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Chang, Janice (張書耘)
Going into the program, I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. I've never been to the country side in Taiwan yet I was still pretty excited. Throughout the two weeks at Cheintan, I learned more and more about what to expect:the amount of bugs, possibly inconvenient transportation. I was scared about my chinese language ability as well. However, once I got to Tu Niou, I expected something very surprising and amazing.
Tu Niou Elementary School is a small, cozy school in the more rural suburbs. On the first day we got there, the school administrators and teachers all came out to greet us warmly, showing us around. I immediately felt welcomed and the excitement to meet the students grew. Monday came and we saw the students and they ran into the classroom with happy faces. It was one of the best sights I have ever seen. Throughout the two weeks, the six of us quickly became family with each other along with Tu Niou staff/students. It was a pleasure and an honor to be able to work with such amazing staff and my five sisters that I never had.
Leaving the school after the two weeks was extremely hard as we all felt like we were separating from our family. This program, especially the two weeks of teaching really opened up my mind to different possibilities, cultures, new friends, and a whole new area of Taiwan.Teaching was not the easiest thing but the student's aspriring minds really made it worth. I would not change this experience for anything else. My favorite part of the program was the teaching itself.I am looking forward to visiting the school next year or in the future! I came into this program as a stranger but left as family.
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Bae, Kacey (裵玉金)
This experience was definitely one of the most memorable in my lifetime.
The first week of teaching was extremely challenging, especially the first day. Because Chinese is neither my first nor my second language and I only started learning it from middle school, I was really challenged speaking and listening wise in an actual classroom situation. I repeatedly felt like a brick -- dumb, inanimate, unable to move. However, the children approached me first and were wonderfully kind and understanding to a foreigner like me. Although some were reluctant to learn English and saw the two weeks more as a summer camp rather than a language intensive, they were sweet and friendly and eager to get to know us and our culture. I got to discover not only a lot about rural Taiwanese people (the conditions they live in, the happiness they can find in brevity), improve my Mandarin Chinese, but also how important teaching is and what an impact it can leave upon the students.
I'm very thankful I was granted the opportunity to spend these four weeks here in Taiwan. I am a better person from my time here.
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Tan, Evelyn (陳詠琳)
Being in Taiwan these past few weeks was an unforgettable experience. From training week to teaching week, I was motivated to see the kids everyday. I realized hat teachers have it hard. It is hard to be a teacher and to control the students in your class. I remember the first few days of teaching I wanted to quit and go home. After the two weeks, came to an end I didn't want to leave the kids. The kids taught me how to be patient and how to be a good teacher. Teaching is not always about learning. There has to be fun in teaching too. Kids in Taiwan are all very friendly. On the first day of school they were not afraid to grab my hand and ask me to play with them. They are all very friendly and cute. This experience not only brought me memories with my students, but memories with my new friends. The eight people in our group always have each other's backs. The school was also very friendly t us and brought us to many places. I felt so thankful for the school and for my Homestay family for taking care of us for two weeks. If I had another chance, I would definitely want to come back and visit them. This year coming to Taiwan is an experience different from others. It is an experience that I will never forget.
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Sheen, Marian (沈昱妏)
AID Summer was definitely an unforgettable and memorable experience. Coming to this program, I expected nothing more than teaching elementary English to young children; however, after the program concluded, I can say that I received well more than I had given.
Although most of my team members did not know each other prior to the program, we grew close to one another through living, bonding and spending a lot of time together as a group, which I think is very valuable. Even after the program ends, I hope our friendships will continue.
The people I encountered at Wu Feng were passionate and extremely hospitable. I was touched by the principal, numerous teachers, and my host families’ hospitality. Also, the kids at Wu Feng were adorable and eager to learn.
I think the most precious thing I have gained is the bond I formed with my students. Although we only got to spend two weeks together, I will never forget the times I spent with them.
After the two weeks of teaching at Wu Feng, I realized that teaching really is not an easy task and it takes a lot of preparation, but seeing the students learning the material, enjoying the classes, coming up to me and telling me that they look forward to tomorrow’s class make it all worth it. I hope that our students took away from us not only interests for learning more English, but also an unforgettable summer.
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Tang, Rosalyn (唐純馨)
When I first signed up for the AID Summer program, I wasn’t sure what kind of experience to expect. But it wasn’t until I was on the plane to Taiwan that I actually began worrying about what would happen. Would I get along with my group mates? Would I be able to teach English successfully to junior high students? What would the teacher dormitories look like?
However, once I got to Chientan, some of my worries dissipated. After spending the whole of orientation week in the basement – for eating, classes, and stressing over teaching plans – my group quickly became close. Though I didn’t have to worry about my group’s synergy, I realized that teaching English would be no easy feat. Because I didn’t have much experience with children, especially pre-teens, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get along with my students. I also wasn’t sure if the lesson plans my partner and I worked on would be too easy or too hard for the students.
And so my worries continued on the bus ride to Nanhua. On the first day of teaching, my teaching partner and I attempted to use only English in the classroom, which was met with many blank stares and demands of “translate for us!” to the TA. But we persisted with the “English only” rule, though I regret that it affected our teacher-student relations. Other volunteers seemed to use more Mandarin in their classrooms and were able to become closer to their students, while I wasn’t sure if my students liked us or were indifferent to us until the principal told us his daughter always looked forward to coming to our class. However, I have so many fond memories of my students – from playing basketball with them in the afternoon heat to watching them sing “karaoke” during lunch when they were all listening to their music. Even though managing the students when they got rowdy was draining at times, I still refer to my students as “such a cute class” to my group mates. I am not sure how much I taught my students within those ten days, but I definitely learned a lot from the experience.
The AID Summer program is an experience I will never forget. I met so many wonderful people and made new friends that I will cherish forever. I also learned so much about Taiwanese culture, how to coexist with giant spiders, and teaching from our coach, who we all grew very close, too, the military helper at our school, and the counselors from our time at Chientan. I feel so thankful to everyone who made my AID Summer program experience possible. I am so glad I was able to experience this program and would love to volunteer like this again!
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Huang, Mindy (黃詩媛)
During the last month, I had one of my most memorable experiences teaching children English at Da Guan Primary School. Before coming to Taiwan, I was worried that I would be an incompetent teacher. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to manage the kids or teach them in a manner that they could understand. However, I was wrong. On my first day of teaching, I could tell that I would be teaching an extremely interesting, diverse group of kids. Some kids already had prior knowledge of English while others had a little trouble. After getting to know the kids on the first day through various icebreakers and activities, we realized that some kids were at much higher levels than others and decided to form one class of four teachers that specifically helped with the more disadvantaged kids.
