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Chan, Jasmine (詹心慈)
hey all!! to be honest, i came into this program having low expectations. thinking that this program was going to be filled with workload after workload. Little did i know how much fun it is to teach these kids. The kids were always ready to learn everyday.before i even woke up, there were students already knocking on my room door ready to learn. These kids are always ready to learn about america. many of the kids have dreams to travel to america. being able to share my experience living in new york and telling them the different things that are done differently in america allowed me to gain a insight on their daily lifes and how different it is to mine. Even though these kids do not have much these kids are always smiling everyday and thankful for everything they have.there was days in the beginning where the kids were shy. but soon the true colors of the kids. Maguang middle school is filled with nice kids with warm hearts and strong personalities. i couldn't be more close with the teaching assistants that was provided to us. I loved my experience teaching, despite the bugs and lack of washing machines. the last day of teaching was the hardest for me. The kids would give me presents and ask for my autograph. it made me feel like i truly impacted on these kids lives. Even though this program is only two weeks. these two weeks made me feel so thankful for what i have and that anywhere throughout the world, english is every important. English is a international language. i hope to truly meet these kids again in the future. their work effort shows me that they will have strong futures. to this day, i still line and chat my students daily. they may think that i have impacted on their lives but i can truly say that they impacted mine as well. GO GO GO MAGUANG!!!!
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Yao, Rachel (姚宜杉)
When I first walked into the classroom, the children overwhelmingly exceeded my expectations. I taught 5th and 6th graders of Jhutian Elementary School. I still remember on the first day, I walked into the classroom, and the children collectively used English to say, "Good Morning, teacher!" The children were flabbergasted when I first started speaking fluent English, and they laughed at my inconsistent Mandarin Chinese speaking skills. I did a self-introduction and explained that I'm born and raised in New York City. We made name cards; it was a pre-pretest to the kids. We were able to see the students levels. There were students who didn't know how to spell their names, to students who were able to write correct complete sentences. For example, one student wrote that his favorite animal was golf, when he meant wolf, while another student wrote, "My favorite food is spaghetti." However, many students could recognize, read, and speak. Thus, we decided to incorporate less vocabulary and more culture and spelling. However, if they wanted to know words related to the topic, we would help them.
The kids really enjoyed the games though. We played easy games, and made sure they spoke in English while they played. I would play with the children all day but my voice ran dry. We played games such as Duck Duck Goose, Red Light Green Light, and the Great Wind Blows. The kids would make their own variation... for example, instead of duck duck goose, it became goose goose duck, or sheep sheep creeper (the latter referring to Minecraft, a game).The children were also enthusiastic about art, as they'd draw on the board during break.
I had short video clips and pictures around New York because I would send it to some far away friends, on my phone and I showed them during break.Some which they enjoyed, like the sight of snow, and the sight of my current school.
As I developed a bond with the children, I came to realize that the children were okay with me and interested in my foreign lifestyle.
The actually spent the time to find me on social media. I was really really surprised when I suddenly got a friend request on Facebook.
I'm going to miss these kids a lot. I literally pulled an all-nighter the day before closing writing cards and helping out on the school card. I slept a grand total of three hours. During closing ceremony, I was thinking I wouldn't cry, but I did. Some of the students cried too; some very unexpectedly, that even the staff were surprised. We got cards from some of most unexpected kids; specifically the kid who would say, "Good Night" purposely to tease us teachers. I've spent my summer with other kids before but I never once cried. They were a fond memory to think of but I already know these kids are going to have a bigger impression on me because I literally spent two weeks morning and afternoon with them. When we were leaving Jhutian, some of them woke up before we did, and came to the school to send us off to Gaoxiong, which I decided very . I spent our last day eating breakfast outside the gate with them, having a decent discussion.
I think some of the children at the school is really amazing. Some of the students has faced familial issues that I can barely imagine or feel, but their attitude hides all the negative feelings. They motivate me to stay active and bring my own positive energy to play.
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Chen, Samuel (陳訢之)
When I applied for the AID summer teaching program, I didn’t have many thoughts except that it would be a great chance to see Taiwan and be a productive way to spend my summer. Sitting here now, three weeks into the program and typing my reflection, I'm wondering how I can put into words all the things I've learned and experienced, which far surpass any expectations that I previously had.
The first day, walking into the Chientan Overseas Youth Activity Center, I found myself surrounded by numerous English-speaking students, bustling about and clad in our yellow polo uniforms. Following our schedules, we were led through introductions to the program, awkward and amusing icebreaker activities, and dinnertime where I got to meet my teaching group. All was well and things were off to a good start.
Throughout the training week, we were instructed by various English teachers who had years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to share with us. Though it was tiring, there was definitely lots of valuable insight gained throughout the training that I could internalize and apply to my teaching plan.
Arriving at Yude Elementary School in New Taipei City, it was quite a surprise to see how nice the school was, with projectors in each classroom and an epic library room. After meeting my kids and beginning our teaching, I quickly became comfortable with them. They were energetic, yet cooperative with our class activities. Lesson planning each night was time consuming and energy-draining, but it always paid off to have the security of available activities for the next day. Though it was a struggle in the beginning to come up with creative class plans, slowly my partner Nicole and I began to understand how our class worked and what activities would be effective, making planning easier as the days went by.
Aside from all the training and actual teaching, the most impactful part of the program has been getting to know my teaching partners. As the program progressed, my teaching group and I went from being polite strangers at our first dinner to friends who endured training together, to a team who worked hard to teach at Yude Elementary School, and to a family who stood by each other. We encouraged each other through the late-night teaching preparations, the tough classes, and the rowdy students, and we laughed together through the various experiences, mishaps, and adventures we had. As my partners and I affectionately say, we are “一家人”; “one family” who sticks together through thick and thin.
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Zhang, Anne (張芯宇)
As a starting elementary education major, I can hardly boast of many experiences in dealing with young children and even less with middle schoolers. I was startled to find myself walking into a class of ninth-graders whose English skills are impeccable in terms of writing and reading. It was honestly hard because the achievement gap between the paper and through speech was as wide as the Red Sea.
They are smart, yes, but they are frighteningly shy which makes a terrible combination especially when two strangers from America walk in to the classroom to give them a pre-test. Teaching is not hard but encouraging students and giving them patience to break out of their shell is one of the most difficult tasks anyone will face on the first day.
It is a constant battle that I discovered I had to fight every day from then on because my co-teacher and I lied to the students THAT WE COULD NOT SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND ENGLISH. There were only two options for the students: they can either give up hope of ever communicating with us (which one student groaned out loud as his response) or make do with what they have.
Classroom management was by far the least of our problems since these students were barely willing to talk or answer our questions. They were intelligent, and we as teachers also eventually learned to gauge their reactions through their subtle facial expressions and body language. They were eager to learn, fully attentive, and they showcased their excitement by leaning towards us instead of giving verbal responses. Their full-on English talking only came gradually in the days to come; it was like a trickle of water that persisted exponentially through time.
Teaching was very fun because we always wanted their feedback on what they liked and disliked. They joked around and our laid-back attitude towards it fostered a friendly non-judgmental atmosphere. English camp is only two weeks and they already know so much from cram school so what we focus on instead is their speech. Book reports, reader's theater, playing Sparkle, I Love My Neighbor, Numbers/Animal games...these are all forms of icebreakers and speaking activities that combine to create fun memories. They are great kids who are able to fool around and still be able to be productively working in the meantime.
I also want to thank my host family who were very accommodating and kind. I worried more about the heat since I was accustomed to the teaching lifestyle. Their snacks, encouragements, and excellent meals all motivated me to try my best. They took care of me better than my real family did. So it is bittersweet to leave them so soon and I wish them well!!!
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Lee, Christine (李薏儂)
It was amazing working with Veronica as my counselor. She has been such a great support and so helpful. Veronica always made herself available if we needed help, and provided such great encouragement to the entire team. I am very happy that I was able to work with her for the past three weeks.
Although, it was an amazing time working in Li Gang, I wish that I could have been more prepared in knowing the English capabilities of my students. I consider the week in Chienten Youth Center to be somewhat wasteful, because I could not apply any of the tools taught during that week to my own class. It would have been more helpful if a pretest was given before the volunteers came for training week, and afterwards, those tests are shown to the corresponding volunteers of that class. Because I was not aware of my students' capabilities, it called for more work and time in planning the lessons for the next day. It caused stress in which I thought could have been avoided, if I was more aware of my students' English knowledge.
My host family was amazing! They made me feel so comfortable and at home from the very start. They are extremely welcoming, and I cannot express enough gratitude of how well they treated me. They always made sure that we were comfortable and always took the time to talk to and entertain us by taking us out to different places around Li Gang. It was amazing spending time with them, and I feel very lucky to have had them as my host family.
