Lovely piece. I have taught people like Ahmed for the last 12 years. The back stories are usually heart-breaking. At the end of my first year, working with 16-19 year olds, I wrote this:
Ahmir arrived uneducated, joined in mainstream school.
Picked up Manchester lingo but no grammar or spelling rules.
Mariana has better skills, a polite and pleasant manner.
She writes of a violent fiancé who’s still waiting in Albania.
Hassan has different coloured eyes. One blue, one dark brown
He writes of the shrapnel behind it . A bomb pulled his home down.
Ahmad writes of the loss of a boat which left the coast with a friend;
A small hand amongst 50 waving, never to be seen again.
Fazhad has facial scar. It covers a third of his skin.
His father protected him from a terror attack when they bombed the bus he was in.
None of these kids tell their stories, they come out in a writing task.
I read the text, change the grammar, and correct spelling mistakes,
But about the content, I don’t ask.
It is my privilege to give them skills to express themselves in English
And humbling to hear their stories buried deep beneath their wishes.
Thanks for all the work which has gone into this eye-opening piece. I look forward to the video, and, like others who have commented, wish Ahmed all the best.
Lovely piece. I have taught people like Ahmed for the last 12 years. The back stories are usually heart-breaking. At the end of my first year, working with 16-19 year olds, I wrote this:
Ahmir arrived uneducated, joined in mainstream school.
Picked up Manchester lingo but no grammar or spelling rules.
Mariana has better skills, a polite and pleasant manner.
She writes of a violent fiancé who’s still waiting in Albania.
Hassan has different coloured eyes. One blue, one dark brown
He writes of the shrapnel behind it . A bomb pulled his home down.
Ahmad writes of the loss of a boat which left the coast with a friend;
A small hand amongst 50 waving, never to be seen again.
Fazhad has facial scar. It covers a third of his skin.
His father protected him from a terror attack when they bombed the bus he was in.
None of these kids tell their stories, they come out in a writing task.
I read the text, change the grammar, and correct spelling mistakes,
But about the content, I don’t ask.
It is my privilege to give them skills to express themselves in English
And humbling to hear their stories buried deep beneath their wishes.
Very powerful Linda, thanks for sharing
Thanks for all the work which has gone into this eye-opening piece. I look forward to the video, and, like others who have commented, wish Ahmed all the best.
What a thought provoking read. I do hope Ahmed achieves his ambitions.
Very best wishes, dear Ahmed.
This was really great!
Good luck to Ahmed. I hope he makes his dream a reality.