My teaching partner, Cynthia, and I taught a class of 18 students, consisting of shy, intelligent, and energetic individuals. Since the first class period was only 20 minutes, we would always start the day off with some sort of art project as a review of the previous day. The students really enjoy drawing. As for the actual teaching material, we taught vocabulary and sentence structures using powerpoint presentations, followed by games and activities to help them remember. The game they most enjoyed was Flyswatter since it involves active competition. Upon discovering that it was their favorite game, we decided to play it every day. Overall, I really enjoyed teaching the children. Even though we treated one another like friends, they continued to respect us as teachers. As for the student helpers, Gary, Max, Ken, and Allen, it really has been much more efficient with them around. They would help us manage the kids, take pictures, and any other help we need during class. Aside from class time, they would take us out to explore Taipei, talk to us, and play cards and games with us. As for the school staff, they always provide food and security for us.
Most importantly, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of teachers to work with. With a group consisting of 4 UC Berkeley students, 1 Stanford student, 1 MIT student, 1 Georgetown student, and 1 UC Davis student, I’ve learned so much from them. They not only work hard to make sure our students make the most of their experience, but they’re also fun to be around, cracking jokes and making me laugh. Our teacher, Amy, has done so much for not only us but also the kids. I’ve never met anyone as kindhearted and loving as she is. She would stand up for not just her own beliefs but also ours. However, she doesn’t let her gentleness stop her from maintaining her strictness. She was extremely capable of making sure all of us were on time to our meetings, making sure our kids stay safe, and making sure we have the best experience possible. Closing ceremony was filled with nostalgia, tears, and sadness from both the students and the teachers, representing the bond that we built during the two weeks. I really hope I’ll be able to see everyone again in the future.
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Chen, Andrew (陳逸濤)
One month seems rather short in the span of our lives. At this point in my life, it is .476% of my whole life up to this point. Rather short in length, but to the kids, our presence was a larger part of their lives, about .757%. Ironically, my investment of a month in Taiwan is likely to have a larger return for me than for the kids. Although the program seems short, teaching and being among other talented individuals has left me with many new memory and qualities that I will permanently carry within my personality.
First and foremost, I must applaud the program for having excellent grouping skills. The program itself did a great job putting geographically similar people, along with similarly talented and minded people, together. This allows members within groups to get along much easier than I anticipated. For prospective members, expect to find people who you will get along with, as well as people who are much more talented than you are in many other facets. I’ve met my share of people from Stanford, MIT, Yale, Harvard, Rice, Duke, Berkeley, and in the end, although their achievements overshadow mine, I simply remind myself that I’m in a program with them, and I have not gotten the opportunity to achieve what these people around me have. Each one has said “you can do it” to me in one form or another. The wide array of people I met here excites me for college and reminds me that I’m simply not the best at everything. This experience humbled me beyond anything else in my life up to this point.
At the school where we taught for two weeks, we were treated as guests and witnessed firsthand the hospitality of Taiwanese people. Not only did my Chinese improve, but I found that I read mandarin at a much better level than I expected. I found that I think in both English and Mandarin. I often cannot differentiate which language I’m using until I receive obfuscated looks from my audience in Taiwan and in America. Choosing to teach the oldest group of students first seemed like a bad idea since most other teachers in my group bragged about their cute students in the beginning. Then, the oldest students turned out to be the most understanding and obedient. Everything I learned in Jiantan the first week was very applicable throughout the two weeks of teaching. During our breaks and weekends, we had tons of free time where my group would stay in our air-conditioned rooms and play card games.
Aside from the huge spiders (all larger than my hand) and the huge army of mosquitos that relentlessly left me with over 20 scars on my legs, I enjoyed an amazing time teaching. Even better, I learned to appreciate living a life in which spiders are common. I got over a fear of spiders, and tickling since the students are obsessed with tickling their teachers. Teaching impoverished children like these has proven to be a unique experience that I don’t know where I can find elsewhere. Can I live like my students live? I do not think I can say I can if I had the choice not to, but at the very least, I know what the students live through. I got to rice harvest and river trek and bike up a huge mountain as well. Never will I ever have another chance to do those things in the urban area around Los Angeles.
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Wu, Charlene (吳欣璇)
When I first heard about this program, I was only 14, and thought I would never do it. I had no confidence in my abilities and the idea of me ever leaving the country to travel with over 400 others in a country where I’m essentially illiterate and heat-intolerable seemed like an awful idea. Imagine my surprise when only three years later, I’m sitting in our last hotel room writing up a reflection of the last three and a half weeks of my life.
I was extremely intimidated when I met my roommates. All of them were older and taller than me. I met Regina first, who was in my teaching group, and she introduced me to two girls named Kacey and Brianne who were going to teach at a different school. Later on, I met Natalie, also in my teaching group, and I got along with them all pretty well. During the night, Sharon, the last of the girls in my teaching group, arrived, and I once I adjusted to having roommates that were so different than the people I normally room with, I got along with them pretty well. By the end of the week, we had all bonded really well, and we were all really upset that we had to split off and go in our opposite ways.
My teaching group was teaching in Miaoli, Shihu Elementary, and our host teacher placed us into pairs. My teaching partner was a guy named Patrick, and although the teaching started off really tough, everything got so much better. We originally had 11 students, ranging from third to fifth grade, but ended up adding an incoming first grader and two incoming second graders. Our kids ranged in age from six to twelve. Whatever we taught was either too hard, or else too easy. Our kids were generally well-behaved, however. We tried to come and teach them English because we thought they needed to learn the language, but left knowing how to catch tadpoles, smash cockroaches, capture lizards by the tail, and make red bean cakes.
Not only was teaching a blast, but after teaching, we went on a tour of Taiwan, and I ended up bonding with a different group on a different bus which was really tough. Meeting so many new people that I got to look up to was seriously amazing. I’m super blessed that I met Emma, Elizabeth, Kat, Chap-Kay, and Sonya because they’re all like my older sisters now. Most of all, however, I’m blessed that I was accepted into the program, and that I decided that I would attend it.
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Ni, Pauline (倪貝霖)
Despite entering Taiwan and becoming fresh foreign blood for the infamous mosquitoes, I managed to survive this past month as an AID volunteer. Initially, I did not think I would be able to hold an entire class for two weeks, but with the help of some newly found friends and the training at Chientan, these fears soon became part of the distant past.
The teaching experience at Da-Keng Elementary School was nothing I could have ever imagined. Not only were the kids extremely respectful, but they also looked up to me as a role model. As corny as it sounds, I actually ended up learning from these kids; they gave me new perspectives on several aspects of life. In addition, the school's staff offered immense hospitality, and I could not have asked for a better group of people to be our caretakers.
Besides teaching, the friends I had by my side throughout this experience are some people that I will never forget. From pulling weekly all-nighters to drinking soda until all of us would feel sick just from the sight of a bottle of a carbonated drink, the fun that we had was truly unforgettable. When we have to go out on our separate ways on the last day, the event will definitely be tear-worthy.