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Loh, Emma (陸建英)
AID Summer has been one of the best summers of my life. I've never been challenged as much as I have been when I was teaching English to children with whom I couldn't audibly communicate due to my poor Mandarin. I really wish that the teaching program was longer to increase our impact. I wish that we had bought notebooks from the beginning of classes so that the students would have a more permanent reference of their experiences with us, however with the short time span it didn't seem to be worthwhile. With the revised perspective that these kids actually do take English classes during the school year, I think that our focus should have been more on emphasizing how English is a fun and valuable skill. I think that we accomplished this more during the second week when we simulated trick or treating and when we made s'mores. I wish that we were able to read more story books but there was too much of a learning gap within the class. I wish that the classes had been divided by English ability rather than randomly. I found that competitive games made English more fun for the children, who would pressure each other into paying attention and helping each other understand the material. However, the downside to many group activities was that it was difficult to discern if certain children were actually learning or just repeating what other students had told them. The most difficult part about teaching were the sentence structures, but I think this would have been remedied with children's storybooks and then an eventual weaning into what I love most about English: syndicated television/movies. Because of the poor English ability of the students, I completely forgot that they actually do take English classes during the school year until the middle of the teaching period. With the newfound perception that our goal as AID teachers should be to show how fun and useful English is, I regret not having incorporated more English entertainment into the curriculum. I also wish that we were given more advising as our teaching coach was away for the majority of the program. I thank AID for kindling a love for sharing my language with others, highlighting just what I love about America, encouraging me to step out of my comfort zone and make lifelong friends and memories.
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Yim, Elizabeth (嚴啟文)
Before beginning the program, I was very nervous because I had never done any formal language teaching prior to this experience. Additionally, as a member of a primarily Cantonese-speaking family, I was not confident in my Mandarin speaking skills and was worried about the language barrier between me and my students. During the first week at Chientan, I learned much from the workshops and lectures given by experienced English teachers. As my teaching partner and I began to construct our own teaching plans, I grew less nervous about the next two weeks and I benefitted greatly from the feedback that we received. When we arrived at Dahu Junior High School however, I quickly realized that there was more to being a teacher than having structured lesson plans. Rather than promoting rote memorization, we realized that the students appreciated being included in our lessons. We encouraged class participation through competitions like the vocabulary fly swatter game and through fun activities such as telephone charades and Pictionary. As the week progressed, we noticed that the students were growing less anxious about speaking an unfamiliar language and we relished the moments when our students would approach us outside of class to strike up a conversation. During break time, we bonded over a shared love of American pop culture and by my curiosity of Taiwanese culture. We taught them the lyrics to popular American songs such as “Hello, Goodbye” by the Beatles and “Bye,Bye,Bye” by N’Sync. On their end, my students were more than happy to give me suggestions about what to buy at the local night market, the local delicacies that I absolutely had to try, and the best places to buy certain souvenirs. By the end of the program, I found that I was able to form strong, lasting relationships with my students despite the initial language barrier and I hope to stay in touch with my newfound Taiwanese friends.
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Shih, Jimmy (施宇凡)
Reflection Essay
These four weeks passed by like a handful of days, yet they left me with a thousand weeks’ worth of experiences, knowledge, and memories.
In all honesty, I was both eager and hesitant to apply to AID for this summer. My brother was in the program three years ago, and he couldn’t stop talking about it. For a relatively shy and quiet person, such a glowing report from my brother was not something to be taken lightly. Rarely was he ever so vocal about anything, so I knew the AID summer program was no joke.
But there was something holding me back from immediately applying. While I knew that the AID summer program was great, I also knew that big changes were happening in my life. Not only was this summer my last before entering college, it was my last in my hometown of Rochester, New York. After fifteen years of memories, friends, and school, we were packing up our roots and moving to Washington State. Applying for AID and stepping on the plane to cross the Pacific Ocean meant forfeiting this precious final summer with my closest friends in my beloved hometown.
I have missed almost every graduation party, yearbook signing, and summer event by being in Taiwan. When I fly back, I won’t be greeted by my cozy home in Rochester NY, instead I will be greeting a new home in a new state. Despite these tradeoffs, I would never exchange these past four weeks for anything. The hole that leaving Rochester early has left in my heart has been more than filled by the experiences and memories that I have been blessed with here in Taiwan.
Teaching in Taiwan has been a blessing in many meaningful ways. Firstly, it has made me more independent. Travelling to Taiwan and exploring on my own has helped me build the confidence in my own abilities. As the leader of my small group, I was called to make a number of decisions that shaped mine and my group’s experience in Taiwan. Also, teaching young students requires rapid yet fair decisions. If I didn’t trust my own abilities, conflicts would have been uncontrollable and the learning experience would have been incomplete. Secondly, teaching in Taiwan has also made me a better team member. Teaching kids in Taiwan is no simple task, so being able to work effectively with others is vital. Trusting your partner and your group comes with being able to work synergistically with each other. This trust has enabled us to form life-long friendships because we could always count on each other to help us when we needed it. Thirdly, teaching in Taiwan has given me a deeper respect for teaching. Language is the bridge that connects the world, and if our language abilities are weak, then so are our connections with the world. Language teachers understand this link, and strive to preach it onto students. Students may not always be so interested, but if the teacher truly believes in the importance of language, the students will also one day see the same light. Teaching may not seem like the most glorious job, but the rewards are perhaps the most immeasurable. Lastly, teaching in Taiwan has inspired me to become a better learner. A young boy who I had the privilege to call my student always participated with enthusiasm during class. Whenever I asked a question, Robert’s hand was always waving eagerly in the air, whether he knew the answers or not. Interestingly, Robert always ate like a hippo during lunch. However his elbows were thicker than his arms, and his chest was thinner than his chest. Curious, I one day asked him how he could fit so much food in such a tiny body. His reply shook me to my roots.
“Oh, I don’t have breakfast because my grandparents are too poor.”
Robert lived with his grandparents and struggled to find meals every day, yet he never missed a day of school. This humbling experience has given me a newfound drive to learn and a greater appreciation for school.
I cannot thank AID enough for the summer that it has given me. Here, I have met some of my closest friends, created some of my most dear memories, and inspired me to become the best teacher, student, and person that I can be. Taiwan will always hold a very special place in my heart.
Special thanks to Ray, Hubert, Genji, Val, Nora, Doris, May, Wayne, and Matsu!
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Fu, Stephen (傅品中)
The past few weeks have been absolutely life changing for me. As the days raced by, I found myself enjoying Taiwan more and more, the people and the environment mixed perfectly and made for a enjoyable and comfortable time away from home. Joining the AID program would be my first time spending such an extended period of time away from my family, and it was a nice change of pace from the nine grueling months of school. At first I was nervous to head off to Taiwan, because even though I had relatives to reach out to, I would have to be more independent from here on out. Although this isn't the best comparison, it gave me a taste of what the world past grade school would be like, and it was a pleasant surprise. Yes, there were bed checks and several other rules to keep us in place, but for the first time I felt like I had control over my decisions.
Although I came here to teach, I learned quite a few things myself. I learned that things do not always go as planned. I learned that you should not stress out if you find yourself stuck at a road block. I learned that no matter what happens, you have to keep your friends close; on this trip, the friends I've made my time here truly memorable. I realized a few days into this trip that everyone I met would become important to me. The students, the assistant teachers, military guards, and especially my group members, they were like family to me. Saying goodbye had never been so hard for me before this, but being so close with everyone for four weeks allowed me to establish some of the best friendships I had ever solidified in years.
I knew that being a teacher would be no easy task, and the two weeks I spent at Timur Elementary School confirmed my beliefs, but the rich culture, amazing sights, and optimistic people always kept my head high everyone morning when I had to get out of bed at 7:00 am. I had an important job, to interact with those who could really use my help. The fact that the program is coming to a close truly saddens me, but I'll be sure to keep in touch with everyone I've met on this trip and hold on tightly to the memories I've made. As a rising senior, this experience let me see what life was like beyond just going to school, I felt as if I had a purpose. As the years go on, as I make more connections and learn new things, I will never forget my four weeks in the AID program.
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Liang, Belinda (梁潤貞)
Sitting at home, watching movies, and going to the park are probably the only activities I would be doing if I was not a part of AID this summer. I am so grateful to have been able to spend a month in Taiwan, a month of meeting new friends, learning to become a teacher, actually teaching, and at last-- touring. It was difficult while I was doing it, but thinking back now I’m really going to miss everything I did this month and all the new friends I’ve made.
