Sofia , Mechthild and Gopika

link-ups with fun and motivation

In February 2024, our first link-up took place, and we were all quite excited. 

Back then, our students from Aida Basic Boys School were fifth-graders. They joined from home, in their free time, with an unimaginable enthusiasm and joy. The three of us were astonished when the 40-minute Zoom call ended and the kids all came back for a second lesson :) This school year, they’ve been joining from their class room during regular school hours, but fortunately that hasn’t changed their motivation.

Yes, there are three of us - the boys’ teacher Sofia is like the boys from the West Bank / Palestine, Gopika joins either from India or the UK, and Mechthild from Germany. Though thousands of miles apart, we are very similar in our approach of teaching the kids with a lot of fun. By the way, the fun already starts when we are planning the lessons.

We try to create something memorable based on the course book. Usually Gopika starts with a physical activity, taking the boys on a holiday trip or making them imitate water sounds. Then Mechthild does a vocabulary activity like “guess the word” or a gap text. All of these activities are only possible because Sofia manages the classroom both in English and Arabic and supports the boys in every possible way. By the end of the lessons, most of the boys have produced their own sentences about the topic - and all of them have laughed a lot.

Intercultural exchange has been a vital part from the beginning, when we all learned to say hello in our different languages, i. e. “Namaste”, “مرحبا” and “Hallo”. Sofia and the boys talked about amazing places in Palestine and about Ramadan, Gopika about Vishu and Mechthild about Easter.

Some personal notes:

Sofia Says:
I am truly grateful for being part of this wonderful journey. It is a special experience for me and the boys. Our English sessions are full of joy and inspiration. Thanks to our beautiful and helpful co-teachers. None of this would be possible without them and their support!
And big thanks to The Hands Up Project for providing this wonderful opportunity ❤️

Mechthild Says:

These link-ups are the most fulfilling lessons I’ve ever had and the highlights of each week. The holidays are the only downside, when I really miss you all. My heartfelt thanks to the amazing boys, my wonderful co-teachers and to the incredible Hands Up Project for enabling this.

Gopika Says: 

Our journey with dear boys has been nothing short of amazing. A big thanks to the Hand Up project for this opportunity that we get each week to have fun with the children !! What a great learning experience it has been to work together with Sofia and Mechthild! Looking forward for more fun with all of them! :)