All in all, AID Summer 2015 can be considered a great success. I've fallen but I've also gotten back up to higher places. And now that we've got our jobs done, the only thing left on the agenda is to get over this jet lag and wait for the swelling of mosquito bites to finally go down.
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Tung, Joe (董冠亨)
The days were long, but the weeks were short. Each morning, we woke up before 7AM, dressed quickly, and rushed into our classroom just as the first period bell rang. We were not always met with enthusiasm from our students, many of whom were forced by their parents to be there; however, as promised, the two weeks flew by. The teaching experience was not a one-way exchange. We did not come to Taiwan solely to edify rural disadvantaged children or to impart upon them knowledge that they did not already possess. Rather, the experience was broadly multicultural. From them, we learned patience, perseverance, and optimism. During the height of the Roman Empire, it was said that all roads lead to Rome. Through our teaching, we found that just as Rome could be reached from any corner of the empire, by way of any number of routes, paths, and passages, all goals and destinations have multiple avenues toward attainment. But every path differs in the ease and speed with which it can be traversed. Some students preferred rote memorization, while others embraced the use of analogies, pictures, and models to make concepts more concrete and relatable.
AID 2015 has been an amalgamation of serendipitous encounters. The people I met, I will remember. The sights I saw, I will commemorate. And the memories I created, I will cherish. I have much more to contemplate, but alas, our counselor has imposed a strict 15 minute limit on my internet usage to start and finish this reflection. She is walking toward me as I type, so I will leave with this final thought: let me know if you wish to know more about my experience.
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Cheng, Lawrence (程恂)
This program was an amazing program and has sincerely changed my life. I had alot of things going for me this program that has changed my life, changes my life, and will change my life for many years to come. First off, I would like to say that my impression of Taiwan has changed greatly. Also, I made a lot of close friends that will forever change my definition of friendship. Also, I gained massive respect for my teachers and the job of the teacher in general.
Originally Taiwan was just another island for me and it was nothing really special. Another tourist destination, another place to travel. However, after this trip, I realized Taiwan was several things. First off I recognize the rich culture that truly exists in this place. I have only been to Taipei before and I thought that was the main culture and for some reason the only culture there. However, after traveling to Penghu, a place outside far from Taipei, I realized that my previous statement was far from true. The culture at Penghu was unlike anything I have ever seen before. It was beautiful and it was unique. First off since Penghu is an island it has an island culture in the sense that the main foods are seafoods (which are delicious) and that the merchandise are made of seashells and beach items. Also the culture revolved around beach activities, so like the people would do leisure activities that would relate to the beach. Also, the people there would dress very colorfully and wear various clothings because of the moderate temperature being near the ocean. Overall the culture was a shock. Not only that, but I finally realized that touring Taiwan, it spanned several different environments such as the forest and lakes and plains thus resulting in several different rich cultures. I also linked the culture shock from Taiwan to my ancestry. I could never relate to my ancestry and I did not appreciate my family's culture the way I do now.
After this program I have gained massive respect for my teachers. For example, I now know how difficult it is to be a teacher. I feel bad for my past teachers as I did not help them as much as I could and I realized it is way easier to be a student than it is to be a teacher. For example, a student only has to sit through class while a teacher has to plan it out beforehand and work hard to conduct a class, especially if the class is rather noisy and rowdy. Ontop of that, the students may have homework but a teacher has homework as well. They not only have to create homework for the students but they have to create tests and lesson plans. A student has to go to school from 9 in the morning but a teacher has to get their earlier and a student has to leave at 3:40 but a teacher gets to leave way later at 5 pm. Being a teacher is not easy but it was definitely worthwhile, and I had alot of fun teaching the children and it has definitely resulted in becoming a more mature person.
Lastly I gained alot from the friends I gained this trip. Before I did not value friendship as much as I do now. Living with people and seeing their living habits has opened up my eyes and resulted in me appreciating not only making a large amount of friends but also having deep relationships and valuing people and getting to know them to a deep extent.
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Wang, Tiffany (王靖玟)
I can’t believe that this month long program is finally coming to an end. I can still remember the first week where we spent our days listening to long lectures and nights preparing our teaching plans and materials. Although it was a bit repetitive and tedious at times, it did help ease my worries and give me the confidence to be the best teacher I can. However, what I will always remember are the two weeks I spent at a-Keng Elementary School teaching English. I have so many fond memories of that place and the kids there that I don’t know where to start. The first time I met the kids was at the opening ceremony. By then I had already known the choreography of the three songs we were performing by heart, but I was still extremely nervous about everything else, especially the children’s first impressions of me. But when the kids started singing along to the chorus of the song “Count on Me” during our performance, it just washed away my worries and I began to relax and enjoy myself.
For the next two weeks, I fell into the routine of teaching and playing with my students during the day and preparing for tomorrow’s lessons at night. Yet unlike back at Chientan, I never got bored of this routine because my students would make everyday a unique experience. One day I had to chase one of my students to the boys’ bathroom for the answer sheet to the upcoming test. It warmed my heart to see that three of my other students also came along to help me. Another day I was laughing like crazy while snapping photos of the spelling bee champion’s expression as he was answering questions. I loved walking around to check their notebooks while my partner Jeffrey was introducing the new vocabulary, reading storybooks to them, sitting with them during lunch and watching movies, playing dodgeball with the girls, dancing to “YMCA” and “What Makes You Beautiful” with the boys, and most of all, being a teacher and friend to these children. I wished that I could spend more time with them. In fact, I wouldn’t mind if the tour week became the third week of teaching. Even though my time teaching my students English has ended, I will definitely visit the school and the children the next time I come to Taiwan. You can count on it.
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Butenschoen, Katarina (韓業瓅)
Dear Taiwan,
Although it is my first day back in this overcrowded city we call LA, I still wish I were back in Taiwan. I guess I got use to convenient transportation, cheap food and amazing people. Throughout the four weeks, I have had the fortunate opportunity to get to know many wonderful people. From the big cities to the rural township in Dawu, I met all kinds of wonderful people, who brought joy and friendship to make this trip extra special.
I want to thank my counselors Amelia, Rita, Angela, Adrian and Candice, as well as Phyllis, CIndy, Yiying, and all the other counselors for being such wonderful people, sleeping so few hours to prepare all of our activities and putting up with those brat kids. How you do it is beyond me.
Thank you to all the bright, eager students who came to class everyday on time. You guys made each and every class special. I won't forget you guys. Even though I sometimes had no idea how to teach the idea, you guys were good sports and helped me learn how to be a better teacher. I look forward to coming back to visit you guys in Dawu.