The first week of the program was probably the toughest one of all. It was difficult being away from home, adjusting to the new environment, and having to sit through hours of training to become a teacher. The training was mainly listening to lectures and making posters for class. In the end, I guess it was helpful in that it forced us to think about the topics we wanted to teach and prepare our materials. I remember complaining so much during the training, but I’m glad to have had this experience to learn from professional teachers about their teaching methods.
The second and third weeks were definitely the highlight of the program. I never understood the struggles of being a teacher until now. It is so difficult to control a classroom and teach at the same time. My class was the lower achieving students, which means that they don’t read, write, or understand English that well. I don’t speak or understand Chinese fluently, so it was quite difficult communicating with them. The teachers and military helpers at the school definitely helped a lot with the translations. Over the course of the two weeks, I had to come up with different strategies to engage my students and made sure they understand what we were teaching. We stayed up each night writing our teaching plans and making powerpoints with Chinese translations. We worked hard, but I’m sure my students worked even harder preparing for the frequent tests and final performance. I am so proud of all of them because even though they didn’t speak English that well they learned four English songs the day before and were able to successfully perform them. Besides my students, I’m really going to miss everyone at school, especially my teacher. She took care of us ever since we were at Jiantan. When we moved into the school, she came during the weekends and brought us food. She made sure that we were working, but at the same time having fun. We became really good friends with the other volunteers at school and the military helpers. They took us on a trip to Yilan during the weekends and always brought us to the supermarket for late night snack runs.
The last week of the program was touring the central area of Taiwan. It was really tiring, but at the same time a really eye-opening experience. I really enjoyed the paper fan making and the 921 earthquake museum. On this tour, I learned more about Taiwan’s history and culture.
On this trip, I experienced many of my firsts. It was my first time in Taiwan, my first time being a teacher, and my first time doing laundry ever! I’m so glad I was given this opportunity to volunteer overseas. I’ve always wanted to help out more than just my community and this program allowed me to do so. Thanks for providing free meals, accommodations, and transportation throughout this trip. I’m really going to miss my students, teachers, and especially the group that taught with me. Thanks for putting up with me for this past month. It was nice meeting you all and I hope we all keep in touch!
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Tan, Katie (陳嘉琪)
Love. Camaraderie. Wonder beyond imagination.
None of these things I expected to find in Taiwan, but find I did, even without looking. AID is a fantastical program that brings young people close to the things that matter. I knew this when the one reticent 12 year-old girl unexpectedly opened up about school gossip during break. I knew this when some students shushed others during class because I was ill and couldn’t speak loudly. I knew this every time Kevin or I made one of our kids laugh, I knew it when they clamored to learn about our lives, I knew it when their faces brightened when we walked through the door. Apple milk and rural starlight are so far from home, but I feel in my bones that I belong here. Where I was once filled with wariness and trepidation lives a rekindled love for sharing language with curious minds and a newfound dedication to sharing my life with people from vastly different worlds. I can only hope that my efforts to bring some piece of joy and wonder to my 大湖kids have borne fruit—turned their minds outward, stretched their hearts bigger. I hope the same for all the counselors, teachers, and fellow volunteers as well. For you have certainly done that for me.
To put it simply—thank you.
Thank you.
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Lin, Vera (林珣)
Overall, AID summer has been an unforgettable experience. During the first week at chien tan, I was nervous and unsure of whether my group would cooperate and work well together. However, after a few days, the people in my group connected with each other very well, which made working together very easy. Going to PingTung to teach was also a very exciting experience. Even though we had a week of training, I wasn't fully sure of what to expect. I was curious of what the enviornment and especially of what the kids would be like. After teaching my first class, I realized that this experience was going to be challenging, but at the same time rewarding and fun. Seeing the children get so interested in the lessons and games we played in class encouraged my group and I to work hard each night to plan and prepare an interesting lesson for the next day. While most nights were tiring, the fulfilling feeling that we got when seeing the children learn made the work pay off. Even though we occasionally met a troubling student who would misbehave, we were eventually able to tame him through out stamp reward system. Throughout the two weeks, we got so close with the children. We were not only teaching them English, we were teaching them about our culture while they taught us about theirs. They would tell us about their lives and families and show us what they liked to do and play. The enthusiasm they expressed when talking to us during lunch and break times made me excited to learn more about them. The closeness we had to our students made it difficult for us to leave after the two weeks. Immediately after we left, my group and I added the majority of our class on Facebook to stay in touch. This experience has allowed me to learn more not only about Taiwan and students, but also more about myself. I realized that I love to interact with children and teach. This experience has also allowed me to make some amazing friends. I am grateful for the counselors, teachers, students and friends that have helped make this experience so special.
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Chang, Leslie (張嫚麗)
This summer has truly been life changing. Being able to teach abroad in Taiwan not only taught me the life style and culture of Taiwanese children but also the many things Americans should and need to appreciate. Taiwanese and American culture differentiate in many ways and is clearly evident in the way students behave and are disciplined during school. In taiwan, children are strictly disciplined at a young age and are given many responsibilities such as cleaning the rooms after teaching time and sweeping the floors of the school. In contrast, American children are more encouraged to be free, have fun and to have less responsibilities in which adults will take care of them. These are one of the many differences of American and Taiwanese culture. As the taiwanese children grow up, they are pushed more to conform to their family wants and needs whereas american children are independent and individual. With this in mind, I personally appreciate the life style I have back in America and the way my parents have raised me. I appreciate my teachers back home and the American culture.
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Bond, Gavin (龐德凱文)
Although I have had teaching experience before (since 9th grade I've been teaching visiting Taiwan each summer to teach an elementary school near my mother's hometown English), my participation in AID proved to be exceptionally unique. I felt both elated and anxious when I found out I had been accepted. While I had taught Taiwanese children English before, I had no idea how I should brace myself for the upcoming program; the previous times I had taught, I was always told what to do, and there was no planning or brainstorming lesson plans thrown in the mix. In hindsight, I am glad that I was unprepared for what was to come, since it made the month long journey much more pleasurable and full of surprises.
One of those surprises was the training week. In those five days, we drilled into our heads valuable teaching strategies gathered from PowerPoint presentations and talks. More importantly, we became familiar with one another in our assigned team members, and we transformed our group from a collection of eight strangers into a trustful and constructive pack through the various brainstorming activities we had, such as creating teaching posters and thinking of lesson plans. All of us had different talents and interests, yet that did not get in the way of our productivity throughout the teaching week. While each of us may have been as unique and separate as the limbs, we can become as effective as the human body when we work together.
Even through those five days of incessant training and spitballing of ideas, the two weeks of teaching offered an unexpected journey. The children contained boisterous and lively behaviors, and while this kept the two weeks enjoyable and playful during recess, keeping the students settled became strenuously challenging during class time. The students were delighted that so many foreigners had come to teach them; in the country side, "wai guo ren" are hard to come by. Despite the pleasurable times we shared with the students, not many things went as planned; many techniques that we had brainstormed of in the past training week proved ineffective, and our teaching posters were essentially hieroglyphs to the students. We had to begin meetings after school so we could discuss and change our teaching or disciplinary approaches to the students. Eventually, the classes began to listen more attentively and participated more in the improvised learning activities we created.
Last but not least, the Central Tour (or Southern Tour) rewarded the 426 volunteer teachers with an exceedingly satisfactory week-long event. The places we visited -- from the cable car through the enchanted and breathtaking Sun Moon Lake to sightseeing the structures of Yehliu Geographic Park -- provided each of us with lasting memories. The extraordinary seven days left us participants with a sweet taste in our mouths to conclude the program, making the goodbyes ever so difficult and emotionally strenuous to make.
Overall, the AID Summer experience has something to teach to every participant, no matter what career path or walk of life he or she chooses to take. It is a reminiscent adventure that I will always remember, and I feel immensely thankful and happy to have shared such a formative endeavor with my other seven group members.
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Ting, Tiffany (丁肇儂)
Prior to teaching at Zan Shan Elementary School, I had many concerns regarding my two weeks at the school. Numerous thoughts ran through my head such as, “Do I really have what it takes to teach small children? Will it be difficult to teach the children when my Mandarin is mediocre? Will I be able to withstand the living conditions in a small, rural community?” Thankfully, after these past two weeks, I am proud to say that I’ve made one of my most precious and rewarding memories in my life.
The first few days at the school was somewhat challenging for me. The way of living at the school was so different from the norm. I also faced challenges with the way I controlled and handled the students. However, after some time, I got used to living in a rural environment. With the help from Teacher Amanda, I also learned and created more effective teaching methods.
