It was a fact that I could not say ‘I know’ without seeing anything, without experiencing anything. The education volunteer program at this time was for me. With this program, I think I learned a lot.

My major is English education, but from a long time ago I have wanted to experience a volunteer program in a special school rather than teaching English. The reason is that although there are many opportunities for teaching English in private institutions, I think there is not much opportunity to learn how to teach and treat students with disabilities. There are not many opportunities to teach or treat the students with disabilities, and yet there is no assurance that I will not meet such a student when I stand on the teacher's platform.

This is how I thought, but I was really worried until the day before the volunteer program form was written and served. Until then, I thought that the title "disability" would be very remote and unfamiliar to me. I have had very few experiences with people with disabilities during my past years, and I was afraid of the idea that I could do some damage to them.

However, on the first day of going to a special school I could see that the disability was never far away. Rather, I thought that they were somewhat isolated from society. It was a bit of a shock from the entrance to the main gate of the school. The entrance was like the middle of a hiking trail, and it was not the only way to walk without a car. Of course, most of the students with disabilities do not have any problem because most of them take school buses or their parents' car, but it was unfortunate that the school and the facilities were on the outskirts of the city.

The school facilities, however, were really good. There are a lot of equipment and tools available to make sure students are able to learn and live without any inconvenience. Most of all, there are many teachers who are really nice and respectful. They carefully observed and recorded the students during even very small things and gave them a lot a lot of help and information. As the number of students in the class is lower than that of the general school, they are able to really care for the students like parents.

The words that the students want to talk with are waiting for them and encouraging them even though it takes time. While everyone was busy and unaware, the teachers kept trying to communicate with their students. Continuous support, encouragement, and communication were the reasons for the brightness of the school students.

In fact, at first I sympathized with the students. I thought it was very unfortunate that there were difficulties in communication and life because of their disabilities, not because of any fault of theirs, but this was my arrogant judgement and incorrect thinking. Students tried their best to learn and communicate. They also came to their teacher and I with a really pure and pretty mind. I will not ever be able to get rid of that feeling.

Teachers did not sympathize with their student either. Of course, their mind may have been sympathetic, but they kept outwardly calm. What I learned the most was that teachers did not sympathize with the students, but were 'CONSIDERATE' with them.

At the break time, the teachers gave a lot of advice to me. They always said that "it is important that teachers or volunteers are not to do what children do indiscriminately, but to let them do the parts that can be done alone, and to help from the side if need be."

Thanks to the many pieces of advice from the teachers and the passion of the students, I was the most learned person in there. I was able to experience a l.ittl of how I should teach students with disabilities, and I received countless love from my students. There was no difference between them and me. It is just a little inconvenient and a bit slow.

I would like to say that this education volunteer experience is the best thing I have done this year. Finally, I hope for a world where students with disabilities can study and live more freely.

L.L.F. Editor-in-chief Eun-Young Kim