Thank you Jeremy and our Assistant Principal for being so kind treating us to eat dinner every night and accompanying us to 7-eleven. Oh, and ordering the best vegetarian biandang
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Lastly, my wonderful group mates, Angela, Kristina, Emily, Kenny and Jasper. You guys and gals made these four weeks extra special when it was torturous to go through (that first week and the tour). You guys are the best people someone could ask for. And of course, we had THE best counselor, Amelia. You are a sweet girl, Amelia :)))
Even though I want to cry because it is painful knowing that your guys are an ocean (exactly 11046 km) away and I won't see you for at least a year, I am thankful that I had this chance to experience something special with people who mean a lot to me.
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Hsu, William (徐建元)
Dear AID Volunteer,
This entire program has felt like a dream. In the beginning, I applied for AID Summer without really thinking. It was just a thing I was doing in the summer; some of my friends were getting jobs, some of them were going on vacation, and I was teaching English in Taiwan. Even on the flight to Taoyuan, I didn't picture myself at the head of a classroom, teaching a gaggle of students. I was a scholar, an athlete, and a writer, but not a teacher.
It really wasn't until the training program at Chientan that the program felt real. It was when I started to meet people from all over the world, coming together with one common goal — to teach English and to see more of the world — that I realized that I was truly part of something great. Since then, I've made some of my closest friends at this program. I’ve built friendships with people from my native Los Angeles, with people I will see next semester at UC Berkeley, with people whom I have shared secrets and fears with and bared my soul to, . At AID Summer, I’ve met people whose names will remain in my memory long after I have forgotten Taiwan.
But ultimately, I fell in love with AID Summer because of the students: my students. I say "my students" because I believe, in the very core of my being, that they are MY students. I am proud of them when they succeed and harsh on them when they fall short. They are my pride and joy: Taiwan's best and brightest, who make every day a learning experience for both them and myself. Jame. Ting. Lynn. Alice. These names may mean nothing to you now, but they mean the world to me. You might not understand it now, but you will, when you’re standing in front of ten or twelve or fifteen or YOUR students on that last day of class. After the final dance or song or skit of the closing ceremony, you will have names of your own engraved in your mind and burned into your memory. You will never forget these names. They will be the names you pray you see again someday. They are the names of young men and women you hope will one day touch the stars.
There are a lot of things I could say about AID Summer, but the program really is something you have to experience for yourself. The best moments of AID won't be found in a brochure and can’t be scrolled through on a website. It's the glimmer in a student's eye when she gets the right answer. It's the late night conversations you'll have with people who'll want to change the world just as much as you do. It's the tears you'll try to hold back when you say goodbye to people you might not ever see again but hope to God will find happiness in the world. It's the pictures that you'll never stop smiling at when they pop up on your Facebook feed, reminding you that for a few short weeks in Taiwan, you had 425 brothers and sisters.
These are the things that I will never forget about AID Summer. The things I will tell my friends when they ask where I disappeared to for four weeks this summer. The things that I will tell my children when they ask what I did the summer before college. Things that I will never and can never forget. Things I hope that you too can experience.
Thank you AID Summer. For letting me spend time with Andrew and Allissa and Amelia and Selicia and Erika and Jessica and Kat and Lee and Jon and Kevin and Angela and Spencer and everybody else who has made my life brighter for being in it. I will never forget you. I hope that you will never forget me.
Love,
William Hsu
P.S. I hope you like rice. Because you’ll be eating a whole lot of it.
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Hsieh, Andrea (謝志甯)
The kids were shy at first but then after a few days they started warming up to us. It was fun becoming the kids friend, bigger sister, and also teacher. It has been a new experience for me because I have never taught before. But I think the hard training week paid off in the end because otherwise we would have been completely lost and didn't know where and how to start teaching.
Even though I started becoming homesick and missing my cute little puppy, I still think it was worth it to join this program and teach enthusiastic little kids a language that would become very useful for them later on in their lives. (Plus I need to get used to being away from home for a long while because the college that I’m going to is so far away that there is no way that I can live at home while going to college) Teaching the kids was a privilege that I never would have been able to experience if it weren’t for this program and I am very thankful for the chance that I got through AID.
The highlight of the teaching I think is forming a strong bond with the children and having them love you when you didn’t expect the children to love you so much. The kids would latch onto me and follow me everywhere. They would also love to ask a bunch of questions. A few of them thought I was a halfie…? Funny story. The kids thought that either my roommate and my partner were together, me and my partner were together, or me and my roommate were together. Wow. The kids have a big imagination. Though that is the fun part of being a kid and the fun part of teaching kids. You get to be part of their wild and fun imaginations.
Playing with them too was very fun and interesting. Did you know that the rules for uno are different in America and Taiwan? I didn’t until I got dragged into playing a round of uno with them and figuring out the rules as I went. They also have a lot of different hand clapping games than we do. I guess it’s because of the different language and different environment when growing up.
The last day of teaching was both happy and sad. Happy because we had a huge water fight (more like dump water onto the teachers) and sad because it was the last time that I would ever be able to see the children again. Though I might see a few of them when I visit Taiwan again, I wouldn’t be able to see all of the cute kids that I have taught for ten days.
If I ever get the change to come back and do this program again, I would. I would just like to skip the hard training week though. And I would tell all of my friends about this program and hope that they would be able to gain the same experience that I have had through participating in this program.
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Lin, Tiffany (林宛蓁)
This past month as a volunteer teacher has been an unforgettable experience. Not only have I been able to teach smart and cute children English, I've also been able to meet some incredible volunteers from all over America. I never thought that teaching these kids at Penghu for a mere two weeks would have the effect on me that it did. I could see how much these two weeks meant for these kids who have little exposure to English and how different we must seem to them coming from America, a place so far away that many only dreamed of ever going to visit. Their cheerful smiles that greeted me every morning made me forget about the humidity and the mosquito bites for a moment and only focus on being the best teacher I can be to teach these kids what they need to know. Although I can't say that teaching them was a walk through the park, it definitely made me appreciate what my own teachers had to go through to give me the education that I have. Being a teacher requires an immense amount of patience and thoughtfulness that I never thought about. Creating lesson plans everyday, grading homework, and making sure that the kids were on task and not running around the classroom was incredibly tiring yet rewarding. I don't think I realized the impact that I had on these kids until the last day of class when they all wanted to take pictures with me and asked me for my phone number so that we could stay in touch even after I returned to America. All the hard work over the past two weeks were paid off in that moment.
Not only the kids that I taught had changed me, but my fellow volunteers as well. I never expected to become so close to people I met only a month ago and yet not living with them and seeing them everyday has been such a weird feeling it almost doesn't seem real. All the fun times and memories that were created will stay with me forever. I'm also incredibly grateful for our teacher, Anly, for being so patient with us and caring about us so much. She did everything in her power to turn us into prepared teachers and to give us such a memorable time exploring Penghu. I also can't imagine how hard our bigger sisters and brothers in green shirts had to work to get us all where we were supposed to be and to watch over us for the first and last week. Everyone involved in this program worked so hard for the benefit of others and I can really see the kindness in other people's hearts from this past month. Being an AID volunteer has been truly life changing and I will never forget this wonderful experience. If I ever got the chance to do this program again, I would fly back to Taiwan in my yellow polo shirt in a heartbeat.
