Reflection                                 1   2   3   Next

Bryan Hsu

          Walking into the classroom as a teacher rather than a student sent a different and thrilling sensation through me. I was determined to make a difference in the kids' lives; I was going to teach them as much English as possible; I was also too idealistic and dreamy. My partner and I hit snags left and right, sometimes our teaching pace slowed to a crawl, yet the kid's desire to learn drove us to continue to teach them despite the many hurdles we encountered. The kids were both our pupils and our playmates; they made teaching both a joy and a struggle.

          My kids (yes they have become "my kids", no longer just "the kids" that i taught) were few in number compared to the other classes but they had more energy than all the other classes at Luo-Fu combined, and they were only fourth graders! Angela, the quiet angel, was a quick leaner but conserved in her speaking and actions. Daniel, was every teachers' dream; he participated in everything, encouraged others to participate, and learned the English we taught him with amazing speed. Ben Lin was a natural leader whom many of the other boys looked up to and followed. Sherry, the little helper, was always willing to go out of her way to help us. Ben or as we fondly called him, Beetle Boy, sang his heart out whenever we practiced their closing ceremonies song, "You Raise Me Up". Amy worked the hardest and made sure her notes from each of our lessons were perfect in every way. I mention Eric last, because he affected and drew the most out of me. Eric was the loudest, most rambunctious, and unruliest kid ever. He required the most attention and often this attention had to be one on one. However, after a couple of days of slowly working with him and showing him we really cared, he slowly began to change. At first the changes were subtle, he began taking notes during the lessons and trying his best to pronounce the English words correctly. Gradually, he began to learn to be quieter and not so rambunctious and by the end of the two weeks, Eric had grown on me so much that I felt a tug on my heart when he gave me his notebook to keep as something to remember him by. My kids really grew on me during the two weeks that i was there as their English teacher and even though they were hard to handle at times, they still are one of the most adorable group of kids that i have gotten to know. I only hope that my two weeks with them has given them a new perspective on where English can take them and help them in their lives.

          Although my kids were a major part of my time during the teaching weeks, much of my other time was spent with my fellow teachers whom i got to know and grow close to. We all became good friends, and the time we shared making multiple runs to the local OK store, helping each other with teaching plans, buying mushrooms and bubble tea for each other, and just hanging out in the lounge area or balcony will never fade away. We spent our time laughing at each other and having fun. The bonds we made during the month that we were together as Team 4 are very strong. Words can't express the feelings, emotions, friendships and relationships that formed during the past month.

          This program has given me a different outlook on life. Though many of my kids weren't that well off they still found joy in coming to school and seeing me everyday; the fact that they took every little present and prize and cherished it was something that helped me realize how much more I had and should share with these kids. Their laughter and shouts of joy will echo in my heart for a long time.

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