Teaching 101

Some teachers make it look really easy, with a class of students who come in prepared and ready to roll. Well, that’s usually NOT the case! So far, I’ve been assigned to preparing some kids for reading and story telling competitions. It’s just a few kids at one time, but already, there’s a huge difference between teaching students who are ready to learn and those who climb around like monkeys.

The first group I taught were 4^th graders whose class teacher demands a lot of discipline from them, and teaching these kids is surprisingly easy. They corporate, they repeat after me with attention to details and they stay in their seats. At the end of the day, we all leave happily.

The second group isn’t so easy. Nope, they are definitely not ready! These third grader monkeys run around the room, play with the microphone (cus they know it’s always turned on), climb the desks and draw on the white board. “Sit!” Well, that apparently only works on dogs, not kids.  Well, they are good-natured kids, but just with over load of energy coming in to the classroom. It was a tough session, but we made it through. The next day, we have a second session and they are behaving much better this time. Perhaps they now know me better, know what to expect and how I interact with them. There are still climbing of desks and drawing on the white board and making weird sound into the microphone, but they sat eventually and progress was made.

The toughest part thus far is leading the whole school. Well, there are only 40+ of us, so it’s really not supposed to be a big deal. After all, I remembered my second grade class had 63 students!

Leading a group like this is tough because when you finally get one side to pay attention, the other side is messing with each other already. So you can only teach part of the group at one time. Then is the yelling part. I am yelling the whole time, not to scold them, but to teach! It’s not a big group, but it gets loud, so there’s no choice but to be louder than them for the sake of those who wants to learn.

So for today, they learnt “Excuse me!” and “Bless you” as applied English phrases. I was really glad that, even though 90% of them left without anything registered in their brains, a few picked it up. In the afternoon after the class, a student came into the staff room to pick up keys. While I was going through the door way, she blocked me, testing me to say “Excuse me!” Of course I am not to be messed with, so I said,”Excuse me!” “And what should you say next?”

“Errrr…. Sure!” She got it right!

That was rewarding!

Photo Entry: Cheng Gong Township, TaiTung Taiwan

So here's photos from a 6km radius from where I live!


















































LOT LOT LOT'S MORE photos here!

Two Weeks!

It’s been a hell of two weeks and I am just beginning to immerse myself into this new but exciting environment.

I’ve been looking forward to this opportunity of serving in a community where I can contribute through my experience and ability. Although I am here with the role of assisting English teaching, I see myself contributing beyond just that. I’ve been cooking up different plans that the students and the community may find interesting and I can’t wait to make them happen.

However, before the big talk, let’s get to the chores. Every morning, I have to stand at the school’s main entrance to make sure that students arrive safely. It’s a half hour shift in the morning sun. On some days, I will be sweating like a pig just standing there. On cloudy days, it’s a breeze. Parents always ask me if it’s too hot. I always say it’s ok.

The biggest reward of standing this morning shift is to greet most students and their parents. This helps me to increase my exposure to them and to help them know me. For myself, my favorite part of this job is seeing these kids come to school with genuine smile on their faces. Unlike city schools where students face competitive environment and school is more of a hell than heaven, I am very glad that these kids have a place they look forward to go to every day.

Being in the assistant role, I do some administrative jobs, but luckily for me, my supervisor hasn’t assigned me too much of those. The staffs are very kind folks, chatterbox type. They are all genuine educators who really care for the kids’ well being. There are two teachers in particular who devote a ton of their time and effort. They started and host night time home work revision initiative, where they not only help students on their home work, but use the time to prepare them on competitions that the students may be taking part in. They also act like their parents who they may not have, making them dinner and buying snacks for the students. They are like mothers offering relentless care and love.

The kids are the most sincere, pure and adorable children I’ve come across. From first grade to sixth, as well as kindergarten, every one of them is like a little angel. On the first day when I am on duty, I walk a bunch of them off school when they go home. After seeing them off and heading back, they kept yelling back at me from a distance,”Good Bye!” And I will turn back and wave back. Then a few steps later, they yelled at me again, and I turned back and waved back. Then again, and again, until we can no longer see each other. For some reason, the first graders are simply super excited to see me.

The first graders are the most expressive ones. A few little girls will run towards me and surround me when they see me. A few days later, they got a bit more daring and start to hold my hands and swing around. Today, the bunch of them were pulling my arms at all directions….

