A month full of new ideas and activities 2 + Summary 01/02-29/02/2020

The final month 01/02-29/02/2020

This was the final month of my EVS stage in Romania. 

The fact that I had created so many new interactive ESL lessons, and non-formal activities that I haven't yet applied in schools and the kindergartens where I was working as a volunteer, gave me a reason to focus more on the voluntary work. 

Also, knowing that I am near the end of a project that is once in a lifetime experience, gave me the aspiration to implement the already mentioned lessons and activities as much as possible.

In the end, I am very satisfied and happy with my performance and the positive feedback that I've got from the children and teachers. 

The EVS

The Erasmus+ program gave me the chance to travel and visit many places in Romania, experience its unique culture, meet local life, and make unforgettable happy moments.

This one of a kind experience contributed to great social cohesion with many volunteers from all around Europe and Asia and enhanced my social, professional and intercultural competencies.

The following description of learning outcomes is a reflection related to the key competencies for life long learning recommended by the European Parlament and the Council in December 2006.

Communication in a foreign language

The English language was used in daily communication and interaction with locals and other volunteers in the living and working environment.

This resulted in:

• Gaining more fluency.
• Developing more varied and complex vocabulary.
• Ability to communicate more clearly and concisely.
• Ability to retrieve words from memory more rapidly.
• Expressing and interpreting more abstract concepts.
• Writing clearer and more coherent.

Mathematical competence and basic competence in science and technology

• Logistical thinking.
• Adapting ideas into new situations.
• Managing budget (shopping, comparing prices, calculation in foreign currency).
• Planning travel (counting distances, calculating time, prices for traveling).
• Argumentation ( logical arguments, critical thinking).
• Awareness of relations of nature and technology ( pollution, sustainable development).

Digital competence

• More effective search for information related to projects and project-related activities.
• Ability to find, use, share information.
• Digital navigation.
• Creating and managing blogs.

LEARN TO LEARN

• Creating own hypothesis, methods, and techniques, and putting them into practice.
• Adapting methods and techniques from various sources and literature.
• Interactive methods were used such as ''The natural approach'.'
• Working in a team.

Social and civic competence

• Intercultural sensitivity.
• Ability to communicate with others, understanding and respecting different points of view (non-violent communication).
• Ability to build empathy towards others.
• Ability to remain calm and solve arguments that sprang from misunderstanding and prejudice.
• Being able to express my own point of view confidently and clearly.
• Being exposed to situations that helped overcome stereotypes and prejudices.
• Respecting values of equality and privacy.

Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship

• Creative non-formal English lesson construction
• Complex planning and construction
• Experimenting with different teaching methods and techniques
• Ability to turn ideas into actions
• Responsibility and Flexibility

Cultural awareness and expression

• Discovering new cultures.
• Active involvement in cultural youth projects: Youth Roma social forum - So Keres Europa forum, Dikh He Na Bister( Roma genocide remembrance).
• Being involved in intercultural workshops, debates, role-plays, simulations and outdoor activities.
• Expressing ideas and emotions through art ( drawing, painting, guitar playing).
• Dealing with ambiguity.

Other specific skills

· ESL teaching.

Volunteer's tasks

· 'Semenic' Kindergarten in Resita (this unit has legal personality) and Kindergarten no. 8 in Resita

Involvement in non-formal activities, helping children in developing cognitive and affective abilities and during interactive classes, helping children communicate in English.

• Inclusive Education School Center ''Primavara'' in Resita
• for disabled children
• in the ADL (activities of daily living) of the children.
• Gymnasium School no.2 from Resita
• after school activities conducted in English
• Hope Center in Resita, Center for Elderly people in Resita, Traian Lalescu, Special school in Bocsa
• activities

Training activities

· On arrival and midterm evaluation EVS training.

A month full of new ideas and activities 11/01-31/01/2020

During my stage this month, I focused mainly on developing interactive activities for the students in the afterschool classes in Generala2 that involved focus and movement. They hey are helpful for coordination skills, creative and logical thinking, as well as games that are used in ESL classes.

Engaging games for helping in development the motoric skills at the school for special children Primavara.

But most of my focus went on creating an engaging and fun ESL lesson followed by a lot of games suitable for children in the Semenic kindergarten in Resita.

I've also met and had fun with three new volunteers that started with Nevo's volunteering programs.

As every month, in this one, volunteers organized language cafes in which I was also a part. 

One took place in a cafe near the center of the city and the other one was done in the library where we discussed interesting themes about cultural differences.

Schools and kindergartens:

Semenic kindergarten

Centrul școlar de educație incluzivă „Primăvara"

Generala2

Traian Lalescu

Methods and techniques:

Semenic kindergarten

For this kindergarten, I focused mainly on creating ESL lessons followed by a lot of games that involved movement, drawing and creating an atmosphere in which the children were exposed to the English language that helped them learn new things by also having fun.