After teaching for two weeks, I realized how difficult teaching can be. So much energy needs to be exerted while teaching the students. It is difficult to get the students engaged in the learning material and to get their full attention. Not only was the actual teaching difficult but also, planning and preparing each lesson for the ten days was difficult to do as well. After class ended each day, my teaching partners and I would spend the rest of the afternoon until late at night to prepare for the next day’s lesson. My teaching partners and I put in a lot of thought into everything we did. We took what we learned about teaching from each day into our future lesson plans. By the end of the teaching weeks, I truly developed a strong appreciation for all teachers. I realized that teaching is a very challenging job that should be honored everyday. I believe that with no teachers, there is no future. Teachers are such important people. They not only enhance our knowledge of the world but also, they encourage and inspire us to be the best individuals in society.
Zan Shan Elementary School is a very small school. In total, the school had around 30 students, a few school administrators, two military men, and of course two other volunteer teachers and I. With such a small school community, it was very easy to get to know everyone in the school. Within the two weeks, I believe I was able to create an unforgettable bond with the people in Zan Shan Elementary; everyone became my second family.
Leaving everyone during the last day was extremely heartbreaking for me. I was in disbelief as to how time flew by so quickly. I actually wanted to spend more time teaching the children English and to be in the company of my fellow coworkers. I could not help but to break into tears when it was time to say goodbye; I felt like a part of me was being taken away.
Although I was only able to spend two weeks at Zan Shan Elementary School, I am hoping that I am able to visit the school in the future. I want to go back to see how everyone is and to possibly do more for the children in the school.
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Jan, Karen (詹宜靜)
I’m not entirely sure how to start this reflection, but here it goes. Four weeks sounds like a long time, but it goes by so quickly. I honestly can’t tell if it’s because it was super fun or super stressful. It’s probably a mixture of both. Yeah, it’s a mixture of both.
I remember before the program even started, looking up my fellow group members on Facebook and feeling slightly nervous that we weren’t talking. I’m a socially awkward person and two of my main concerns after being accepted into the program were: 1. Not making any friends, and 2. Not being able to understand anyone due to my lack of Chinese skills. Thankfully these skills were for naught as my group: the rectangle, the one with the dirty words, the cute one, the philosophical foodie, the big sister, the giraffe, and the turtle, got closer together until we truly became 一家人.
With my family, I was able to: survive the intensive training program—AKA, the first week of AID— persevere through two weeks of 2 am bed times, dance an insane amount of times, communicate with strangers, and remain alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic.
I know my teaching experience was not as rural compared to other AID members’. Our dorms at YuDe Primary School had AC and Wi-Fi. In addition, our school had a very nice lunch menu and an amazing library—one that puts my American high school library to shame. My children were well behaved and I rarely had to use Chinese to communicate with my children (their English was that good). But what started off as decent was elevated to a whole new level thanks to my family. We worked hard and hardly worked, we laughed and we fought, we ate communal snacks, and we formed titanium-strength bonds.
This whole experience has been eye-opening. I am very grateful toward AID for selecting me as one of their volunteers so I could see the contrasts and similarities of American and Taiwanese cultures. I now also have even more respect for my teachers after seeing the amount of work and effort that goes into planning one day’s worth of material. I am also very thankful to AID for introducing me to many great new people.
Four weeks go by pretty quickly, and it’s almost up now. Thank you OCAC and AID for providing me with this amazing experience. And to my fellow group members, I just want to say one more thing to you guys: “We’ve come a long way from where we began, and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again” because we are definitely meeting up again. Thank you guys so much for making my trip what it was. 一家人!
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Kyon, Taiway (龔泰維)
1. The preparation at Chientan was okay. Teaching wise, I only used information from the speakers Trevor and Eric; their advice helped a lot with our teaching. However, I would definitely have liked to have a more accurate description of the students’ abilities. At Chientan, I expected to have to start from scratch and teach ABC’s, but the kids already knew lots of basic vocab, so I had to improvise a lot.
2. Teaching was a very cool experience. At first, teaching was very difficult because the kids were so reluctant to speak English at all. Then, James and I both switched to Chinese because that would be the only way to get them to respond to anything. While at the time this seemed like a good idea, looking back on it, letting the class be taught in Chinese was a mistake, because the kids weren’t using English at all. However, as the mission of the program is to more change the kids’ attitudes about English and have them think that English is fun, I think as teachers we accomplished this goal. After the first week, the teachers were much closer with the kids. James and I would even go out to play basketball with the kids which brought us closer with them, even though they were in other classes. To be honest, that is probably the experience that I will miss the most. Being able to connect with the students outside of the classroom was the most awarding experience. I will dearly miss all of my class and have memories of them for forever. I want to see where they will go in life.
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Huang, Allison (黃祉榕)
There is a sheet of green cardstock that I keep on the third shelf of my bookcase. It is weak and wrinkly where my fingers made dents in it; this year marks the ninth year since I received it. Its writer, a former dance teacher, has long since graduated high school. On the card I received from my teacher, she wrote, “Never stop learning.” I never remembered the dances she taught me, but what stuck was how those words motivated me. Though the letter was a simple one, her words had stuck with me for many years. People never do realize the extent in which their words can affect others.
The suitcase I brought to Taiwan had a ripped inside pocket: it was broken with thick-lined notebooks, solar system workbooks, and cheap gifts. It was so packed that it could barely be lifted over a sidewalk curb, but my excessive preparation was reassuring. Teaching had seemed simple enough: just preparation, execution, and repetition. A wash, rinse, and repeat cycle, and BAM: the recipe for an ideal, well-informed classroom.
Though, on the first day of class at育德國小, I noticed a glazed-over look in my students. They walked when they played musical chairs, they cringed when they were forced to stand up and dance, and they stayed silent when we asked what their names were. In addition, when students did not understand what they were learning in class, they did not bother to ask for help.
It seemed as if my teaching was missing something.
When I was younger, I had wanted to be a teacher: one who made a lasting impact on other students, who motivated them to chase future challenges and intellectual pursuits. “What was it,” I had asked myself, “that separated the good teachers from the inspirational ones?” As I got to know my students, I began to learn what that answer was.
One of my students was quiet and slow to pick up on new vocabulary words. “Teacher,” she said, “I don’t think I'll be going to college when I grow up.”
“Why?” I asked.
“It’s because my brother is already going,” she responded. “He gets better grades than I do anyway. I’m not smart, so there is no point in me going. I might as well get a job and work for money.”
“Just because you get lower grades than your brother doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” I told her. “You can be just as capable as you’d like to be, even if you have to work harder.”
The next day, the girl handed me her half-blank worksheet and said, “Teacher! I need help with my homework. Can we go over it during break?”
This moment where the student began to show her own interest in learning marked one of the many changes I began to see in my students throughout the course of teaching. As I began to get to know my class, I realized that being a worthy teacher was not about getting students interested in the subject they’re learning as it was getting students motivated and inspired to grow as an individual.
At the end of the day, the amount of sports vocab learned isn’t nearly as lasting as the lessons and sentiments students gained. With or without worksheets and notecards, learning is a life-long process that will change students’ perspectives, as well as others.
Now that the classes have begun to die down, I hope that the students will grow up remembering not the vocab we taught as much as the impact we made. By encouraging my student to adopt a hardworking mindset, I hope that she and other students will realize the gift of language as well as the gift of potential. As long as students have the hearts, their minds will follow.
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Ma, Yvonne (馬詩詠)
Prior to participating in AID, I never really had a liking for children but after teaching at XiShih Primary School in PingTung for two weeks, that changed completely and even before our teaching days ended I had grown very fond of the students, to the point where saying goodbye broke my heart.
Being able to have been a part of this program has allowed me to make many new friends, gain many new experiences, and grow exponentially as a person. I have a deep-rooted love for New York City and I also love to travel so the difference in culture and environment was a great learning experience and living with a host family has allowed me to gain insight on what life is like in the countryside.
I will never forget the people I met in PingTung, they are now my new extended family. I will also never forget the feeling of happiness and accomplishment after seeing students' English improve. I'm forever grateful to AID for this opportunity and I hope to continue to have these kinds of experiences. Thank you.
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Chin, Kami (陳靖薇)
Throughout this month I've accumulated so many priceless experiences and made so many unforgettable memories. Coming into this program, I was both excited and nervous. I was excited because I love Taiwan, teaching, kids, and Taiwanese food, yet nervous because my Chinese is not very good. The first couple of days were admittedly tough: early morning wake-up calls, classes, meetings, and late nights working on teaching plans. Soon enough, however, I got into the swing of things. I left Pingtung with presents from the school and the students: handmade bracelets, a leather bag, a jade necklace, a CD of the students singing, and paper snowflakes and masks. More importantly than these gifts, however, are the friendships and memories that I made there and will never forget.
