Listen to Your Heart--- IS Volunteer Services

On Saturday, May 10, 2014, five students from the International School Volunteer Team visited the Fangcun School for Deaf Children. At the subway station they met the math professor, Ke Zhengqing from the International School. He always insists on coming every week to help the International School volunteer team in this service, which always makes the team feel really touched.

The volunteer members went upstairs to the second floor of the school, and the children gave an enthusiastic and grateful greeting to the volunteer team, as they did every week this team came to visit them.

Subsequently, the long-term counseling began, so the volunteer team started to teach all the children to do their homework. The children felt very familiar with the team and they were so happy to see their brothers and sisters.

The new volunteer members each had to counsel a deaf child, which was a new experience for them. They felt a little scared at the beginning, as the children born with hearing problems cannot receive information properly, and so it is difficult to for them to learn. In order to help the children, volunteers repeated the most simple sentences over and over, and had to explain the simple questions all over again. The children were grateful for this patience and enthusiasm from the volunteer team. Gradually, one child gave a smile; then the children began to take the initiative to talk, and suddenly, they all were curious and asked a lot of questions of the volunteer members.

First, the teachers assigned the children to perform the “taking the bus” story, in which every child had to play their animal role, such as pig, rabbit, and monkey. They really strived to pronounce every word accurately and because of their enthusiastic performances, laughter could be heard all around the school. After the show finished, the volunteer members gave the kids a big round of applause.

Volunteer members found a different way to tutor the children, so all the children in the remedial classes in the classroom could get along with each other.

Ke Zhengqing teacher helped us to bring a book about cars. This attracted the children’s attention, so they sat together actively discussing. This included the usually taciturn children, who were normally reluctant to speak even a few words; they were all too excited to talk.

A half-hour later of counseling, the team realized that the time had passed really fast. That afternoon, the school also conducted a Children's Day Green Fashion Show rehearsal, in which all children were holding a badminton racket, ball, bouquets and other items, and wearing a decoration that was made from waste materials, in order to complete a unique catwalk performance. The younger children were the smartest; they walked and moved just like professional models.

Although it was only a short afternoon, the volunteer members felt the sense of achievement and satisfaction this type of volunteer service brings, so they encourage all other active volunteer team members to discuss and explore the most appropriate teaching methods and the most meaningful teaching content.

Children's innocence is pure happiness; these children were born with a hearing defect that cannot be erased, but we are willing to be useful to them and show them honesty and warmth. Through our perseverance, let them hear little by little this world, because we believe that love must be heard.

Written by Liu Shumin and Zhao Xiran

Translated by Carolina Mo Yee

Photo by Zhao Xiran

Revised by Raewyn

Edited by Nick

Listen to Your Heart--- IS Volunteer Services

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