So that means that they learned a lot of new words and also

Also, I taught them numbers till 10 in Romanian And English that they previously knew to count only until 6.

After the end of every class, I rewarded students with colorful smiley stickers which helped them by creating positive reinforcement for learning.

Centrul școlar de educație incluzivă „Primăvara"

In this center for children with special needs, I developed games that helped children with their motoric abilities and coordination, using balloons to strengthen their weakened diaphragms while also having fun.

I also used arts and crafts for their engagement and creative thinking.

Generala2 and Traian Lsalescu

In this after school class, I used a lot of energizer games and ESL games for creating an English speaking environment.

Photos and Videos from Generala2

Photos from Traian Lalescu

Materials used:

Worksheets, color pens, cups, ping pong balls, various internet sources, and literature.

Back to Macedonia 22/12/2019-11/01/2020

 In this period, the staff from ‘’Nevo’’ decided to take a holiday break which meant that volunteers were also free from their usual duties.

I decided to go back to Macedonia and schedule the defense of my diploma thesis presentation that took place on the 25th of December at The State University in Tetovo.

I spend the rest of my holiday visiting and hanging out with family and friends.

Mid-term in Brasov and more 25/11-22/12/1019

This was one of the most interesting and fun periods during my stage in Romania.

It started by me and 3 other volunteers from my project going to the city of Rasnov for our mid-term evaluation.

We went a long way traveling from Resita to Caransebesh through Bucarest and at the end reaching the place near Brasov where we were stationed in Hotel Monterai Resort-Poiana Brasov.

I immediately fell in love with the place since it is stationed around a beautiful natural landscape surrounded by mountains.

The receptionist was nice and they gave us individual rooms that were very cozy and comfortable.

We had to start with our midterm the very next day but, because of the old bad where I was sleeping back in Resita, I had severe lower back pain and I could not even move in the morning, which forced me to miss the first half of the first session.

During the second half of the session, one of the trainers visited and encouraged me to come and although all the pain I did.

Although I had some minor difficulties at the beginning I loved our sessions because for my luck I met so many interesting volunteers that I have so much in common to speak with.

Also, the sessions were the best ones from all the trainings that I had so far because the activities allowed us to interact with each other individually way more than I ever had the chance to do it before and speak publically, which gave me a lot of confidence that I was lacking in my life and also the chance to interact, learn more and become closer to the other volunteers.

On the second day, we had to choose outdoor activities that involved exploring the city of Brasov or exploring the nearby forests and mountains.

And of course, I've decided to go and check out the beautiful city of Brasov with 2 more volunteers from my project.

It was kinda late and night time was coming but, that didn't stop us to see all the interesting places in town.

After our mid-term evaluation finished I decided to stay a couple of days in Brasov and explore the city. I went to stay in one of my friend's house with another volunteer and during the days we went exploring the nearby places.

I went to see Rasnov Fortress and Bran castle and one day we went hiking in the place called ''The7 ladder canyon''. Every place was amazing for me and I was very happy that I had the chance to explore such interesting places while meeting very interesting people.

On my way to see Bran and Rasnov, I met a very interesting artist named Adian Voinescu who took me for a free tour in The Haunted House near Bran and made me a portrait for a present.

When I went back to Resita full of positive energy and satisfaction from my adventure in Brasov I immediately started with volunteering.

I continued searching for and developing programs that included games and exercises that included teaching and using the English language for the schools that we visit.

Meanwhile, I also went on an amazing trip from Oravita to Anina that took place on the 8th of December which was kind like a protest action organized by a local NGO to preserve the train line which the government was discussing on closing it.

Schools:

The places that I've visited and the children that I worked with most of the time were:

Primary school ''Generala2'', School for children with special needs ''Primavara'' and Primary school ''Traian Lalescu''.

Methods and techniques:

Primavara

I was visiting Primavara in the mornings where we helped the special teachers and psychologists with their work while simultaneously learning a lot of methods and techniques for children with special needs and disabilities.

And in the evenings we played physical games with children like hot potato and bowling.

Semenic Kindergarten

In this kindergarten, I focused more on teaching English words for colors animals and ect...and sentences through fun games and lessons suitable for the students there accompanied by a lot of energizers, exposing them to the language through the natural approach.

Traian Lalescu

In this school, we used interactive methods with a lot of energizers and fun games. We also always had one Romanian volunteer with us that translated the activities from English to Romanian so the children can comprehend them better.

Materials used:

Worksheets, color-pens, Modified games from a copy of the book of ''Alliance100 ways to energize groups: Games to use in workshops, meetings and the community'', various sources on the internet.