The double purpose of teaching
Once a bond is created with some minors the first activity carried out was English language courses. This was identified as a gap very early, the minors having Greek courses for 3 months but nearly no English courses in the shelter.
Language courses are in reality both an end and a mean in the shelter context. Indeed, while it is important for the minors to learn how to communicate better, it also gives them a recurrent activity that provides some stability in their life. Through the course one can learn more about the minors and further strengthen the bond created earlier with them, in this respect the support provided goes beyond simple language improvement to reach the sphere of the psychosocial support. Courses will most of the time lead to conversations about daily life, past life and current problems faced by the minors. The teacher is very well positioned to spot any change in their behaviour, any sign of angst or discontent and thus can reach out to colleagues to find solutions when necessary.
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