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Lee, Erika (李韻芝)
I am very happy with the way this whole program turned out. In the beginning, I was nervous and scared about how I would perform and how the students would perform. I had never been to Taichung and I did not know any of the other teachers or students before, so It felt like a completely new and refreshing experience. There were so many moments when I was really frustrated because of long work hours, but in the end it was very worth it. I feel as though as I have built bonds with many and most of my students and with the fellow teachers as well. We ate every meal together and lived together and Principal Chou was with us every step of the way. The teaching assistants were extremely helpful, intelligent, and quick to respond and solve any impending crises. They are so wonderful and such great people. My teaching partner and I started off awkward and rocky but we improved our teaching confidence and confidence in speaking and leading. We all have many things to improve on but I believe that this program has allowed me to flourish myself in terms of leadership skills, time management skills, public speaking skills, and social skills. My class was generally a very well behaved and hard working class. We had a lot of fun times together that I will never forget. I loved this experience and I recommend it to everyone who has a chance to! I really am truly thankful and blessed to have been able to be apart of Li Shing Junior High School.
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Wu, Ginny (吳君妮)
The experience was beautiful. I was extremely blessed to have been put in the group of people that I was because our group dynamic was great and each one of us could genuinely say to the group "I love each and every one of you." The school we were assigned to was known for its unusual classes like river trekking and rice harvesting, and so we were lucky to have been able to experience them as well. (There were a lot of large insects and I was usually the one dealing with them because I'm not too bothered by spiders and such, but by the end of the program my group's insect tolerance had skyrocketed and I personally felt very proud:) )The kids we taught were around the middle school level and had Facebook so my teaching partner and I continue to talk to them. In class they were very patient with us, behaved very well and respected us in class, and had fun with us outside like we were big brothers and sisters. Being an origami enthusiast I incorporated some paper crafts into our curriculum and for one particular project one student went home and tried making another one herself so that she could bring to school and have me show her how to put the pieces together. That. Made. My. Day. The staff was real friendly, even surprising one of our group's members with a cake on her birthday. Even though I had to miss out on the tour, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I tried to leave on a happy note but we all couldn't help but cry together and stall my departure. Nevertheless I have gained much more confidence in myself, I've become a more mature human being, and I've met so many people that I will remember for a lifetime.
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Mansripattanakul, Scott (孟俊佑)
I can honestly say that this trip was a blast. When I first landed in Taipei, I had several doubts in mind, "Would I really be fine in Taiwan? What if I can't find the AID members? Would this be worth the time?" All of these thoughts vanished upon meeting the counselors Mavis and Amelia, and two fellow volunteers Perry and Angel. They welcomed me warmly to Taiwan and helped me fit in. Chien Tan, apart from the problems with wifi, was an amazing place to stay during the training. The food was superb and the training itself was interesting and straightforward. The training not only taught me Taiwan's culture, food, and geography; it also allowed me to find new friends and improve my teaching plan. The counselors and teachers were awesome people, always there to help and very caring. Once the school teaching week began, I met two people who I began to respect a lot. The military person Johnson and the director of the school were generous and friendly to the utmost degree. Although the students were a bit naughty, the life at the school was amazing. Every day was interesting, memorable, and enjoyable. My favorite and saddest moment was probably watching my students perform the closing ceremony. The tours have been very fun, I can't wait for tomorrow! If I were asked to come again for the same camp, I would definitely say, "Yes!"
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Kuo, Allison (郭恩愉)
This summer at AID was truly unforgettable. I came into this program with high expectations because previous friends had spoken very highly of their experience with AID. I was met with many challenges but, through careful thinking and teamwork, I was able to overcome them all. For example, my teaching team was split into two so it would be hard to manage the classroom when switching classes. The teacher's aid we met, Jessie, was a great help in mediating between groups and it made sure we would diligently plan our daily working journal and to be extra prepared in case a lesson ran short or long. AID Summer has provided me with a newfound respect and admiration for teachers because it is definitely not as easy as it looks.
The kids are very hardworking and there was never a boring moment. They all have such energy that during nap time, none of them wanted to nap but it was so crucial for the teachers because we were just completely exhausted. Teacher’s say they don’t have favorites but there are always a couple kids that catch your eye. You truly appreciate the kids dynamic and they way they interact with each other and yourselves. There are the leaders who like to organize their peers, the quiet ones who mind their own business and play the cup song in the back, the naughty bad boys who think they’re too cool to dance so they just play cards in the back corner. The best part about AID is that you learn to deal with each of these kids and you find ways to motivate them and help them learn English.
Not only did we get the chance to work with such cute kids who had such a passion and drive to learn English, we were also given the chance to explore parts of Shi Luo, Yunlin. The school administration was more than welcoming and took us out very often. They took us to a towel factory in which we learned about how towels are made and embroidered. I bought many cute towel cakes to bring back to my friends in America. We went to the 2014 Beef Noodle Winner and the parents of one of my students treated us out. This just emphasized and illustrated to us how appreciated we were and how valuable we were to the people of Taiwan. The same day, we made DIY soy Sauce and learned about the tedious soy sauce making process.
In many ways, AID is not only about the kids; AID is about the lifetime friendships that you will make with your teammates. I have developed and seen develop in others bonds so strong that could not develop otherwise in a high school. Teaching kids is a fulltime job and you find yourself exposed at inopportune moments to allow for true friendships to form. I'm grateful to have gotten along really well with each member of my group and that we all compliment each other in that where one person is lacking, another is strong so that we can successfully carry out AID summer camp.
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CHIEN, TERRY (簡泰瑞)
When I first signed up for the AID program, I didn't realize how much work I would actually have to put in the program in order to succeed. Teaching was a lot different from what I have expected. It was much more difficult as I realized that each student learned at a different pace and there will always be troublemakers that you would have to deal with. At times it would be frustrating when the students didn't understand what you were trying to teach them and it was worse when you couldn't communicate with them in your native language. Since I taught kids who have never learned English, I had to speak in Chinese which proved to be extremely difficult when there are kids making fun of your accent or when you don't know how to put the words into Chinese. Despite having a class full of troublemakers, we were usually able to get them under control and they were adorable. Their eagerness made teaching much easier and we've definitely became attached to them. Having a wonderful homestay family made it easier for me to adjust to living so far away from home. They were very accommodating and made sure that we were always well fed... it can even be said that they stuffed us whenever they saw us. Starting the tour was a bit more difficult as teaching was such a tiring activity and after being away from home for three weeks I began to feel homesick. Eating Chinese food for three weeks was starting to get to me as I began to crave for a hamburger or something. The cockroaches, spiders, and mosquitos made it worse as we became fearful of what was crawling around in our rooms. But the attractions made up for it as we explored many places in Taiwan. Our homestay family gave us many opportunities to explore on the weekends and make fun stuff like glass beads and oil umbrellas. Overall, I would say that this program has given me the opportunity to experience life in Taiwan and give back to the community.
