Teach Unlimited Breeze (Sept 2013) Bulletins OUR PEOPLE
Launching Teach Unlimited Breeze (“TUB”), your connection to the communities that TUF serves. Check us out for the latest development of TUF; stories of students from the frontline; and more about our vision and mission. Two partner schools have joined the TUF family: Caritas Yuen Long Chan Chun Ha Secondary School Maryknoll Secondary School
Simon Chan Chairperson Maria Lee Cheng Vice Chairperson MANAGEMENT TEAM Winnie Yip Fong Director of Operations
Including the 3rd year project extension of Leung Sing Tak College, TUF is serving five secondary schools this year! Welcome Abroad! Five recent university graduates have joined TUF as program mentors. A program officer has also been hired to take charge of the Leung Sing Tak extension project.
PROGRAM STAFF Brad Chan Chloe Chan Patricia Chan Addi Chung Gloria Lau
共勉園地：愛的教育
文康的故事 在下學期第一天，個子 不高的文康低著頭，準 時踏入課室。
習，可見內向的文康慢慢喜歡英文組 的課，課後更主動與我聊天和問問 題。
文康是二甲班的插班生。二甲英文組 原先有九位同學，老師特意安排小班， 讓作為計劃導師的我與他們多交流， 好使英文不再成為他們的大怪獸。文 康期考的成績剛達標，下學期獲轉班， 社工和原任班主任便安排他加入我的 英文組。
一次，課後我與他在小食部補做功課， 我問起他學習英文的歷史。 「從小學起 我便不喜歡英文。我向老師問問題， 他們總會鬧我。」他抱怨，我聽到他 仍有一些憤怒。「每個老師都是這樣 嗎？」我很相信老師的專業。 「上堂總 是很吵，學不到東西。」說罷，他又 低著頭做練習了。事實上，文康很快 便能掌握一些學習方法，見證著他勤 學的態度及反覆練習的成果，成績和 課堂表現更愈來愈好，好幾次他更擔 當小老師幫助同學學習。
「只要他有安靜的環境，他便能慢慢 學會。」 我先向原任英文老師打聽。 「只 要花多些工夫培育他，我相信他可以 入大學呢！」我彷彿從原任班主任手 裡接過小生命。 「他是 SEN（特殊學習 需要）仔，但家庭經濟不好，家人都 將希望放在他身上。」社工陳向我解 釋文康的需要，好讓我多了解。 然而，文康的加入反而令我和同學們 學習多點關心和愛。我習慣於黑板貼 上每位同學的英文名字，方便記錄學 習活動的成績以及學習態度的正面習 慣，這也算是英文組同學的身份象徵 呢。故此，我為文康選了六七個與他 相襯的英文名字，給他解釋一番才讓 他選擇。由貼上「Harry」這名字那天 開始，在班上的小組遊戲以至合作學
又有一次，我們要排練一個全校英文 歌唱表演。在綵排時我著文康負責一 個小任務－示意校長出場參與合唱。 臨場表演往往出亂子，他忘記了這小 任務。我不以為意，皆因一班中二學 生能在全校面前唱一首英文短曲已是 創舉了。怎料翌日他在教員室找我， 向我遞上一封信，寫上「Mriss Mak 收」 ，叫我有空才看。一打開，這薄薄 的單行紙竟是一封用英文寫的道歉信。 以英文水平來評分，確是錯漏百出， 連「Miss」都拼錯了－但對於一個有
Harmony Lai Shirley Leung Debbie Mak
讀寫障礙 Grace Tse 的孩子， 這短短一 百字對他來說並不容易。後來我向他 解釋，不要太介懷，他用了好一段時 間才收起抱歉內疚的臉。隔了好一段 日子，第一次致電文康媽媽，她客氣 的連番致謝，又向我提起此事。她驚 訝又驚喜，說從未看見自己的孩子在 家寫英文（其實是先寫中文後向姐姐 請教，再逐字翻譯） 。聽到文康媽媽像 遇到奇蹟般的語氣，我不得不強調文 康的努力以及其他老師和社工的努力。 其實，只要多關注和愛心，孩子的潛 能是無限的呢。 「他那次滿自信地跟我說『我現在叫 Harry 啊！』 。」學期尾，社工陳跟我 透露，文康在這半年的學習明顯地快 樂了，我成為了他的「大姐姐」 。而下 學期的考試，他亦剛及格，得以順利 升班。 文康的故事似乎在訴說一些零碎的、 隱形的校園寫照。然而，倘若有更多 計劃導師走進香港的校園，相信我們 定能走進更多個文康的生命，帶來未 被發掘的學生一點點微小又重要的影 響。
Celebrating the completion of the first two-year TUF Program On 26 July, 2013, TUF celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of program mentors, Dennis Wong and Phoebe Leung, who shared with us their experiences and feelings as they were about to depart for the next leg of their journey. I felt very lucky to be part of TUF, have learned lots of practical skills, and found it meaningful to be able to help the socially-disadvantaged. I myself have also experienced great changes in the past two years. Working with Phoebe, my partner in school, allowed me to understand people with different ways of thinking. The most valuable is my relationship with the students as I feel like I could still bring them a great deal of inspirations. I felt great during the celebration and it was like the afterglow of being a mentor.
Phoebe Leung
Dennis Wong
Schools are always under the pressure to prepare students for exams. Teachers, charged with the task to improve test scores, tend to focus on the curriculum. Unfortunately, it isn’t necessarily the best way to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills of the students. Acting as role models, program mentors play an important role in transforming the learning environment and creating a culture that promotes self-motivated learning. In the last two years, Dennis and I created a classroom environment that students could learn English in a fun and enjoyable way, and eventually boosted their confidence in speaking English.
Like magicians, mentors bring out the hidden potentials of each student and help students appreciate their inside beauty. I hope TUF will nurture more young souls who can uphold and live out their dreams, and bring positive influence to our society.
TUF Program Mentors (2011-2013)
With a group of energetic & passionate TUF Program Staff, we are doing all the best for our students. “We can do it!�
Addi, Harmony, Chloe, Debbie, Shirley, Grace, Patricia, Brad, Gloria
(from left to right) Special thanks to: