It's all in the detail...

Stoyanka has been a volunteer at the Isis Education Centre for about three months and has been brilliant! She has given her time and helped where we most need it. So far, she's dressed as a pirate for school sessions, helped on our school holiday Discovery Days and Family Learning sessions and even turned her hand to less creative, but equally important jobs, such as helping prepare teaching and activity resources.

To help volunteers feel well informed, comfortable and learn new skills, we regularly run volunteer training days. Earlier this month, Stoyanka came along and she blogs about her day:

Earlier this month, I spent a sunny day at the Isis Educational Centre in the middle of Hyde Park, at a training day along with the other volunteers.

For the first part, we were given lots of information about the Centre itself, and how the charity, the Royal Parks Foundation supports it, as well as a number of other projects the Foundation runs.

Especially useful for me was the Safeguarding Children Policy, which we discussed in detail. There were quite strict rules, but we all could see the reasons behind them – the children’s safety and wellbeing.

After this we had a nice time in the garden and around the pond. We were shown where everything was stored and talked further about the safeguarding rules. We even did some pond dipping, it was great to have a go, as usually we observe and supervise while children are doing it! I can now proudly say, I am able to recognize most of those funny little insects and small animals that live in and around the pond!

I have started to volunteer in the effort to raise my teaching skills to UK standards. I've no doubt teaching is a very important job. For me, a big part of it is mastering how to work out the lessons in detail. This is what I have seen at the Isis Educational Centre every day I have spent there: professionalism down to the smallest details, in both preparing and performing the activities. This is what fascinates and inspires me to continue my way of professional development into becoming a teacher in the UK.

• Think volunteering could be for you too? Find out more about how to get involved!