The kids' enthusiasm and eagerness in class made the experience doubly rewarding. One of my favorite memories is teaching the students our closing ceremony performance. We sang and danced to 'Roar' by Katy Perry. Although the class had trouble pronouncing some of the lyrics and forgot dance moves, they never gave up and always had fun when we practiced. The final product was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen in my life and their genuine happiness made it all more worthwhile.
Our military supervisors were also amazing. They brought us to see all of Pingtung's finest locations, acted as our personal photographers, stayed up with us while we were working/just hanging out, and were always happy to host us. If I could relive this entire experience again, I would. Everything was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.
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Li, Austin (李御豪)
Throughout the entirety of the program, there have been numerous dynamic elements that have stood out to me as catalysts for changes in my own character and in supplementing my experience. They are separated into three main categories: the teaching experience, the volunteering experience, and the more intangible aspects behind it all. Concerning the first element of teaching, I had previously been a black belt instructor at my Chinese school so I had some teaching experience underneath my sleeve, but I still had a lot to learn concerning the new experience of teaching English in the rural area of a foreign country. Of course, the lectures in the first week of Jientan did help to provide new skills and ideas concerning the aspect of possible teaching materials and methods. To keep the attention of younger children in a classroom environment as opposed to the fast-paced high energy environment of the karate classroom, I needed to invent new teaching activities that could keep the students interested while also providing a valuable facet to provide information to the students. Concerning the structure of the teaching experience, I also needed to realize that there had to be a constant give and take relationship. While my designated role was as the volunteer teacher from America, I was also a student in the classroom. While I was able to provide the majority of the book smarts to the students, they supplemented my somewhat limited supply of life smarts. The one thing that my students did that really sticks in my mind to this day is that everyday, the students would remind me to smile. Personally, I am more of a serious individual who prefers to keep my emotions beneath the skin, and even though smiling is such a slight action that people tend to overlook as an important gesticulation in everyday life, the small notion of remembering to smile did add that extra zest to my days teaching in Dong Yuan Elementary School. To move onto the next element of the experience, I shall now explicate the volunteer aspect. While most volunteer work is usually a passive interaction while the surrounding world, this experience of volunteering provided me with the direct interaction and active experience with those that I would hopefully be affecting. There is simply a greater sense of impact and accomplishment with the relationship of having an active and lineated volunteering opportunity. To conclude this brief rant, as oxymoronic as it is, I wish to discuss the intangible concepts behind this experience, such as the emotions and values learnt behind it all. The first thing is of course the happiness and joy that I received from teaching the students. Being a part of the stressed generation, it was a nice respite being surrounded by young individuals overflowing with energy. It certainly was a nice refresher. Then again, there is also the bittersweet sadness that surrounds saying goodbye to the new friends and acquaintances I made with the teaching experience. But one of the intangible aspects that I am sure will escape the bounds of ephermerality is the new sense of amity and teamwork with my fellow volunteers. While we all came from different states with no previous meeting, I daresay we all became pretty close. All in all, I am extremely grateful to have been a part of the experience and to have been able to make new friends and memories.
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Chen, Joshua (陳欣賢)
AID has been an unforgettable experience. I never expected to make become so close to my teammates and others. I have made some great friends that I can take with me back to America. Teaching at Gao Yi Guo Xiao has been a rollercoaster. First off the kids were amazing they had an incredible energy that I have never experienced before. That energy is double edged sword because in class in makes it harder to teach, but also it is great because then you have so much fun playing with the kids. Also teaching has taught me so many things. I have learned that discipline is not only yelling but also that it involves really talking to kids and understanding them. Next I have learned about kids and how they learn. They are incredibly intelligent but still they are kids and you have to make the teaching plans as fun and interactive as possible or you lose them as soon as class starts. This camp also taught me more respect for my teachers i have had throughout my life because I learned how hard it is to create a lesson plan that really captures the attention of the students. All in all this experience has been educating and really exciting.
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Chao, Jeremy (趙緯)
This trip through Taiwan has been a life changing experience. We learned many important aspects of life that not only help us become a better character but helps us in our future careers or school. For example, we learned how to develop our patience or how to teach others and how to improve in teahcing or how to be more friendly to kids by understanding kids through teaching them. We also made new friends through fellow volunteers in this program but with our students. We now understand the world through a more open view of the work through teaching kids and learning about there lives in the countryside and learning taiwan's culture through eating there food and exploring thee lands and speaking native leanguages or learning native activities. I want to thank the Taiwanese government for not only being generous for this entire trip but also allowing us to learn important life characteristics that will make us stand out from others in the future.
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Wang, Stephanie (王冠婷)
I don't even know where to begin with my AID summer experience. Honestly, at first I was really reluctant and anxious to attend; I had heard from multiple friends that it was something that i would remember for the rest of my life, but I was still scared that I would end up not enjoying it.Training week was tiring, and the breaks were short. I was very quiet and shy, and I wondered if my group would ever end up bonding since we were so awkward. However, when I got to Ping Tung, everything changed. As each day passed, I got closer and closer to my group mates and my kids. I ended up having the best time of my life at Si Shi Elementary School. The kids were so cute and eager to learn. Although my teaching partners and I hit some frustrating points here and there, they taught me how hard it is to really be a teacher. I now understand the struggles and obstacles my teachers must go through and have a newfound appreciation for them. I was lucky to have such a wonderful host family in Ping Tung and I feel like I went into the program as one girl, but came out with six sisters and a second family. After teaching in Ping Tung, my perception of rural southern Taiwan completely changed. I had first thought it was the stereotypical countryside, with no wifi/AC/civilization, but actually it was very modern and the people are so, so friendly and nice. I was also able to open up to others and be more outgoing, compared to the training week me. Touring week was super fun as well, and I got to see more beautiful places in Taiwan as well as meet new people. Overall, AID summer was an experience I really will never forget. I will truly miss everyone and cherish the memories I have made.
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Kao, Timothy (高碧恩)
"You're going to Taiwan to teach English to children."
As those words left my mother's mouth, my brain turned to mush, my panic gauges filled to maximum, and my palms got infinitely sweaty.
"...OK" was my answer, but deep down, I was already evaluating everything that could go wrong.
What do I do from here?
Before I knew it, I was on a plane headed back to the motherland and a potential disaster.
One week of training went by, with me feeling even more unprepared than I already was.
And faster than thought, I was standing in front of a group of children who were probably judging me harder than Simon Cowell.
On second thought, as I stood there chewing at my nails, I stared into each children's eyes. I saw... uncertainty. Nervousness... Apprehension... These kids were even tenser than I was...! Their expressions told me that they were afraid that their knowledge of a foreign language would disappoint me.
So I did what I did with every crowd I have to stand in front of.
“HELLO EVERYBODY!” I shouted, in an uncharacteristically loud voice.
“………”
“HELLO EVERYONE!”
“….Hello….”
“Welcome to AID Summer Camp 2015! During these next two weeks, we hope to help you enjoy learning English even more!”
Then I proceeded to make a bad joke at my partner’s expense, lightening the atmosphere almost immediately as everyone burst out into spontaneous laughter.
The next two weeks became some of the best times of my life.
Their English was, at first, shaky.
They were stumbling over their words and constantly misspelling them, but their will to learn was damn impressive.
They constantly asked me questions and kept working on the exercises I gave them.
It was… pretty cool.
It wasn’t like my teaching was pretty good, but rather my students were.
And I’m proud of them for it.
Looking back, there are a lot of things that I wish I could do over, namely not knocking over my computer and destroying its hard drive.
But I don’t regret joining this program.
I’m so sad to be leaving behind so many friends that I may never see again and I highly recommend this program to anyone willing to give it a chance.
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Huang, Nicole (黃寧)
The moment I saw those two faithful words, “Congratulations Nicole!” on the top of the admissions letter, I knew this summer would be my best one yet.
What first drew me to the program was my love for Taiwan, my love for teaching, my love for new experiences and my love for meeting new people. AID was, and still is, the perfect combination of all those things. Despite my overwhelming anticipation and enthusiasm while waiting for summer to begin, to be completely honest, I still had my worries. And as I was given more and more information about what my experience was going to be like, who it included, what I needed to do, etc., my worries only grew. There’s only seven other people in my group? Who even are these people? We have to wear long pants every day? We have to prepare an opening AND closing ceremony? Excuse me?!
But, I realize now that all my worries were completely in vain. Having such a small group was both a curse and a blessing. Yes, I couldn’t meet as many people as I would have liked to, but constantly spending literally every waking moment with the same seven people made bonding a lot easier than I could have ever imagined. And, it helped that I had probably the coolest, sweetest, and nicest group of them all. Though individually all very different, together, we balance each other out, piss each other off, and make each other laugh; that statement alone describes a true family.
