This session at TYO marked my first-time teaching 5th and 6th graders English, and with it the introduction to a huge group of students who seemed to have boundless enthusiasm and limitless amounts of energy. In the spirit of TYO, I looked for ways to redirect and focus this energy, rather than trying to suppress it and control it, and ended up introducing my favorite personal teaching style into the classroom: Competition.

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My favorite thing to do in Nablus is to study English. I plan to travel abroad one day to build bridges with the international community through the English language. With the relationships I build abroad I hope to bring financial resources to my community as well as emotional support. From this kind of support I want to improve housing for people living in poverty.

How Far We Have Come!

Eight weeks of STEP! II EFL program passed us by so quickly! The first day of classes began with students quietly introducing themselves and trying their best to figure out what the teacher was saying in English so quickly. As the weeks passed, everyone became increasingly comfortable and with that the students began to develop in their confidence. Throughout the first five weeks of class, we played volleyball as a group daily during class breaks and through this a level of comfort developed within the group and this translated well in the classroom.

STEP! II, Internship ProgramlindseytyoDecember 15, 2016English as a foreign language, intern abroad, youth developmentComment

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I really enjoy studying languages. I recently started learning how to play the guitar with one of TYO’s teachers. I was amazed by how learning music feels like learning another language. You need only learn certain sounds, symbols and patterns and how to put them together. Now I’m starting to play songs in English, and I’m excited to become even better in the language.

Fostering a Brave Space

At the door of TYO, students can either leave their external feelings or share their sentiments and be welcomed into the community. As an educational and psycho-social organization, the staff at TYO inherently cares for the holistic care of every student.

In order to ensure the comprehensive care of every student, the staff and volunteers uphold that TYO is neither a religious nor a political space, but rather the space for empowerment and self-fulfillment. At times, however, this is easier said than done.

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If you want to learn any language, you must be serious. To learn anything, you must be serious. And you really need to have a friend from that country. To learn Arabic, for example, you have to have a friend from the Arab world.

Fairuz in the Morning, Frank Sinatra in the Evening

Music is a powerful and positive force that connects people of different ages, backgrounds, and cultures. Recent Nobel Prize laureate Bob Dylan, Adele, Ravi Shankar, Edith Piaf, Tom Jobim, and Sakamoto, among so many others, have enchanted audiences around the world regardless of their ethnicity, race, and native language. “Music is the universal language of mankind,” once said American poet Henry Longfellow.

STEP! II, Internship ProgramlindseytyoDecember 1, 2016cultural exchange, English as a foreign language, intern abroadComment

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I love to work with children, especially in the most under-served communities. I want to be there to support those in need when I can. Working with children is a beautiful thing. You can teach children many things and work with so many different personalities. I believe that we can solve so many problems in our society by starting with them. This to me is a wonderful process.

It’s Kanafah not Knefeh, bas tfaDal [But Help Yourself]

When my students ask, “What Palestinian foods have you eaten?” they always laugh at my response. “No,” they tell me emphatically, “It’s kanafah, not knefeh.” I pronounce the famous Nabulsi dessert in the Lebanese way, not the Palestinian. And though there are obvious, clear differences between the cultures of the two countries, and even the culture of Palestinians living in Lebanon and Palestine, I cannot ignore the similarities of teaching in both.

Being Uniquely Me and the Curiosity of New Friends

I arrived in Nablus having lived in an Arabic-speaking country and having lived in a more conservative environment before. Whenever I am placed in the aforementioned environments, there is a tendency to want to conform. However, the most the liberating of options is to just be me and welcome all questions about my differences and individuality as a opportunity for an unique kind of cultural exchange.

Let’s change lives together.

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