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Foung, Matthew (方弈)
My experience at LongYuan Elementary School has been a great one, one to be cherished forever. I not only gained teaching experience but also matured mentally and physically. I have learned to work both independently and as a team.
These two weeks have allowed me to understand the struggle elementary teachers go through. Every night, my partners and I stay up late, sometimes to one o'clock, thinking and planning for the next day's lesson. We would search the internet and also come up with the most optimal lesson plan that we think the students would enjoy. We came up with games and activities through discussions with others. On the next days, we were excited to teach them the materials. My proudest moment of my teaching is when I taught them grammar. It was not planned, but I realized during the lesson that there was no way they could continue without understanding. I was teaching them "animal + daily activity" Initially, we taught them "I brush my teeth...I clean my room", but with the introduction of animals, it caused the sentences to have subject/verb errors. For example, gorilla wash his face. I spent a period and a half teaching them the difference between singular and plural verbs. Most students understood it by the end of the day, and in order for them to fully understand, I made sure to review it everyday after. Another grammar that I am proud of teaching is teaching them the 5 W's ( Who, What, When, Where, Why). I figured teaching them this will be extremely helpful. Once they were able to understand the 5 W's, communication between us and them would be much easier. Before teaching them it, I often asked students "why?" or "where", and in return, they would look confused and say "huh?". But after teaching them, I was able to ask those questions and they would be able to answer them in Chinese. I felt that this was very important and will be very practical for future use. By learning these 5 words, they can understand and respond most English conversations. Overall, we worked hard coming up with content everyday and were able to execute it thoroughly and successfully.
Teaching at LongYuan gave me a challenge. I was put up to the test to work with others and by myself. By the end of the first week, I had some conflicts working with my partners, which are two girls. We worked at different times. I liked working early in the afternoon and finishing by evening. The girls preferred to work late around 11:00. Because we worked at different times, there was some miscommunication. We did not tell each other what we came up with and what we planned to do. This caused disruptions in class when I taught my material while they taught theirs. It also caused annoyed looks from one another. However, after the first week, we talked about it and agreed to work together. We agreed to work at around 7:00 and finish before 10:00. We came to a compromise from our different working times. Communication immediately improved and lessons were carried out better. This conflict gave me an opportunity to socialize with others and come to compromises. Because of our preferences, we were not communicating well. However, after talking it out, I was able to resolve the conflict and improve the atmosphere among us.
All in all, these experience was worthwhile. I was able to learn how to be a teacher and experience what it is like being a teacher. Also, I was able to improve my social skills and resolve a conflict. I genuinely love teaching these students. I have grown an attachment to the students and I will forever remember them. Despite teaching for two long weeks, my passion did not dim, instead it grew stronger. Everyday, I was more excited to meet the student and teach them. My energy was equivalent to the student's. Thank you for this great opportunity and I hope that I can come back in the future and teach again!
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Lee, Amelia (李承潔)
In a few words, AID was truly an unexpectedly amazing experience. During the application process, I knew I really wanted to do this program because it was something foreign which seemed exciting and something I could do with my summer. I was ecstatic when I found out I got into this program, but I didn't really know what to expect from it. I arrived in Taiwan 3 weeks before the actual program; just a few days before the program started, I was ready to pack my bags and head back home. I didn't have relatives nor friends around my age in Taiwan, so summer in Taiwan was relatively boring and disappointing. I remember weeks before actually arriving in Taiwan experiencing the anticipation of the exciting adventures and food endeavors yet to come. Yet three weeks after my arrival, I felt bored out of my mind. So by the time I came to AID, I was overwhelmed with homesickness. To my surprise, I actually found a new home and a new family here in this program.
My group, A3-3, has been the most amazing team ever and I'm so grateful to have been able to share this teaching and learning experience with them. Before the program, I had no idea that these people would become so close to me and eventually mean so much to me. During our week of training, we managed to win a trip to Shilin Night Market, endure the freezing AC while listening to lecture after lecture, design a two week lesson plan in two days, and even win first and second place for the teaching demo. We did it as a team. It's amazing how much that was accomplished after that short week. We've made so many memories and laughed for countless hours in our tiny meeting room in Changhua at Jian Sin Elementary School.
When we first arrived at Jian Sin Elementary School, I was overcome with how simple and beautiful the campus is. I soon found out that along with the beautiful campus came beautiful students. Words cannot do this experience justice. I am unbelievably honored to have been able to make a difference and provide an alternate learning experience for these students. Day after day, lesson after lesson, game after game, it was really the children's laughter and smiles that pushed us to work harder. Day one was the scariest thing ever. The kids were very quiet and shy. I just wanted them to smile and be involved. Thankfully, I had one of the greatest teachers ever. Burgess encouraged us and believed in us, then told us that things are hard before they get easier and that we are so brave to have taken on such a challenge at this age. I hope I never forget that feeling of accomplishment after a successful day of teaching, a day of endless smiles and participation from students.
I remember also how tiring this experience was. Nap time is the most amazing period ever because we all finally got to get some sleep. After class every day, my group would stay at the office until 9pm, preparing for the next day. We'd also goof around, laugh, and bond. I'm grateful to have been able to spend those countless hours with them. We were a special kind of crazy. So many times did I think to myself, "man, I really am so lucky because these people are amazing." Rather than those dreaded thoughts of wanting to go home, I soon became overcome with the desire of never leaving this program and these people.
I will forever miss my students. They are so cute and so funny. They love taking my selfie stick and taking pictures of themselves with me. I love joking and laughing with them. As a teacher, I think one of the biggest fears I had was thinking about whether the students even liked me as a teacher. I learned at the end of the program that things are not always as they seem. The effect on these students is not only able to be seen just on the surface but can be so much deeper. My partners and I always believed this one student disliked us; but at the end of the program, he ended up crying the most. So many kids could not stop crying. Bittersweet is the word to describe this scene. My kids could not stop crying, which hurt my heart because I would be leaving them. Yet, it felt so good to know that they loved our presence and appreciated all our hard work. I was able to provide these disadvantaged students an opportunity to learn more English and touch their lives in the process. AID was truly a remarkable and unforgettable experience that allowed me to be a part of these cute little kids' lives, meet awesome volunteers/new friends from all over the world, and make some of the most amazing memories that I'll take with me forever.
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Tyler , Daniel (台家平)
When I look back on these last three weeks, I must admit that I have found in myself someone I didn't know. This experience has brought the best in me. I was able to relate to those who I have nothing in common with. I was able to befriend people who I could not communicate via a similar media. And yet, I was happy. I made friends, I made companions, and most importantly, I made memories. I will never forget what I learned or taught on this trip, and will cherish the ideas that I have learned from it until the day I can no longer think.