I wish I could say that this summer was full of fun and without stress, but that would be a partial lie. Every day, I would feel blessed to even sleep at 1AM, or be close to being done with the next day’s teaching plan around 11PM. Constantly worried that the next day would have too much time and not enough activities, my partner and I worked every night, painstakingly and rigorously planning what the hell we were going to do the next day. But, like I said, it would only be a partial lie to say that my summer was filled with fun. Though every night was absolute hell, I’m glad I had my fellow teachers to endure it with me, to offer me advice, to share effective (and time-consuming) activities, and most importantly, get off-topic and totally procrastinate.
Usually, an end to anything is bittersweet. But right now, I only feel the bitterness. I don’t want this program to end, I don’t want to sleep alone in my room in New York, and I don’t want to leave these people who have truly become my second family. As these final days come to a close, I’ve learned to appreciate all the sights, smells, and feelings of everything, everywhere and everyone, because they truly have made my summer the best one yet. Even though back home we are all far in distance, I know that all of our memories and friendships will forever bond us together in heart and soul.
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Lee, Aaron (李嘉安)
Last winter, I decided to apply to AID Summer in the hopes that I would be able to experience Taiwan from a unique perspective. I remember thinking that this would be a fun, easy, and rewarding experience where I'd be able to relax and enjoy my first time visiting Taiwan. As we near the end, I can wholeheartedly say that this experience has been both fun and rewarding, but also that it has been anything but easy and relaxing.
For standing by me for so long, my group, A1-1 (won!), deserves at the very least a small shout-out. Allison, Sam, Nicole, Karen, Angell, Dayle, and Joanna have become my brother and sisters who support, bully, embarrass, and love me (and to whom I return these favors).
I got to grow, learn, and have fun with my group members, college-aged TA's, and most of all, the kids during our time spent at Yude Elementary. The kids lit up my life and probably will continue to do so for a very long time. After spending time with them, it feels like I came to Taiwan to learn from them; not for them to learn from me. My kids were fast learners and processed the English vocabulary very quickly, able to recall a week's worth of vocabulary in a matter of days. But what I appreciated most from their fast learning was that I was being forced to teach something that was mostly unfamiliar to them in a manner that was, and still is, mostly unfamiliar to me. Although we were supposed to instill a love for English into the students, I fear that we instead drove in a love for listening to and laughing at foreigners who speak weird and funny-sounding Chinese.
Allison and I spent long hours each night planning for the next day's class, often sleeping past 2 AM. For most of the first week, our kids were shy and did not like to play group games, so we didn't. As time passed, they became more comfortable with us and each other so we introduced more group games and group activities. We wanted to do the best that we could for the sake of our students, so we poured our hearts and souls into making sure they stayed alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic. Thus our two weeks spent teaching became like this: wake up, eat, teach, eat, lesson plans, sleep, repeat.
Our classroom teaching assistant, Rebecca, was an absolute godsend. As teachers of the third-ranked class out of four classes, we weren't really sure how to handle rowdy 3rd to 5th year students who couldn't completely understand English. Thankfully, Rebecca helped us out by becoming the voice of reason for the kids. She was our translator, our mediator, our prison warden, and our big sister. Without her, I’m not sure that neither we nor the kids could have survived those two weeks.
Since the moment I set foot in Taiwan, there has been nonstop action, regardless of whether or not I am awake. Sleep is a blessing, but it's also a curse because I always miss out on something. From meeting as many of the 426 AID 2015 members as I can to moving luggage on and off buses to taking workshops at Chientan to playing UNO with my kids after lunch to seeing the sights and climbing mountains, every moment has been jam-packed with something to do. I’m going to miss my crazy Cupcake Class kids and my newfound family members once I get back to the States. I’ll never forget the precious moments spent with my students, and I’ll continue to treasure and endure with my team members as we move into a brighter future.
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Soong, Chauyie (宋兆怡)
Going to this camp made me learn a lot about rural areas and kids there. I thought the kids might not like learning English but I was wrong. Lishan students were very passionate and willing to learn English. Because I got the privilege to teach all 3 classes, I understood all three levels attitudes and levels of English. If I got a chance, I might go back to Lishan and adapt my teaching plans better. I overestimated the English levels of the kids and made the times for each activity too short. I am also thankful for the teachers who gave us this opportunity.
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Noguchi, Genji (野口元滋)
On our last night market visit of the tour, the group I was with met a man and his 14-year-old son while waiting for our toasted pork buns. The father was older, chubbier, and balding, and the son was tall and looked beyond his age. They were intrigued at the fact that all 6 of us spoke completely fluent English. Yet, after we explained the reason for us being there, the two were even more astounded that a group like AID would train students in teaching English, send students out to teach English in remote areas, and tour them around Taiwan, with all costs covered. Just before we parted ways, I gave them a warning remark: “This is probably one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be rewarding all the way through.”
I think that remark really sums up my experience with AID Summer. There was hardly ever an easy moment throughout the entire four weeks in Taiwan, starting with the week-long training session at Chientan Youth Activity Center. The volunteers often had a lot to say about Chientan; among the most common descriptions of the place was the term "prison-like." We were holed up in that center for the entire week, but it was obvious why they had to be so strict with our freedoms. It was necessary for the counselors to run a camp with more than four hundred American teenagers and college students, and to do so while making sure that nobody hurt themselves. The rules were very strict, especially about dress and punctuality. Yet, there was a silver lining in all of it. We learned to make the scarce rest periods that we learned to make precious. Those chats in the main lobby. The late nights chatting about college and exchanging magic tricks in the dorm. The small talk with the dinner tablemates (AID’s policy of randomizing the table arrangements and change them every day angered us during the training program, but I’m really thankful in retrospect that it gave us the opportunity to get to meet so many new people.). Most of all, it gave me the chance to get close to the ones that I would soon consider family because of the amount of time that we would spend together.
My group was chosen to go to the Matsu Islands, a group of islands off the coast of China. Living in Matsu was a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be. We had sizeable rooms for each teaching duo. We initially didn’t have a lot of the living necessities that we needed initially, but the teaching head from our school, Wayne, could not have been more accommodating, buying trash bins, shampoo, bug spray, ethernet cables, toilet tissue, etc, for us without hesitation. Wayne, along with our beloved teacher Doris, were the ultimate mentors for the six of us. They were the first to give us praise and motivation when we were down (and up!), and were always there for us when the kids became especially restless or rowdy.
And, the kids. Those little rascals. On the first day, they didn’t hesitate to get up in my face about everything that they could find. They were smart enough to understand what bothered me and continue to do it again and again just to get on my nerves. Their favorite term, by far, was “I don’t want to!” (wo bu yao!). They got restless easily, and loved to get out of their seats when I wasn’t looking and talk to their friends. My teaching partner and I could tell that most of the kids there weren’t there to learn English at all.
Yet, I still loved them to death. Through the teaching, yelling, and caring, I made a bond with every single student there. After class, some of them would hang around, where we’d talk, fool around, or just chase each other around. Some nights, we would see them hanging around the island’s central plaza, and we’d buy things from 7-11 and make funny faces. There was always a balance— discipline and fun, love and annoyance, and through our time together, we built a bond. It really made me realize how little of this experience was about the English. How many vocabulary words the kids understood during class. How much they scored on the pre-test and post-test (not very high). For the kids, we were their mentors and at times even older siblings. I learned that many of them had parents that didn’t have the time to care for their kids, and we were there to fill in the mentorship position in their developmental lives. We were also their gateway to the world outside the island or even Taiwan in general. For us, the teaching assistants, this was an experience that we might not have again for the rest of our lives: to come to a remote area of a country we were almost entirely new to, and teach. We lived each day of the two weeks like we wanted to make a statement with each one. The experience was truly a unique, and incredible one. Not a single day was easy, but I haven’t regretted any of it for a second.
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Yee, Warren Shih-wen (易世文)
First hearing about this camp, I never realized how great the experience would be. I thought most of the work would be spent on teaching the kids and learning how to teach at Chientan. I thought leaving my friends behind in New Jersey and missing a whole month of soccer practice would be difficult, however, the new group mates I met completely changed how i felt about this summer AID program.
The overall experience from the first week at Chientan brought new friends from other different groups, not just from my own group. We learned how to teach together, went to Shilin Night Market together, and we all bought the same shirts. Being together as a group helped us become really close friends, like brothers and sisters. We all got to see the great ideas of other AID members, and got help from great counselors and teachers.
