Ben's Work

Ben has been teaching grades 9,10, and 11 at Child Development Center (CDC). Mae Tao Clinic began these schools over ten years ago. Dr. Cynthia takes a personal interest in these schools. Ben's been having fun developing lesson plans and helping the kids learn English. He just finished given his students their final exam and as of a week ago the students are done with school for the summer.
He's befriended many of the teachers at CDC: like Aung Khine (who took us to the Karen revolution) , Kim Aye Htoo (very friendly-- she always tells Ben and I how lucky we are and flatters us rotten), and Way Mar (invited us over for dinner and is the wife of one of the counselors Thets Aye Way). Ben's been practicing his Burmese at the lunch shack in between classes and everyone is so impressed with his skills :) One of the lunch ladies commented that most volunteers don't want to learn Burmese they just want everyone to speak English, so she really likes him and teaches him everyday.
Ben also began tutoring the teachers after school practicing English with them a couple times a week, after much persistence from Kim Aye Htoo. The most funny session began with a scenario that a third of the group was a company who had manufactured shampoo that was faulty, another third were shampoo/ product users who had had their hair fall out, and the last group was the media. They asked some hilarious questions and had quite a banter going.

On Friday nights Ben hosts a conversation class with Mae Tao clinic staff and some advanced CDC students. Ben has an increasing turn out as word get around how fun his class is. The adults begged Ben to have the class for two hours instead of 1. One session Ben had them practice directions by blindfolding them and having the students direct the blindfolded person around the obstacle course they set up in the room. We had Ben give it a go and he ended up sitting on a chair in the middle, picking up a dust pan, and carrying around an old water jug. The students were giving him good directions, these guys know their English! At the end of the obstacle course there was a white board with a message: You're a hard worker. Over the summer Ben will be continuing his conversation classes at the clinic and hopefully will be working at the A.A.P.P. the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners office in Mae Sot.