Learning While Teaching in Estonia
In this section, I would like to tell about volunteering and international volunteering. I have been volunteering since when I started high school in Turkey. Become a volunteer has a lot of deep philosophy. Expect the project, to be a volunteer part of my life. It is basically when you touch people, they can touch the other people and it continues as a chain. In the World, we are all the ring of the chain. It is a bit cliche but the chain is no stronger than its weakest link. Also, it means is to be a volunteer important and not easy that as is seen. When I was in Turkey I have participated in some organisations which mean is TEMA, KIZILAY, AGH. These are generally about environment, international, health and protect the World. After all my experiences in Turkey, I decided to go abroad for doing volunteer. I started to research when I was in the 3rd class at University. At that time the project name was a Europen Volunteering Service (EVS). Now this name is changed and it has become Europen Solidarity Corps (ESC). I don't have enough information about ESC but I will discuss it. Anyway, in university, I applied to so many countries for doing an EVS. Maybe I applied over a hundred countries. Some of the countries sent to my back but generally negative which mean is "you are a good person we will contact you..." But I know that this process is not easy I have to apply always and wait. I believe that at least one country would contact me. But the problem is also there are so many projects with so many topics. Some of the projects related to nature, environment, some of them related to kindergarten, youth centres and disable children etc.
Based on my experience for that time, I saw so many people just applied to go to Europe and meet just people. Of course, it is correct but I think the main aim suppose to be helping and volunteering. For example, I am just interested in the kids because of my educational background. After that one day, I filled the form for doing an EVS in Estonia and I have done three interviews from Estonia on Skype. After that, I just waited for the decision as excited. Almost 3 weeks later I got accepted into Viljandi Kindergarten. But when I got the news I felt very warm and excited because I thought what can I do for kids in Estonia, How can we keep the communication? etc. I was always afraid of the language barrier. Also, English is not my native language and When I first went to Estonia, I didn't speak English well enough. Also, I know that kids do not speak English. How to learn Estonian? I always thought about this kind of problem. Also, this is my basic experience. I wasn't a traveller. Also, there are no Turkish people just me and other countries friends.
After I got accepted I prepared my all visas process. Also, I couldn't any help applying for Schengen visas. Because Estonia is not famous in Turkey just a few people going there. For that reason, I couldn't find any information about that. After I got the visas I shared my experience to help people.
01.10.2018 I have landed in Tallinn/Estonia and I is life started to change totally. I got a lot of experience from Estonia. Also, I lived a lot of problems. My emotions are always changing. Volunteering has a lot of responsibility. We have known what kind of duty we have as a volunteer. But I managed all processes as a professional. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, all my colleagues are really very warm and lovely persons we were like family and we managed very well. Secondly, I was always thinking about the future after the project. with living the at that moment. As a result of my project already being finished but we are always talking about my colleagues and kids parents. That the point I think. Because of these projects and responsibilities not like a real professional job. It is more like be a human, be a volunteer. For example, I have very good communication with the kids also, it is already going on. So the most important point is volunteering relationships has to be eternal. This is my opinion. But as I learned this kind of project and social environment this is the best way. Be an eternal volunteer and keep the relationship close.
We have meetings from time to time in all these processes. It is mandatory to join them. On arrival, training takes place approximately 2 weeks after first arriving. Mine was in Tartu and it took about 1 week. We had a really nice hotel. All volunteers from other countries get together and do events, get to know each other and get detailed information about our projects. In the middle of the project, my coordinator organization had a meeting with its own volunteers. He was in a very beautiful village. Finally, my mid-term training was in a very nice summer place. In fact, all these activities were like holidays. Everything was covered by the project. We made many activities together and understood the sincerity of our work.
Normally everybody is jealous of Nordic and Baltıc countries education systems. Because they are the best in the world. For instance, according to the PISA statistic Estonia is always 1. better than Finland Actually they are always similar just sometimes the first and second places may change between them. So for that reason, we are always wondered about this kind of country with such a professional education system. Also, we have some myths that northern people are very cold people, yes sometimes it can be true but I just evaluating my experience. In the simplest term, I went to Estonia and worked with kids age between 3 years old. Normally that's impossible to that dreaming to go and work in this kind of environment. In Viljandi, there wasn't any Turkish and really I worked as a teacher.
So what I mean by this is that although everything seems to be difficult and impossible, the main issue is your sincere feelings about who you really are. I really did this job very sincerely and truthful. I always wanted to make children laugh by doing something from my own culture. There were times we played outside for hours. We made preparations for April 23 with the children, we learned about Atatürk. I even did a Zeybek dance show with my Estonian colleague to the teachers. No matter how different I look, even though I don't speak the same language, we always hugged each other and had fun. In fact, I broke the taboos, which are called unbreakable. I always wanted to take more steps. I've had the opportunity as full as possible. Besides, I had foreign friends from many countries. I had the opportunity to attend many professional meetings and express myself. These constantly improved me. In return for this, I got an international Youthpass certificate and even appeared in the local newspaper.
There have been many emotional moments. The most important thing for me was their birthday party at the famous Viljandi castle. My teachers gave me a book with my kids and memories. School principals bought me a nice gift and sang a birthday song in their own language. These were the best moments I will never forget. We really were like family. My teachers were like mothers to me.
I truly offer my endless thanks to all of them, for giving me these memories that I will not forget for life.
https://sakala.postimees.ee/6690221/selcuk-bulut-eestis-ramadaani-pidada-on-paras-katsumus