The school I went to was Dongxing Elementary School in Yunlin County. We were lucky and grateful that the principal of school was able to house us. The principal gave us a great living environment. The first day I met the kids, they already enjoyed talking to me. They told me about themselves, and I was grateful that the kids already accepted me as a fun and good teacher since Day 1. As the week went by, the students wanted to me to do many things with them, such as talking with them or playing basketball. I loved teaching them, and they made it very enjoyable. I taught them a lot about food, and played plenty of games with them. On the last day, after the closing ceremony, many of my students were sad and cried. They told me and my teaching partner about how much they wanted us to stay in Taiwan with them, or how they wanted to go to the USA to visit us. No matter what happens, I will always remember the kids and the teaching experience of these two weeks. It was great being able to teach the students lots of English because they showed how much they enjoyed it and showed they cared. I was very happy that I could provide the students with a great experience, and playing basketball with them.
I enjoyed the tour very much. We went to see a lot of Taiwan's scenery which was very beautiful. We went to Taipei 101, but we didn't go up and I thought it was sad that we couldn't see all of Taiwan. Im glad the Southern tour let me visit my hometown, Kaohsiung and see the beautiful sea next to it. Also, going to two amusement parks during the tour was very fun, and I would love to go to these places again.
Coming to this program was a life changing experience for me, meeting new friends and teaching very good, smart kids. This program was a great opportunity for all of us because it gave a chance to go overseas to help a lot of students in need, and give us a chance to visit another country and learn more about it. I wish this program the best of luck, and best of luck to all the kids that attended this program in the summer of 2015.
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Kan, Kevin (干佳誠)
My experience in AID Summer was filled with many overwhelming emotions. We began our days in Taiwan at Cheintan Youth Activity Center to receive our training to become the best English language teachers for our students. It was an incredible experience to learn how effective music, games, and videos could be to teach a language. After attending countless seminars, we were still unsure of how to create our plans for the students. However, we were able to come through and create an integral part of our daily teaching lives for the next two weeks with the guidance of our teachers and counselors. At the same time, this first week was made especially intense by the overwhelming need to connect with other AID members. The diversity in AID is incredible and I was ready to expand my network of friends to all over the globe.
By the time we were sent to our schools, I had already formed bonds that I would never forget. We said our goodbyes and reminded each other we’d meet again after two to three weeks. The next two weeks I spent in Miaoli at Dahu Junior High School began in an overwhelming hit as well. Our first day felt especially nerve wracking because of the big change from a bustling city with many people to a small rural community. We were overwhelmed by the bugs and scarcity of people. Thankfully, we got over this quickly. My first day teaching was a scary day. I remember butterflies in my stomach as I stood up in front of my students introducing myself. They stared at me blankly. Not a single child was willing to respond to my answers, and I didn’t really expect them to even understand the English coming out of my mouth.
I was ecstatic to see my students open up to me along the next few days in class. Soon enough, students were raising hands and shouting out. The silent, bored classroom turned into the lively students I remember today. Making my closing ceremony performance of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” was exciting, as I was able to see my students have fun, dance, and sing in English. Although I originally thought the tour would be the most memorable part of my experience in Taiwan, the classroom and my melancholic students are what stuck with me the most.
Nonetheless, the tour was amazing, as I was able to meet some of my best friends at the camp. The food, games, and locations were well picked, and there was rarely a dull moment. Although much time was spent on the bus (most likely sleeping), I was able to create bonds with those whom I sat close to. I will never forget these friends and I look forward to meeting up with them in the future after this program. If there is one thing I should tell anyone considering to go attend AID Summer, I would tell him to go for it. It is the best experience I could never even imagine, and situated in one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
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Xiang, Angell (項安吉)
Reflection
“It’s so hoooot!” A chorus of children’s voices echoed in unison throughout the auditorium. Never would I have imagined that these words would follow me from the moment I left the airport to my time teaching at YuDe Elementary school. This transformation of a petty complaint into an educational phrase and an inside joke mirrors my inspirational experience at AID Summer 2015.
In addition to delivering me to a foreign country halfway across the world, my plane ride also gifted me with jetlag that didn’t wear off until we were well into our first week of teaching. I was far from being the alive, awake, alert, and enthusiastic volunteer that the counselors expected us to be, and I felt like I was fighting myself from falling asleep in the middle of my 粥 and colorfully sprinkled chicken. However, the enthusiasm of the other seven members of my group made up for my lack of energy and encouraged me to contribute to our goal of earning enough points for an extra trip to the Shilin Night Market. Although we didn’t win, our determination led us to create innovated uses of “Pick Us” signs, hammers, clappers, and hand games that only strengthened our teamwork. It was also during this training week that we had a taste of creating our own lesson plans, which involved dramatizing certain phrases to make learning more memorable. Not a second was gone to waste: by day we were diligently learning how to teach, by night we were continuously rehearsing for our opening performance. This packed schedule left me more exhausted than I had ever been in my life, but if I didn’t have this chance to push myself, I would never have known what I was capable of.
In terms of sleep, the condition was not much better after our arrival at our teaching school. But even in times of 2 am darkness, my partner, Karen, and I found creative ideas for teaching our bright students. We realized after the first day, which consisted mainly of activities thought up on the spot, that teaching was going to require much more preparation and improvisation than we had imagined. Simple games such as hangman won’t do, since the students discovered that the word could be guessed based on its amount of letters. We had to be more original, and our attempt included the use of balloons, homemade ice cream, cheese-hats, and “snowballs.” Luckily, the students we had were very cooperative and eagerly participated in all our silly activities, although they were slightly less receptive of our random dancing.
Through working with the students, I realized that learning English is not about memorizing vocabulary or grammar rules, it is about finding a way to communicate and express yourself. Words are the medium to sharing a piece of yourself with other people. Whether through English, Chinese, or broken Chinglish, I believe that the most important aspect of communication is to be able to forge connection with the people around us. During my time at AID summer, I’ve gotten to know people that I would never have met otherwise, and they’ve all made a difference in my life that cannot be put into words. Even though it was only a few weeks, spending nearly every second of those weeks with these strangers who were chosen for me to be with truly made it seem like we were 一家人. Everything we had was communal; we drank from the same straw, squeezed four to a twin bed, folded each other’s laundry, and even got sick together. As for the students I’ve taught, I hope that we have made an impact on their lives and that they have become inspired to use English meaningfully in their lives. The time we had together may have been short, but it created long lasting memories that I will still be reminded of whenever I hear someone mention how hot it is.
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OBoyle, TinWei (歐廷威)
Teaching in Sandimen, Ping Tung county was heaven on earth for me. The school, Timur Elementary School, was very welcoming of my team and I when we came. Being introduced with open arms was pleasing after being thrown into an unknown setting. The school had many more resources than I had expected such as the computer or electronic board, and this helped me an my partner, Jessica Tsai, greatly. The school was also very pleasing to the eyes, the aboriginal designs that lined the wall were both pretty and very telling of the culture they had. The staff was all very eager for us to the teach and demonstrated this by preparing the kids every day for class. The kids were also very eager to learn, which helped with teaching. Teaching was a challenge but I would not mind doing it for more weeks. Our main problem was keep kids interested in learning every period, but also teaching them a lot of information in a short amount of time. However, talking to and playing with the kids everyday, teaching them new words, having them use the information learned, all of it created an enjoying experience.
When it came to accommodations, Sandimen was outstanding. My team and I had stayed in a dormitory called the Rainbow House, and were accompanied by our two military volunteers, Wade and Ady. They were very supportive of what we did and helped in anyway they could. Their differences in personality overall made our time with them outstanding. Ady was very talkative and kept all us engaged in the work we had and awake (at least in my case) in the early mornings. Wade helped us with managing the Rainbow House and his mothering attitude made him seem like a guardian angel over all our actions. Food was delicious every day, and being different each time was very exciting. They're was a wide array of both aboriginal foods, foods we all were familiar with, and foods we had not thought of before. Going to the Rainbow House after a long day's work of teaching was a large comfort and helped me unwind before making worksheets or planning out activities for tomorrow. The whole experience only boosted my love for Taiwan, and made this visit especially enjoyable.
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Wang, Evanna (汪宜安)
In the beginning I wasn't really interested in coming back to teach English, I wanted to just have a fun time and just enjoy my vacation. I just graduated highschool and was about to make the most out of my summer. However, after a few persuasions from my mother I decided to come to AID. Coming to AID was definitely the right choice, there were a lot of new people that I got to meet and also a lot of new things
During the week of training I thought that the lectures would never end and the preparations were too hard. But afterwards, it was all worth it because teaching the children was a priceless experience.
When I was at MiaoLi teaching the elementary school, I found a new passion in teaching. The children were all little angels (sometime devils) eager to learn English and also to please us teachers as well. Teaching the kids also taught me how different the school systems are, the discipline of the kids, the cleanliness of the school, and the respect that the children give the adults.
