Since February the Goducate Training Center in Iloilo has partnered with neighboring primary and secondary schools to hold remedial classes for those children who need help to cope with their schoolwork. Every week, each GTC trainee coaches 5-7 pupils in mathematics and English. At the end of the 5-week program, the teachers found that most of the pupils had improved noticeably in these subjects.
To aid these students further, 2 weeks ago the Goducate Training Center held a 3-day camp to help the children improve their oral English. The camp was also an avenue for GTC trainees to learn to teach English in creative ways. Learning was made fun through songs and activities. With a camp theme of Jungle Fun, the 70 campers, aged 9-13, were divided into four animal groups. Teamwork was encouraged through competitions, and throughout the camp good values such as friendliness, politeness, creativity, and a willingness to participate were reinforced. Tokens were given out for efforts made to speak English, and these tokens could be swopped for goods from the jungle store.
One of the highlights of this camp was the skills class. Students could choose to attend a session on electricity, container gardening, pastry making, craft, crochet, playing the recorder, hairstyling, first-aid, and acting. Everyone enjoyed the last night when they presented what they had learnt during the skills class. This summer will be fun for them, because follow-up activity through games and English and skills classes will start in the first week of April. Since most of the children come from poor families, some of the skills learnt might even turn out to be a means of livelihood for them.
As GTC trainees handled these kids, they learnt to be loving and patient to them. They were not just teachers who gave commands but leaders and friends. One comment of mother from the community was that, “My child really liked the camp because her teacher really loved her”.
