Wow can't believe my stay is halfway over! It feels like just yesterday that I was getting here and complaining about the heat! There have definitely been many obstacles that I have faced at work, things I could have never expected. The culture is definitely very different as here in India most people are very relaxed when it comes to arriving on time, even when it comes to work. My boss is often late and that definitely took some getting used to because I would always wonder if she was actually coming. I have just learned to go along with it, as this is part of the culture and how they do things here. My boss says she is pleased with the imitative I have been taking but this sometimes leads her to thinking I am more than just an undergraduate student. She asked me to diagnose the levels of autism of students and I had to politely explain to her that I am not qualified to do so. I would not feel comfortable doing so either. Instead, I told her I would observe the behaviors in the classroom and write up suggestions on how the the classroom environment and student teacher interactions could be improved. From this experience I learned that it is ok to say no to a task if you do not feel comfortable doing it and suggest something else you could do to help. I know that my boss meant well but I still had to politely decline because I am not in a position to complete the task. The language barrier at work is also very challenging, as the teachers do not speak English very well so it is hard to communicate with them on how they could improve the environment for the Children. They are not all special education certified so I have been working on finding educational resources on the internet and helping them to become more aware on the subject. There are many challenges in working with such a small NGO in such a different culture that I have faced challenges I would have never expected. However, these challenges have taught me a lot and I feel that I am making an impact because it is such a small organization that all the things I do matter.
Wow, that is so cool you are working in India! I am going there later this year and I cannot wait! It's funny because I saw the movie Million Dollar Arm and the Indians were always late in the movie too! It doesn't seem to be as fast paced of an environment or as stressful as America.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you suggested something else you could have done since you did not feel comfortable completing the task she asked you to do.
It's great that even though you had to say no to your boss, you were able to provide an alternative with your own suggestion. Working in India must be such a dramatic shift from the United States. What are some of the biggest differences you see between the work and education environments in India from those in the US?
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that you went out of your way to find them special education resources they could use in order to broaden their education. It sounds like a challenging but awesome internship experience you are having this summer. I'm sure you are making a great impact, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteIt was a really smart idea that although there was a language barrier and you couldn't verbally provide too much input and advice, you decided to find resources online that could help them. Keep up the good work.
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