The six graders are more mature, but no snobs. They are like little adults, playful but respectful, much more likable than those city bastards. Every morning they are supposed to be sweeping the school ground, but instead of sweeping, everyone is spinning their brooms like cheer leaders do with their sticks. May be it’s a local trend?

So it’s getting a bit embarrassing that I don’t know the kids’ names and I promptly asked for the student’s name list. This list also includes brief notes on the student’s family background. There are about 45 of them and only  a few with a clean blank on the “remark” section. Almost all of the kids either come from families in poverty, single parent or raised by grandparents. A few have lost both of their parents and being cared by relatives. Many of them are alcoholics and/or jobless. Many of them have parents who have to make a living in a far away city in order to support them back home. In general, most of there children don’t have a so-called healthy family.

Here’s it’s a norm to come from a broken family. It’s a luxury to be normal.

But you see, every morning I stand at the school’s main gate. It’s on a major road where cars zoom by as they travel between cities. There are also often tourist travelers and bicyclists. They see the smooth winding road, the lush and green mountains and the blue pacific oceans. They see resorts and tourist attractions, they see coconut trees and seafood restaurants. However, they don’t see the missing parents, the poverty and the smiles on the children when someone shows them new knowledge.

The other day, a grandpa came to school to pick up his grand son. He came with a strong stench of alcohol.

The other day, a problematic kid was punished for disturbing the class order. When I asked him why, he said in tears,”My dad and mom have passed away, but they(classmates) kept saying bad things about me…”

The other day, I was jogging after school and ran into a student playing by the side of the road. I asked him where he lives, he points to a shack made of sheet metal, a shelter that I thought was a storage house.

The other day, a teacher called a student at night to remind him to have his grandpa (his only guardian) to sign a document. The student said his grandpa passed out from drinking. The teacher asked if he had dinner yet. The student said he made instant noodles for himself.

I think they need a lot more than English.

Last Friday, the school held the annual parental education day event where they invite parents or guardians to attend a speech followed by a series of interactive games with their children. On this special occasion, many parents will drop their work, whether it’s on a farmland or on a fishing boat or construction site, they will sober up, dress in the best dress they have and show up. This is one rare day when they have time to play, run, fell and laugh with their children. This is also a chance when they can win a donated used bicycle.

As always, I played the role of photographer trying to capture special moments. To me, every moment was a special moment, perhaps not to me but to these parents, grandparents and relatives.

And today, the whole school went for the annual outing where we take the kids to some where they don’t usually get the chance to visit, and then to McDonald’s. Since last week, the kids have been asking me if I will be joining them. This week, I asked a girl to stay after school so I can help her prepare for an English reading competition. She said she’s “busy” that afternoon because she needs to go buy snacks for this trip. Today, all of them showed up super excited. Excited not because they are going to visit another tribe and learn about a different culture. It’s not really because of the McDonald’s happy meal later in the day. It’s because…. It’s simply a rare chance when they get to get out of town.

It was just about 1.5 hours ride. As the bus approaches the destination situated in the mountainous area, the kids wowed at the river valley and mountain gorges. It’s hard to believe that they live just 60km away, yet rarely have the chance to see this. Today, they got excited at making soap. They got excited at making leather stamped prints. They got excited about feeding ducks and fish at a pond. They got excited at McDonald’s and happy meal. They also got excited at getting back to school and going home with lot’s of exciting stories to tell. It’s an exciting simple life for them, but a simple exciting experience for me.

To me, this is like a annual school outing that I didn’t have. Well, I did have it when I was a kid, but this one felt more real. I went to the store the night before to buy snacks. I stood at the snacks aisle pondering which ones to get. They weren’t for me. I wanted to make sure the kids have snacks to eat. You see, bringing snacks to the trip is the most important part of this trip. There is no reason to this, it just is. Suddenly, I was that boy going for a school outing.

Of course, I was the photographer.

Since I was snapping away and kids posing for me whenever they see me pointing the lens at them, I was the obvious target. Most kids want me to take photos of them, but one. This third grade girl wants to click the shutter. She was persistent, so I put the strap over her neck and handed her my DSLR. She snapped away, and I have a portrait of myself. I asked her if she likes to take photos. She said yes. I asked her if she has a camera. She said no. I promised to get her a camera.