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Chiang, Daphne (姜昀)
After being accepted into the AID Summer Program, I was expecting to volunteer at a rural area in Taiwan, where many students are disadvantaged. However, I was assigned to Da Guan Elementary, a school in New Taipei.
Volunteering for two weeks at Da Guan has been a phenomenal experience. Many students were already very smart and bright in English, but there were a handful that were needed the extra help. I, along with 3 other teachers were in charge of teaching these kids. Our class was a mix of the disadvantaged students and other students our teacher knew would be willing to help. The hardest part was finding a balance of teaching at a slow pace for the slower learners and implementing enough challenging material for the other kids. In the end, we based our teaching lessons around major American traditions and holidays. Basic things such as colors, shapes, and food were combined with simple history. We found that both sides would be benefitting from the basic information and more challenging info. During times when we had worksheets, when some students were still working, the remaining teachers walked around and talked to them in English. This helped their conversational skills. Having four teachers to one class at first seemed overwhelming, but the extra hands helped both in preparation and in class.
In my personal experience, I mainly spent my time with one student who was autistic. He was a bright boy, but often needed more personal attention and question answering. It was tough at first because he would not respond to the teachers, wander off during class time, and throw tantrums. But, after a while, I fell into a rhythm where I figured out how I could communicate with him. I found myself enjoying my conversations with him. He was very curious, often asking questions. Going into this program, I was mainly afraid of being a poor teacher. But as I watched this student grow over the next two weeks, I realized that my job as a volunteer teacher was more than just to teach English.
I was there to create a summer that these students would remember and somehow be affected by. It didn't necessarily have to be English related, but if each one of these students took away something from this program, then I believe the program was a success. Seeing the boy smile or laugh while he was playing with his classmates or wonder intently on the subject at hand made me feel warm inside. He may not remember exactly everything he learned, but he will remember the time he had during the two weeks. During our farewell speech, I began crying. A special bond was created between myself and the students, and it saddened me to think that the following week, I would not be spending time with the students any longer.
I have grown a lot through these past two weeks. My patience was tested, and though I was the teacher, I have also learned from my students. Their wide smiles and cheerful hellos brought me joy as they took on each day with such a fresh, positive attitude. In many ways, these students have shown me how to focus on the good things in life, to keep an open mind, and to be constantly curious about the world around me.
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Chuang, Ashley (莊宜蕾)
When I first applied to AID Summer, I wasn't completely sure what to anticipate. I had heard of others having a great experience and I was excited, but I really wasn't sure how I would fare for the four weeks in Taiwan with a random assortment of strangers. What I never expected, however, was the amount of love and gratitude that I would have for the people that helped make this program amazing for me.
Arriving at the elementary school that my teammates and I would teach at, Wu Feng Elementary in Changhua, was both exciting and daunting. Even though we had a week of teacher training at Chientan, I still felt unprepared and nervous because we had so little time to actually prepare for our classes. However, our amazing teaching coach, Ellen, was always helpful, patient, and kind and made sure that we had exactly what we needed for our classes the next day. She always stayed at the school until we had to go, which was usually pretty late because we had so much to prepare for each day. When we actually started teaching, I realized how much work and patience goes into taking care of children along with teaching them new material and making sure they understood it. My students were the least advanced in the English language, so teaching them and trying to speak as much as English as possible was extremely difficult. However, my students were still amazing and I'm extremely proud of their progress and accomplishments this summer. When we had to leave our kids, it was truly heartbreaking because I had grown to love them so much. Our school also provided us with amazing living accommodations, because several teachers at the school graciously allowed us to stay in their homes. I grew extremely close to my host family and their children, and they were like a second family to me. Everyone at the school was kind and so hospitable and I am truly grateful to everyone at Wu Feng for their contribution to my journey here for AID Summer.
AID Summer has provided me with an unforgettable and memorable experience, and I am truly humbled and grateful to have been admitted to this program. However, I believe this program can be improved in many ways to make it even better. I believe the reason that this experience has been so great is the people that I have met along the way, including my teammates, my host family, students, and the people at Wu Feng Elementary, not the program itself. The program itself is restrictive and I think that a bit more freedom is necessary for us to truly appreciate AID Summer. Nevertheless, I have been impacted in such a positive way from this experience and I will truly miss my time here in Taiwan.
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Wang, Melody (王梅禔)
I thought this past month has been a very rewarding experience. During the first week, I learned how to room with five other new friends for the first time. I learned how to teach younger students effectively by showing lots of visual aids and speaking slowly. I discussed and negotiated in depth with my teaching partner about the most effective teaching plan. Overall, the first week was rough because of all the new material to learn and the long lectures, but I learned so much and applied all of the lessons’ contents into my teaching in the later two weeks.
I was very excited to travel to my school to teach. Before I traveled to Taiwan, I was pretty upset that I was not assigned to a rural area. However, after staying at Da Guan Guo Xiao for two weeks, I was very satisfied and reluctant to leave. While my group was at Jian Tan, we thought the majority of our students were disadvantaged. However, during our first day at the school, we realized that many students earned the highest grades in their previous English classes and that there were only a handful of disadvantaged students. Since we wanted all the students to learn to their full potential, we had to reorganized our previously formed groups. For the second day, we had two classes with the more advanced students with two teachers each. We had one class with four teachers and a mix of advanced and disadvantaged students. Our plan in this class was to give more private time to the disadvantaged students and allow the top students to help the others. For example, Daphne was able to stay by an autistic student’s side for most of the class time to help him understand the curriculum. Despite a rough first day, the next two weeks flowed pretty well. I taught the class with more disadvantaged students, and it was always a pleasure seeing the students understand a concept or seeing the more advanced students helping the others. The other teachers and I worked hard every night, replanning our original weekly plan because of the unexpected English level of the majority of the students. We also explored Taipei because of the convenient transportation around the school. Often, my new friends and the teacher assistants would hang out outside and at school. I learned how to connect with students through conversations that the students can relate to by speaking slowly in English while using hand gestures. Another important thing I learned was to manage my time. We were able to split up the work evenly amongst all of the group members and everyone worked extremely hard. We all wanted to go out during the night, so we worked very diligently to finish our work before a certain time. My students taught me to work hard and communicate clearly. During the closing ceremony, I was very touched that all the students prepared a little gift for their teachers.
Through this program, I now understand how hard it is to plan a teaching schedule and to apply it in the classroom. Not all students are quick learners, and it takes lots of patience to help a student. It also helps to prepare activities students enjoy doing in the past. For example, the students really enjoy playing games, so we tried to incorporate English into games that they understood. I found that I was not only their teacher, but I was also a friend and a supporter that they could turn to. I am extremely proud of not only how much the students learned, but also how much some of the students opened up to their teachers and peers. I really enjoyed this experience and will always treasure it!
