Matthew adds drama to his career in Sri Lanka
After graduating with a BA in Drama in 2015, Matthew embarked on a new adventure on the other side of the globe.
With financial help from the Futures Fund Professional Development Scholarship, the 24-year-old, from Cannock, spent four weeks volunteering in a school in Sri Lanka. Matthew taught disabled youngsters performing arts and also taught English in the community to students from aged 10 up to 42.
This opportunity would prepare him for the PGCE Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) course he is currently studying at the University of Sunderland.
He said: “I learned many things during that four-week period such as teaching techniques and cultural awareness. This opportunity has lent itself to prepare me for my PGCE PCET, as it has mentally and physically prepared me for the hectic schedule this programme involves.”
Matthew worked Monday to Friday. He would spend his day planning lessons, delivering workshops for the Sunera Foundation and teaching English.
The Sunera Foundation is a project that helps people living with disability in the North region of Sri Lanka, which faces serious disadvantages in key areas such as health, education, access to justice and fundamental rights. Their workshops are aimed at empowering disabled youngsters in this region, through creative expression.
“I was taught the skills of successful lesson planning and also the ways and means to rectify areas that needed tweaking,” he explained.
Matthew says he was determined to make the most of his experience there: “I lived with a Sri Lankan family and learned a small amount of Sinhala, the local dialect, and a lot about local traditions such as Perahera festivals and food habits such as eating with your hands.
“Although these additional experiences are not teaching, they have all played a part in building me into hopefully a confident and enthusiastic teacher.”