the kids' level with the thought that if they slow down for them, the kids would learn better. Little do they know that the opposite reigns true. LOL.

It's very fun to play with the kids and participate in their fun activities such as making play dough, jell-Os, and monster toasts, reading story books, and just playing with the toys. =D

There are challenges though. At some points when the small buddies needed adult help or when they cry, I didn't know what to do. I just did what I think is right or I just ask for the teachers' help. The teachers are wonderful. They just seem to know what to do.

Working in Fraser not only allows me to experience working in a non-profit organization, it gives me a greater perspective of childhood education and of life itself. Fraser has the philosophy of using positive statements in educating the children and the institution believes that by telling the children not to do an action, they would not stop as they do not know what to do if they don't do that. An alternative instruction should be given. I've always known that but I've always thought that the application was difficult. How do we not ask the children to not jump around or not to push someone or not to talk when the teachers are talking? Well, at Fraser, it's "bottoms on the floor" or "keep your hands to yourself" or "calm your bodies" or "bubbles in your mouths". What a lesson to learn! Besides that, working there gives me a greater sense of appreciation for my parents. Intellectually I know that it is difficult for parents to raise children but I did not really grasp that until I have first hand experience with children myself. Thanks Mum and Dad.

Basically, it's just remarkably fun there and I hope to make the best out of my time at Fraser School!