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Wong, Josephine (黃翎瑄)
This past month has been a whirlwind of stress, nervousness, and happiness. At the beginning of the program, I was scared out of mind thinking of ways to connect with my group members and ways to get things ready for the two stressful weeks ahead of us. Over the week at Chientan, I found that I got lucky with my teammates and leader of the group. All of them are down to earth and extremely welcoming, as well as intriguing to be around. Not a second was wasted and spent with negativity. After the week of planning, the day to travel to the school arrived. Once again, I was filled with nervousness, wondering whether the kids would enjoy the lessons we planned for them and whether they would like me as a teacher. I have never been in a teaching position and simply had no experience on teaching. Just like that, a week has passed and it is monday morning, the first day of english camp. The first day was extremely nerve-wracking. It was the first meeting as teacher and student. Although it was only the first day, the students seemed less shy and nervous than I thought they would be. This helped me to calm down and get through the rest of the day without mistakes. From then on, each day was filled with excitement and warmth as both teacher and student got closer. However, it was difficult to keep the line that separated teacher and older sister towards the students. On one hand, I need to be the teacher that they listen to in class and on the other hand, I want to be their friend that they can confide in. As the two weeks went on, I found that many of out planned lessons were ending earlier and earlier than what we usually had planned for them. On most days, we would have to use the extra lessons we planned for just in case situations. Seeing that the students are slowly improving and can understand our lessons easier makes me feel like I have achieved the goal of all the teachers in this program. At the end of the two weeks, I started to think about whether I have left an impact on the students in the two mere weeks that I was their teacher. As I kept thinking of all the things I have done with the students, I realized that in turn, the students have left an unforgettable impact on me as well. I have changed from someone who wouldn't have even thought about a position at the top to someone who strives to be better and greater. All the kids at WuFeng Elementary has shown me the intelligence and incredulous warmth of the next generation of Taiwan. These two weeks, as well as the two weeks with my team, have changed my life forever and for the better.
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Song, Timothy (宋偉晨)
After jumping out of the taxi and running into the main lobby in Chientan with a face full of sweat, I felt overwhelmed. There were so many high school and college students there with their parents being ordered to different areas by our beloved little green shirts. Who were these people? Where were they from? What did I get myself into? These were just some of the thoughts that were running through my head as was being signed into registration and we started to gather in the auditorium.
As it turns out, any worries that I might have had at the start of the program vanished as I began to talk to and make friends with the people on my team (Go A1-5!) and members of the program from other groups.
During the next week, my teammates and I went from lecture to lesson prep to another lecture to another lesson prep and had a great time making fun of each other and joking around during our breaks. By the end of the week we were apprehensive of the fact that we were about to become teachers in the span of a weekend, but were excited as well.
At the school, our teacher Christine Wang could not have been a better host for us and our military guide Lawrence was an amazing mentor. It also helped that the kids were adorable.
Teaching a foreign language as it turns out is quite exhausting. After only a few days of teaching, I have to be honest and say that I had a moments where I thought that time had slowed down and my brain had turned into mush. As the week progressed however, teaching started to become easier as our kids opened up to us and started to love us not only as teachers but as their close friends and mentors.
By the end of the two weeks, just thought of leaving the kids made me tear up. I had grown so attached to saying good morning to them every morning and goodbye to them every night.
At the closing ceremony, our group was a mess of emotions. We were so proud of our kids for accomplishing all that we had taught them in those two weeks and at the same time, we were so sad to leave them. Tears were shed and tissue boxes were emptied. Cleaning up the empty classroom might have been one of the saddest moments of my life.
I will always cherish the memories that I had with those kids and in the future am strongly considering going into the field of education. Next summer I will definitely try to return to the school to see the kids and keep in touch with them through Facebook, email, or any other form of communication.
I have been changed by this program and would strongly recommend it to all of my friends back in the United States.
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Teng, Ethan (鄧煜生)
AID Summer was a wonderful and unforgettable experience for me. Not only did it give me a chance to teach kids in rural areas, but it gave me a chance to improve myself. Not only did learn patience, but I gained some leadership skills. The first week in Taipei was a handful with the lectures and discussions. I wish we could have spent more time with the kids instead of preparations. When I first got to WuFeng Elementary, I was really nervous, because I didn't know what to expect. The first day was really overwhelming and exciting meeting everyone, but as the days passed, we got close to the kids. My teammates and I started getting nicknames and hugs from the kids, we soon became a family. The classes started to get competitive and the volunteers got closer and closer. My team and I were not partners, but we became best friends fighting over kids in the class.
My partner and I had a host family, and they were the kindest and nicest people we have ever meet. Not only did they take care of us, but they took us our every night to see the sights around the school. We sang Karaoke and walk around night markets. During the past month, not only was I a teacher, but I was a student, being surrounded by the culture, the kids taught us many things that we didnt know.
In these short two weeks, not only did i teach amazing students, but I've meet amazing people. Our counselor, Echo, was not only the nicest, but she has helped us in tough times. Our adviser, Ellen, she was like a mother to us. She supported us mentally and helped us survive the two weeks without a scratch. The director of the school and our host family, Ian, not only helped supply us with materials, but brought us lunch and dinner. The principal, Robert, gave us many words of encouragement and compliments. He introduced us to the mayor and many other higher up people. This not only gave us a chance to be on the newspaper and internet, but gave us the chance to learn more about Taiwanese culture. Last of all, Brian, the service men at WuFeng, helped us run the classes smoothly and kept us company even when he was on duty. Without all of these people, I wouldn't have had such an amazing experience. During the closing ceremony I cried gallons of tears in hopes of seeing everyone once again. I am very grateful to have had this chance to meet everyone and make a difference in kids lives.
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Lo, Josephine (羅佳芬)
I honestly don't know where to begin writing. This past month I've learned, experienced, and enjoyed countless experience/ memories with the fellow AID people. Through the first week in Chientan, where I learned to cooperate with the amazing girls in my group, to the two weeks in 苗栗栗林國小, which has changed my life in many ways, all the way until this week on tour, it just has been a wondrous month. I've met so many people in this program, including the kids, other AID members, and the volunteer teachers, and they have impacted my life in every way. When I first got to the elementary school, I just expected to teach them English, but as I got to spend time with the kids, I realized there's so much to just teaching them English. Although I was the one teaching the kids, I've also learned a lot from them. Through all the activities we've done together, I feel like I've grown so attached to them. On the last day, I couldn't even hold in my tears, it just kept on dripping. The feeling is so weird because it's like we've all grown through the two weeks of teaching, but at the same time became a family. All the kids, my 5 other teaching partners, and the teacher all made this teaching experience memorable and I couldn't ask for a better experience with them.
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