In the Easter holidays, a group of 12 students and two teachers embarked on a trip to Rajasthan in India. The main aim of this trip was to visit the SKSN School for disabled children and teach English to the students that live and learn within the school.
On the first day that we were scheduled to teach, there was a sense of nervousness within the group as we were uncertain what to expect and were hoping that we were fully prepared. However, our nerves were completely unnecessary as every child greeted us with great kindness and a willingness to participate in each of our lessons.
There was one lesson that particularly stood out for me on the second day of teaching, where my teaching partner and I taught the small Year 10 class. The lesson started with some apprehension from a few members of the class who were not as confident with their English as their peers. Through spending time with them individually, and playing different educational games, we were able to engage with those who were struggling which allowed them to become confident and improve greatly over the space of just an hour. This was such a striking moment, as we were able to see the class completely change and flourish just from our short lesson with them.
We also visited their boarding houses, played Kabaddi with them (an energetic local game somewhat like tag) and served their evening meals. We spent a great amount of time outside the classroom with each individual child, and we all really got to know them.
The week ended with a farewell cultural evening with mutual performances of music and dance. The school had prepared with stunning costumes and displays and we said goodbye to one another with gratitude and thanks.
This truly was an experience that I will never forget; the friendship that we all gained from this week in the SKSN School and these children have changed us in ways that we could never imagine.
Izzy Tucker, L6
