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Letters and Numbers: Canadian TKN Volunteers Dedicated to our Youth
Posted on Saturday, 13 December 2014
The Tutorial Learning Centre (TLC) housed in Tri-Cities Jamatkhana in Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada is a hub of learning and activity every Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm. Students gather to strengthen their numeracy and literacy skills, which are foundational skills for success, according to Salima Dadani, Chairperson for the Aga Khan Education Board for British Columbia. The TLC serves students who are unable to access additional help in math and literacy, cannot navigate the Canadian school system easily, have language barriers or are simply falling behind.
In an effort to respond to student needs, the Education Board established the TLC knowing that it would require professional teachers who understand curriculum and effective teaching methods. One of the challenges, highlights Dadani was securing volunteer teachers who work hard all week in the teaching profession. If it wasn’t for TKN, Dadani makes apparent, the TLC would have to hire teachers, as the number of volunteer teachers isn’t sufficient. Thus, professional teachers who are completing TKN assignments with the TLC are a very appreciated resource Dadani notes.
Parin Dilgir and Mansoor Waljee are two such teachers. They are passionate and committed to their teaching and as well to their TKN assignments. What is uncovered in a conversation with them are the skill-sets they have been able to contribute and the TKN endeavor has been able to harness, for the benefit of the Aga Khan Education Board and our youth.
Parin Dilgir is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher by profession and speaks confidently about the levels of literacy one needs to journey through to fully comprehend and speak the English language. “Speaking, reading, writing and listening are all part of literacy,” she says and the best way to teach them is through practical learning, games, drama and writing stories. Upon asking her to expand on this, Dilgir stresses the value of learning literacy in relevant ways. “Teach students what they need,” she says, so they can function when they shop, bank or look for a job. In this way there is a desire to learn because what they are learning is useful and valued. Dilgir listens to the needs of learners and motivates them to continue strengthening their literacy skills, until their grammar use is on par with those fluent in the English language. When asked what she has learned in the process, she quickly responds in Mandarin and Farsi, revealing the importance of nurturing relationships with her students by valuing their languages and the cultures from which they express themselves. Dilgir’s started her TKN assignment in 2010 and claims, “when I was first offered the assignment, I was so grateful I could deliver on my Nazrana”. TKN has enabled Dilgir to contribute in a profound way to nurturing literacy skills in the Jamat and thereby improving their quality of life and contribution to broader society. Her belief in the power of literacy and the best ways to cultivate it has been transferred to the TLC through her role as a TKN volunteer, thereby professionalizing the work of the Aga Khan Education Board.As Parin Dilgir makes headway in strengthening literacy skills of students who attend the Tutorial Learning Centre, Mansoor Waljee a math teacher with graduate training, works hard to improve the mathematic skills of his students. Since 2010, he too has been dedicated to teaching at the TLC, through his TKN assignment.
Waljee reflects on what has changed in teaching mathematics over the course of his 40 years in the profession.
“In the past we didn’t have access to technology, only the simple calculator, and teaching was dependent on individually working through all the operations required. So it was necessary for students to show they fully understood concepts. Even as late as the ‘80s, one needed to sketch a graph by hand and first know the properties he or she was trying to graph. Now, all one has to do is enter an equation and a graph pops up. The emphasis has moved from developing the thinking behind graphing to graphing from information. Another change is the ability to refer students to ready-made tutorials on the computer whereby a teacher can monitor their progress remotely. That is fantastic – since to interact with students in the past I had to be physically proximate.”
Waljee’s expertise is evident when he shares his story. His insight on how teaching math has changed and the impact on his students along with assessment of math learning clearly demonstrates his knowledge and experience. All of which along with his time, Waljee is dedicating to his TKN assignment in which a dozen students of various skill levels gather to learn from their weekend math teacher. When asked what challenges he has faced, Waljee recounts the constant struggle he has in motivating his students. That being said, he shares a story of a student’s success when he applied himself:
“One student joined us about 1 year after I joined TLC. At the time he was in grade 10 and distracted. The following year I did not see him and I inquired about his absence. I learned he had gone back to Kabul. I was disappointed. Then I was pleasantly surprised when he returned to the TLC when he was in grade 12. This time he did not miss a single class and was studious and motivated, asking many questions. I learned that he has been accepted into IB United World College of the Pacific. How was it that he was lacking in focus and then transformed into understanding the content, and suddenly shining? I was really happy about that!”
Patience, as Waljee has learned, pays off. That same patience that helps his students eventually succeed, if they too are motivated was required in the process of receiving his TKN assignment. It took a little time for Waljee to be matched to an appropriate TKN assignment. However, the good match that came with time has been mutually enriching, for the Aga Khan Education Board and the Jamat it serves and for TKN volunteers such as Parin Dilgir and Mansoor Waljee, who have found great meaning in fulfilling their TKN niyats.