THE ARTSY ENGLISH CLUB - Social Action Project/Service-Learning Reflection

THE ARTSY ENGLISH CLUB REFLECTION

- by Micaela Abigail Naidoo

Teaching is all about creativity. Teachers tap into every occupation. From parenthood, to artistry, to anything that you could possibly imagine. Teachers do it all so that their learners could produce the best outcomes.

Each component of the project was different, however, it led up to the main activity. The learners were given a short survey to select the series that they would like to watch an episode from. The options were taken from them and then compiled into the form of a survey to gather votes on the most liked series. There were options such as, Victorious, Teen Titans, Outer banks, Friends and so on. The survey showed that Victorious stole the most votes. The first step of the project was for the learners to tap into their listening skills as they watched an episode together, of a series called Victorious. They had to listen carefully to what was said by each character, observe the personalities of the characters and the roles in which they played in the episode. In step two, the learners were put into four groups and played a fishing game to randomly pick a character which they had to represent for the project. In step three, the learners had to write out their own play based on the episode that they had watched together. This was a tap into the learners writing skills. In step four, the learners had to read out their play in front of the other learners using all of the skills which they have learnt along the years in reading, such as audibility, clarity, eye contact and so on. In the final step, all of these activities lead up to the learners presenting their play in front of the grade six learners of the school. The project was effective because it allowed the learners to engage in the necessary skills of English, such as listening, writing, reading, and presenting. The project also gave the learners an opportunity to showcase their acting skills and place themselves in the shoes of an actor and actress. This entire experience has been a unique one for me and it has allowed me to observe each and every learner, their differences, their similarities, how they work together and so on.

The most challenging moment for me was on the final day of the social action programme. The day was planned for and set by the English teacher and I, and it was planned to happen on world literature day. We had already planned when we were going to take the learners out to do their plays, and the learners had come to school dressed as their characters. However, it so happened that many teachers weren’t present on this day, therefore the English teacher and I were stuck in classes serving relief. We had to come up with another plan of when the learners were going to perform their plays. The first group got an opportunity to perform their play while other prefects waited in the class that I was due in, so that I could be present for the learner’s performance. The rest of the groups had to perform their play after the lunch break and in front of other learners of the school who were also outside and waiting to use the stage. It was a busy day, however the social action project ended gracefully. Despite this challenge, the entire social action project was a success in every aspect.

Service learning has allowed me to feel what a teacher feels and do what a teacher does. Over the four years, it has given me the opportunity to go to different schools, both public and private, meet new people, engage with different learners, complete the activities of a teacher and so on. It has given me the opportunity to grow as an educator. In my first year I was shy, and I didn’t know how I would control a class of forty learners on my own. However, through the years of service learning, I now can control any class. It has made me ready for the real world and to be an effective teacher. Professionally, I have learnt how to complete administration activities, maintain myself in the classroom, deal with problems that the learners may have, liaise with other teachers and so on. I have learnt a lot from learners themselves and it has given me a positive attitude which I wish to always have through my years of teaching.

This project is beneficial to the school since it allows learners to build on skills such as listening, reading, writing, and presenting. These are the necessary skills for the subject of English, and it is a fun way for the learners to build on those skills. The initiative is sustainable because it does not cost anything. The school already has the resources for the project to continue. It can be an ongoing project as the only thing that will change is the series that the project will be based on.