This is also when I realized that most of these kids don’t have cameras. They don’t even have people to take them out and take photos of them, photos of their childhood. I realized that the photos I took are not just important as documentation for the school, but critical pieces of the children’s childhood and memories.

A lot happened in these two weeks. A lot was experienced in these two weeks, and I see lot’s of opportunities going forward and excited about what I can do here.It’s been eventful, but not stressful. I feel that everything I do here is meaningful for the first time in my life and I want to do a lot of it!

Click HERE for Parent-Student Day Photos

Will update later with more photos when they are ready!

The First Day

Again, the first night was sleepless, not because I was energetic, but my head was still spinning around. It was an eventful day, bidding goodbye and setting off for the airport, everything was smooth. At Taitung, the bunch of us waited at the local ministry of Education waiting for our respective school to pick us up. One after one, we get picked up. I felt like we were a bunch of orphans waiting for our adopting parents to take us from misery, not knowing what’s waiting for us at the same time. As each of us was being taken away, we bid goodbye and wish him all the best. Soon, I was the one receiving the blessing.

Two staff members came to pick me up. They were “chatty”, seems easy to get along with, but gives me the feeling that they aren’t “listeners” simply because they just kept talking and talking, and I just listened. They weren’t talking about anything serious, just personal things and what to buy… Basically I was a by stander of two lady’s conversation.

After getting some basic groceries, we were about to head to the school which is about an hour away. Just at that moment, I got a call from the scooter shop that my scooter has arrived. Wow, that’s quick! I just sent it off to be shipped the day before and it’s there already! Initially I thought it will take a few days, but now I can just ride it to the school! Once I have wheels, no problem is a problem.

I don’t think the journey can start any more perfect. Riding my own scooter along the coastal highway, the air was salty and all I could see were ocean, mountain and endless paddy fields. Oh, there are cows running around too!

By the time I arrive at the school, it was getting late and I was welcomed by a bunch of dogs. These are strays adopted by one of the staff members. I was kind of concern with the hygiene issue, but the dogs have been around for quite some time and the couple seem to have taken good care of them, I think it should be alright. Then, there’s this chunky Labrador that came sniffing around and tucked his head under my hands. Typical Labrador! It was mellow and friendly. That night I was preparing to ride to town to get some supply, he just jumped onto the scooter waiting for a ride. Well buddy, not tonight! I was actually sadden by this sight, because his previous owner must have the habit of taking him around on a scooter, that he misses being on a scooter. He’s abandoned. Whether he’s free now or homeless, it’s a new life for him, just like me.

Then, it’s the hostel itself…. Well, it needs work. A lot of work. The paint is felling off due to moisture. It’s moldy. The shower was not getting hot water. The whole place needs an over haul. Work’s cut out for me.

So, it was a sleepless night, trying to digest all that happened in the day and anticipating what’s coming next.

Into yet a deeper hole!

After the three-week basic training, we were separated into different further training according to the type of service that we will be involved in. Mine is in education, specially assist English teaching in elementary schools.

There are about 250 of us being shipped off to an undisclosed location….. kidding. We were put on a few tour buses and driven to a camp site where we will spend two weeks on basic teaching skills as well as some not-so-relevent activities.

This two-week training is rather different. It is not military training, but done in military style where discipline is still the main focus, although no where near as strict as the first three weeks. Of the 250+ trainees, there are a few categories, namely English teaching, reading, drop-outs, special needs as well as regular assistance. For us, there are 23 English teaching trainees to be deployed to various remote schools. Lesson wise, we will share some general classes with the main population, but spend most of the time in a separate classroom focused specifically on teaching Taiwanese school kids the language.

I guess my mind hasn’t settled yet and there are still many thoughts running around. I entered the service because of this specific duty, that I want to be involved in education. Since the experience helping in the after school day care program back in Pontiac Michigan, I’ve been eager to get involved again. Therefore my mind is constantly brain storming ideas on how I can create a interactive, collaborative and stimulating workshop to bring kids and people of various backgrounds to learn from each other. I really cared about the availability of internet accessibility, not because I want to download freebies, but I want to use it to show the kids how much more, further and deeper I can reach into the rest of the world just because I know an extra language. I want to stimulate them to develop their own interests first, and let that interest be the driver to learn the language.

