The day of many firsts

Message of the day: (shared by Kay)

"All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten"

Most of what I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile of Sunday school. These are the things I learned. Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you. Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together. Be aware of wonder. (by Robert Fulghum)
 
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Today was a day of several firsts: Global Volunteers was invited to conduct English classes for children and adults at the Community Center in Kotun. We also began serving as teachers at “The Catholic School”, an elementary-middle school that opened last year in Siedlce. Cassandra is a first time Global Volunteer; and Brenda, Marilyn and Cassandra are in Poland for the first time. Excitement prevails!

We headed to our different sites after a delicious breakfast featuring scrambled eggs. The teachers of English at the various schools greeted us warmly and made us feel welcome. At The Catholic School in Siedlce, students had posted a welcome sign for us on the front door.

That was the beginning of a great day at this new site.
Observations of some Global Volunteers after today’s assignments:

“It was one of the best classes I have ever taught in my life,” (Ed).

“What impressed me the most was how much English the students, of all ages, already know,” (Cassandra).

“The reception and turnout at the (new) Community Center Project affirms the participants’ hunger to learn English,” (Rene).

Based on my own assignment, I noted how impressed I was by the 4th and 9th grade students’ interest in and motivation to use English in class, as well as the school staff’s interest in and involvement with Global Volunteers. The school principal discussed this with Marilyn and me at a private reception in his office at noon. He is pleased with his new school’s partnership with Global Volunteers.
All of us in the Poland Group look forward to tomorrow!

Journal by Brenda