I also have a new appreciation for teachers as well, the work they go through to have us learn and have a amazing time doing it. Every single second has to be accounted for and classroom has to have order as well. The work they put in is amazing, and energy they have to teach us.
Being in a more rural community also have let me realize how lucky I am, most of the kids will never be able to travel out of the country, have a lot of the things I have, and the community its self will never be as modern as mine.
Being a teacher was also an amazing way to learn how to be a better leader, managing 20 kids was way harder than managing 150 adults. The patience that's required to take care of kids is tremendous and teachers are amazing.
Overall it was an amazing experience and if I was given the chance to do it again, I would do it in a heartbeat.
Thank you counselors, teachers, and everyone possible for this experience.
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Ting, Angela (丁恩琦)
Through several late nights and tired days, long lectures and stressful planning sessions, I can still undoubtedly say that this summer has captured some of my greatest and most meaningful memories. Though several lectures back to back the opening week at Chientan, the most rewarding part of AID was definitely teaching the students.
Upon arrival at Dapu Elementary in Chiayi, several concerns crowded my thoughts—my subpar Chinese, little teaching experience, communication barriers, and poor living conditions. These concerns however, were luckily put to rest. The Dapu staff was incredibly helpful, kind, and compassionate, helping relieve much stress. On the first day of teaching, students were shy and reluctant to speak. Few students volunteered to participate and many feared speaking English aloud. However, as the days progressed, students opened up—they began answering as well as asking questions in class, asking us teachers about our lives, telling us about their own lives, and developing an interest for American culture. While teaching was often strenuous and tiring, students did eventually learn quite a lot. But ultimately, of all the lessons taught, the greatest one I could help give was a change in the students’ view of English. While they originally associated English with difficulty and boringness, their newfound views held English as fun and interesting. To be able to change someone’s view—to give them a different outlook, is a rewarding gift in itself.
As these students’ views changed, I experienced the sudden realization of my love for these kids. These students not only have learned, but have taught me as well—especially a new profound sense of empathy. Walking into class every day, I would learn bits and pieces about each student and their individual lives. To better understand even a small part of others is a meaningful gift as empathy leads to support, compassion, and a thriving community. Within these short weeks of teaching, we have become a family. We are not merely teachers and students, but rather friends.
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LuShing, Emily (劉小依)
When I first entered this program I did not know what to expect. Taiwan had always been a foreign country to me, and the idea of coming for a month had started to scare me as the beginning of the program approached. Being at Chientan, where instructions were primarily given in Chinese, and where the environment was mostly unfriendly and hostile did not help my feelings, and for a great time I felt lonely and homesick there. However, as the week went on, and I grew closer to my teammates, the experience grew a little better. Even if the lessons ran long and I did not find a lot of it helpful, the time spent bonding with both my teammates and teacher was rewarding and valuable towards our next few weeks teaching.
Meeting the students of Ganyuan junior high school was a completely different experience then our week of training. I had been worried that I would not be able to connect with the students, as my Chinese was rudimentary and I was not Taiwanese. However, the students were overjoyed to meet us. My not being able to speak Chinese worked in my teaching partner and my's favor, as this forced the students to use as much English as possible to communicate with me. There were times when I did feel lonely, but being around the students and other volunteers cheered me up greatly. Within the two weeks I could feel a slow bond growing between the students and us. Creating the lesson plans every night was tiring, and there were times when in class I felt overwhelmed and underprepared, but the times spent just bonding with the students made up for it all. The students were all kind to us and treated us well the entire time we spent at Ganyuan. In the end I do believe we gave the students a memorable time that I hope they will remember for the rest of their lives, as much as they have impacted my own.
As of now we are currently on the tour part of the trip, which has definitely been a great reward for the past three weeks of teaching and training. Our volunteer "green shirt" tour guides have tried their best to take us all over Taiwan and see many different things, something that I - as a non Taiwanese second time visitor - was most happy about. If the first three weeks did hit me hard emotionally in terms of loneliness, this last week made up for it, in terms of helping me understand more about Taiwanese culture. I was excited to visit all the places that I've only heard about previously.
In the end, even though these four weeks were exhausting and slightly stressful, I did enjoy the experience I gained from this program and appreciate how much it helped me grow as a person. Thank you to OCAC for the great program they put together for us. Also I extend thanks to the volunteer "green shirts" for all the hard work they put into assisting our every needs. Lastly, I really thank Ganyuan junior high school for the memorable time I had teaching their students, a two weeks that I will never forget. I do recommend this program to anyone willing to try new things. Even if the first week is full of rules and lessons that can drive anyone crazy, or if the teaching weeks are exhausting and tiring, the experiences - both good and bad - that you will gain from AID is something that will stay with you for a lifetime.
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Wang, Sonya (王俊琳)
I was very uncertain and very nervous about the program, mainly because I had never done any formal teaching, only occasional language tutoring. Furthermore, I would be teaching in a non-English environment to students of a radically different background and age to me, as opposed to my previous experiences teaching either French or Latin to my peers. Although many of my students were shy and unwilling to speak English on the first day, I found it to be an enjoyable challenge to decipher what my students were and were unwilling to do. Although the program at Jiantan told us to have a teaching plan ironed out, quite frankly we tossed out all semblances of a formal teaching plan on the third day and decided to play each day by ear, which allowed students more room to give us feedback on how to make English truly interesting for them. Instead of using a PowerPoint to teach new vocabulary words, we had our students ask 'How do you say _______ in English?' and we would teach them via Hangman, which also allowed them to practice their alphabet. Furthermore, during the breaks, we were able to teach the kids games from America, the most popular being Foursquare and Egyptian Ratscrew (or ERS, a popular card game they decided to rename 'American Heart Attack'). I also highly enjoyed talking with my students on a more equal basis rather than the conventional student-teacher relationship and learn more about students' lives in Taiwan as opposed to America. We were also able to connect through our love of pop culture both East and West, be it Western music or popular Japanese cartoons. I really enjoyed our students taking the initiative to put on popular American songs to perform for the closing ceremony and allowing other students to listen to the American songs that they enjoyed. Furthermore, our students were very enthusiastic in recommending popular spots in town for us to see. Although our teaching did not meet our initial expectations, we were delighted to establish a relationship with our students that emphasized education through an equivalent exchange rather than one-sided lecturing.
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Chen, James (陳楨)
I was nervous a few days before the AID summer program, for many reasons. First, I had never been a teacher before. I only had tutoring experience, but one on one teaching is much more different from teaching and managing an entire classroom. Second, I had no friends that were going to do this program with me, so I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to fit in or find a group of friends. Third, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to handle teaching in a rural area. All of these worries were quickly dissipated upon my arrival and entering this program. I want to take this opportunity to thank AID for giving me one of the most unforgettable summers of my life and introducing me to some of the greatest people I have met during my time on this planet so far. The first week at Chientan was a great way to start off my AID experience and my teaching experience. I learned a lot from the guest speakers during the lecture classes, and I ended up incorporating many of the things I learned in my actual teaching plans and in the classroom. I also met many awesome friends and shared many memorable moments together. Then the teaching part came, and I headed off the Miaoli and Dahu Junior High School with the other members in my teaching group. At first, I noticed that it was in a quaint area. We passed by a temple with a parking in front, and the security guard told us that a night market is held there every Thursday. Not every day, only once a week. We slept in classrooms, and the bathrooms were so far away that we had to make a trip every time we needed to use the toilet or shower. from all my friends that convinced me to apply to this program. The kids were amazing. We formed true friendships. We got to know about their lives in Taiwan, and they got to know about ours in Taiwan. We ate lunch with them, played cards with them, played basketball with them after school, and everything was just so fun. I was also lucky enough to have teacher assistants who were Dahu Junio High alumni, and were around our age. They helped us out in the classrooms, translating things when needed, but they became our close friends outside of school as well. I quickly realized that Dahu was a tight knit community and I was honored to be a part of it for the 2 weeks that I was there for. At the weekly night market, the teacher assistants would always accompany us, eating with us and hanging out with us. Since the quaint night market was such a big event in the town of Dahu, we were also always able to see our students wandering the stands in the night market as well, and it was awesome being able to see them outside of school. I was sad to leave Dahu Junior High, but I will definitely never forget the times that I had there. Then the southern tour came, and we were all reunited with our friends that we had been lucky enough to make during the first week at Chientan. Additionally, many more friends were also made during our times on the weekend tour and the final southern tour. The times spent at all the landmarks and also during the bus rides were all unforgettable. Thank you AID, for giving me one of the best summers of my life.
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