I was extremely glad that the lessons that we received fed directly into my needs.

I have to say that the teachers we had are the best in the country. Best not because they have stunning records of their students scoring well in examinations. They are the best because while holding decades of teaching experience, they are also researchers and developers of new teaching methods and tools. They are the best because while showing us the different methodologies and tools, they care more about telling us how they approach students with special needs, such as learning disabilities and kids with domestic violence backgrounds. This is beyond English teaching, this is mothering.

The anticipation is high and I can’t wait to get started, but I can’t. I have to endure the entire two weeks. So what else is there? We still have to walk in formation, yell military calls and songs, match our pace, stand in attention, salute and all the good stuff. We also have some other more interesting activities, like fire/disaster response demonstration and police baton handling. Are these really useful or effective? Well, I think they fulfilled their goals, which is to check those boxes off the list.

Meal time is always interesting. It’s different here as well. Back in the basic training camp, we were given individual plates where our food will be portioned. So there is no fighting, we had what we ate on the plate already. Here, eight of us sat around a table. There are six dishes plus a soup, and it was like a vulture’s frenzy as soon as we can start eating. It’s a weird moment where we compete generously. You see, we are all buddies and we want the best for each other, but the reality is we I am slower, I get to miss what I want to eat. After two meals, I picked up a strategy. Since we cannot depend the dishes to fill the stomach, I have to eat more rice. So first I have to gather as much food off the table onto my own plate as I needed instead of getting them as I need. Then I will finish the first bowl of rice as quick as  I can then get a second bowl. This is when I can then eat in a slower pace, because I already have the food I want and no one’s taking it from me! This way, I don’t have to act like I am fighting for food throughout the meal, and I still can get enough for my appetite.

Another interesting phenomenon during meal time is with the chopsticks. They are made of stainless steel and for some reason, people like to drop them. Since we have to eat as quietly as possible, the sound of a dropped steel chopstick is distinctive. Every time the sound travels across the room, the captains react like those dogs in the movie “UP” when they hear the word “Squirrel”. Every captain pops their heads and shout “Who dropped the chopsticks? Who dropped the chopsticks?” And we are all like “not again!”

However the two weeks meant something else to me especially towards the last few days. As the training comes close to the end, meaning we will be parting and being able to go home for a few days, the atmosphere began to change. We became more active, more effective and move involved as a group. Our marching singing became louder, we moved more efficiently, helping each other complete their tasks more actively and we played harder. They say the military turns a boy into a man. Traditionally speaking, this refers to the tough training and resistance to pressure. To me, these didn’t really happen, but something else did. When everyone has their heads shaved, wears the same uniform, acts as a group to achieve a common goal, the chemistry sparked confidence. Confidence not as an individual, but confidence as a group, to learn how to be a team player, to learn how to help others maximize their potential while contribute your own. This is what a strong man is, because we survive as a society, not on a deserted island.

The night before the deployment, everyone in the group were high, no drugs needed, just lots of chips and pop. I’ve never had so much fatal snacks in my life especially when I typically refuse them. We said ridiculous but hilarious things to each other, making fun about their upcoming days in living in remote mountains. We were all tired after this month of emotional pounding, but we were energetic.

On the last day, the deployment was chaotic. Heavy down pour mixed with confusion made this a memorable moment. We had a final lunch together, and we made sure that no one dropped the chopsticks. We were successful, and we ate like a hungry hippo as always. However, the chaos made it hard for us to bid real good bye to each other. In the mix of sadness to part and anticipation to return to our homes, we left the camp ground and it all came to a quiet end.

On the way home, the train stopped by the station where the first three of basic training took place. It’s a very strange moment. It felt familiar, but $#%@^ at the same time. It’s full of memories yet a place where I will never want to set foot on again. As the train left the station, all I could remember was the helpless that I felt on the first time we were given a short holiday. Bitter sweet indeed.

A long month has passed and now we are deployed into our own battlefields. Some will be tougher than others, but we are all really fighting our own wars. How will the school be? How will I get along with the staff? Will the kids be terrifying? Or will I terrify all of them? Well, this is a challenge where we need to find our places in a tight fitting and maximize our value as a team member. After all, our impact, positive or negative, will last a life-time for some of our recipients.