Reading Week Project Reflections
The theme of 2012 Reading Week Project is to Celebrate Cultures through Stories, literacy and act by taking a “trip” around the World in Three Days. A team of twenty students from the International Peer Program are privileged to learn alongside children from Kindergarten to Grade 07 as they “travel the world” together on February 21, 23, 24 at Cooke Elementary School. Right after the completion of the projects, participants were invited to write about their experiences during the Reading Week project. Now Let’s hear their stories!
From Myron Huen
Participating in “Around the World in 3 Days” at Captain James Cook Elementary was an experience that I will never forget – it was even more rewarding than I expected. I came into the Reading Week Project expecting to better my teaching skills and learn more about classroom management. These were definitely some skills I gained in addition to learning how to improvise and modify lesson plans according to time and the ages of children. This gave me the experience to be more flexible and remain calm even when events do not go as planned. Sometimes, these improvisations can surprisingly result in even more effective teaching than rigidly following the plans. However, along with these classroom and practical skills, participation in the reading week project also allowed me to gain more insight in life. Connecting and communicating with the children really helped me put the simple and happy things we often take for granted back into perspective. These children have such open hearts and minds that allow them to see so many things in different and positive ways – and most of them also treat each other, as well as those around them such as ourselves, so kindly and respectfully without any prejudice. They are overjoyed by the simplest things. So many of these children left an impression in my heart after only three days, and I know they will always help remind me to appreciate everyone around me, no matter how different they are, as well as to keep my mind and eyes open in order to look at things in different perspectives. I have learned from them to try to find joy in unexpected places. Thank you UBC TREK for providing the opportunity for us to have such a rewarding experience that taught me such intangible lessons.
From Deepshika Kelkar
Moving around the world every three years has profoundly influenced my perceptions on multiculturalism and global citizenship. The theme of the reading week project was around the world in three days. The project gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own travels. Furthermore, I wanted to apply my ideas on culture, which I gained throughout my years at UBC. My objective was to ask students what they thought about “multiculturalism”. Some of the kids thought it was a “cool concept” and that it is a useful tool to create a better world. Other kids were unsure of its meaning and just accepted the idea.
The next day, we had our multicultural lunch. This reminded me of my own experience as a 4th grader at Anglo American School (Sofia, Bulgaria). Like the kids at Cook Elementary, I thought it was fun sharing a piece of your own culture with others.
On our last day, I got the chance to participate in the Kenya group. As an African Studies minor, I was very enthusiastic to observe the children’s reactions. Storytelling was the theme of the workshop and it made me realize how sharing our own narratives can create a special bond. Even though the children had limited knowledge about Kenya, we could connect with them through a story. Overall, I think it would be interesting to investigate how children’s perception on multiculturalism evolves through high school.
