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Sally's Solo Mission
When Sri Lankan Airlines offered a special deal on airfares that just could not be missed, it was decided that Sally should try a solo mission. Since qualifying as a TEFL English teacher in December she has yearned for the opportunity to try out her new skill.
Sally touched down in Colombo on the 31st January 2007 and arrived in Dalawella 7 hours later. On our previous trip in December we made a new contact who had kindly offered to introduce Sally to Buona Vista School with a view to some light hearted English Classes.
On the following Friday Amarasiri and Sally went along to Buona Vista School to meet the prinicpal and observed English lessons and also arranged to return on the following Monday and Tuesday to take some solo classes.
‘I found the tefl course very useful and it gave me lots of ideas for teaching the children, however the method of teaching English in Sri Lanka relies on the teacher being able to speak the native language – Singhalese. I am therefore learning the language (small scale). The lessons were light hearted and my mission to ‘spread a little happiness’ was a complete success. I am looking forward to returning to the school, complete with lesson plans, as soon as possible.
I also visited the Sambodhi Home and looked in on the sewing class. The teacher has worked tirelessly and the students have produced some very impressive sewing. My Dad would have been very impressed with this project. I asked if the class needed any more materials or equipment and I was given a list for the shops. I went to Galle the day after and it was clearly a ‘shop till you drop day’. The school room behind the Sambodhi Home has just embarked on a new project and now has a classroom for 5 children affected by Autism. When we return to Sri Lanka I would like to be involved with this project. It is a subject I am very interested in.
I would like to thank all our friends in Unawatuna and especially the Maria Teresa Beach Palace where I stayed for looking after me, and to Dasa the tuk tuk driver who was always at the end of the phone, willing to take me anywhere.’