WorldTeach

STEP Bulgaria 2007, by Carolyn Holding

1. What were your expectations before you participated in the program?

I really had no idea what to expect, about teaching, but also about Bulgaria in general. The main reason I applied for the program was to have a completely new experience - I've never visited Bulgaria, I've never lived outside the country for more than a few weeks, I've never taught English as a second language. I expected this program to be a challenge but also fun and I assumed I'd meet a wide variety of new people. I also tried to prepare myself for the worst as I had no idea what the conditions would be like; most available literature on Bulgaria is outdated and gives the impression that it's still an under-developed country. I also didn't have much information about the kids or the classroom structure, and while I expected the kids to be difficult, I also assumed we'd be guided through the teaching process.

2. Where did you go and what did you do, how was the experience, and were your expectations met?

I arrived on June 15 and spent the first weekend in Sofia, then spent the next week travelling as a tourist to Balchik via Veliko Turnovo, Rouse and other towns. The second week I was in Sofia visiting orphanages, the third and fourth weeks were in Kremikovski teaching, the fifth week was teaching in Sofia, the sixth I taught in Plovdiv, and the final seventh week was back in Sofia for fieldtrips with the kids.

This experience was inspiring, draining, and enormously rewarding. The first week of travel blew me away and far exceeded all expectations I had of the trip. I knew little of Bulgarian history or culture, so it seemed like every second I learned something new and wonderful about the country. I was totally unprepared for its natural and artistic beauty, not to mention the sheer age of everything! Our accommodations were also outstanding - the only thing that might have improved our mini-road-trip is an evening activity or two, like a visit to a night club or disco.

My experience was dominated by the classroom, both the time spent preparing and actually teaching. Planning for lessons was much more difficult than I expected as we had little guidance in terms of what to teach and how to teach it. I've worked in classrooms before, but only as a teacher's assistant when the teacher had organized a clear lesson plan that I helped carry out. Coming up with a lesson plan each day was a struggle at first, especially as my weekly schedule inevitably changed after each class, and while I now appreciate the challenge, this aspect caused me a lot of stress at the time. Having the other Harvard volunteers around was immensely comforting as we all struggled through together, but it would have been nice to have a better idea of what exactly we needed to do.

However, time in the classroom with the kids was even more rewarding that I thought it would be. I had expected much more resistance on their part and even animosity, but every single day they surprised me with their enthusiasm and intellect. That's not to say there weren't difficult days, but on the whole these kids were far more sophisticated than I had expected. It was a pleasure to meet and get to know each one of them, and I'm really pleased that I had the opportunity to teach all of them by living in both Plovdiv and Sofia. That said, I'm also thankful for the frequently shorter days; while it was nice to spend some afternoons with them, I was usually exhausted after the morning activities, and the nightly planning sessions/hunts for worksheets, vocabulary, etc sometimes lasted several hours past my preferred bedtime.

The other Bulgarian volunteers were also a big help, most specifically with the language barrier. I usually needed more bodies in the classroom to help individual students who had lower levels of English, and most of the volunteers worked extremely well with the kids. I appreciate the amount of input we could contribute, and definitely feel great about the way everything turned out, but the almost free-form structure did catch me off guard now and then.

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STEP Bulgaria 2007, by Anthony Speare

1. What were your expectations before you participated in the program?

I honestly had absolutely no expectations for the program. Orphans, Bulgaria, teaching, and almost everything about this program were 100% foreign to me, so I can not really pinpoint or describe any pre-program expectations.

2. Where did you go and what did you do, how was the experience, and were your expectations met?

I was obviously here for the entire duration of the program, so I did the orientation week (roadtrip to Ruse, Veliko Turnovo, Balchik, etc.), the orphanage visits, two weeks at Kremikovtsi (lived there), two weeks in Plovdiv (the place I loved volunteering and living the best), the final week in Sofia, a weekend trip to Sozopol, and then sightseeing and exploring in and around Sofia. My experience was fantastic, and I enjoyed it immensely overall. Not only did the prices in Bulgaria make my pockets endlessly deep, but Bulgarian people everywhere were on the whole extremely nice, accommodating, and fun to be around (especially Nedko and company in Plovdiv). This program/trip served as both a great and exciting vacation and a worthwhile, challenging, and rewarding volunteer program. My expectations, though they were amorphous coming into the program, were certainly exceeded (I am sure of that). Though extremely challenging and frustrating at certain points (we were after all, creating a curriculum and program from scratch), the benefits well outweighed the costs, and my experience through this program in the country of Bulgaria was truly unique and memorable.

3. Would you recommend the program to other candidates?

From the American volunteer perspective, and taking into account my experience of the program, I would absolutely, without a doubt, fully recommend this program to any American candidates. It is something that I will remember forever, and an experience that I feel should not be missed in a fantastic and under-recognized country.

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STEP Bulgaria 2007, by Jia Wu

In terms of the students, every single one of my expectations was met and exceeded. The Bulgaria volunteers were wonderful as well. I worked with Sasho and Hristo in particular and cannot say enough how integral they were to the program and how well they represented Bulgaria. They faithfully came to class nearly every day, participated in the games and lessons, and e-mailed me afterwards with comments and new ideas.

My expectations on living in Bulgaria were also exceeded. Sofia was delightful to explore, and I still remember its yellow-brick roads and peaceful parks. Evgenia, thank you so much for letting us live in the apartment! Wireless Internet, security alarms, laundry machines, and the kitchen were far more than I'd hoped to see and helped us concentrate on teaching. Your thoughtfulness was much appreciated. I wouldn't have minded living in the orphanage, at least for a week or so, to gain more of a sense of the students' lives.

In terms of Harvard co-teachers, I learned a lot. We four were a good team and shared lesson plans and new ideas, even choreographing a dance for the Kremikovtsi presentation. Because we all were so different personality-wise, I learned to respect my co-teachers and our differences. It helped that we shared the goal of teaching our students..

I taught in Kremikovtsi for 2 weeks, Plovdiv for 1 week and Sofia for the final 2 weeks. Seeing the kids, getting to know them and watching them progress made me incredibly happy. I had not expected the kids to be as well-adjusted, fun-loving and independent as they were. I arrived expecting me to teach them, but they ended up teaching me a great deal about myself and really put life in perspective. Because of them, I am a more compassionate, patient and open-minded person. I think the world of those kids. I am also really thankful for having had 3 incredible Harvard students to work, live and have fun with We were a great team, and without their support and enthusiasm, things would not have been nearly as great. I wished that we would have gotten to know the Bulgarian volunteers better, and become good friends with them too. I guess cultural and linguistical barriers made this more challenging than I had originally thought. Nevertheless, I feel really privileged to have taken part in this program. The adventures, the moments of epiphany and the friends made along the way are among the most meaningful memories I have ever had.

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