|
|
Hayes, Samuel (海豑璟)
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at AID summer, particularly the time spent teaching at He ping elementary. I'll never forget the Headmaster, Mr Jiang, and Edison for helping me in my time of need after foolishly injuring myself.
I liked the Tour (central), but felt that perhaps not enough time was alocated for certain activities, for example, I felt the time spent at feng jia night market was not enough to fully experience it. That said, I still enjoyed the Tour and felt it was well worth my time.
The initial week of training was informative and fun, I made many friends, however some of them I did not get to dee until the very end of the tour, including all my room mates, perhaps something could be done there since I felt I had not enough time to socialize with some of the people I met in the first week.
All in all, I enjoyed the teaching, enjoyed the tour, it was all good fun, and very eye opening.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Henry, Sophie (徐俐)
My time at AID is something I will always remember ... Arriving at chieftain youth centre and seeing so many young Asian kids was a strange experience as back at home in the UK I seldom met Asians. I met so many amazing friends who I will be sure to meet up with the next time I come back to taiwan which I hope will be very soon.
The time I spent teaching at Baiji elementary school in taoyuan county was the best two weeks spent in Taiwan ever. I still think about my students today and wonder what they are doing. I remember walking into the classroom on the first day, all 14 of them were completely silent and facing the blackboard. After a tentative good morning to break the ice, ''good morning teacher' replied back at me in unison and i looked at their fresh faces and eagerness to learn English and felt a little more relaxed. However... These dream students lasted only a few days and the facade of willing students soon broke down. They were challenging at times and at least one child cried/got into a fight everyday. They were totally worth it, I remember each and every one of them. On the first day, my teaching partner and I asked the students to write their English name down on their name tag next to their Chinese name. One student put up his hand and looked forlorn 'I don't have an English name'. My teaching partner and I looked at each other.. We needed to think of something quick and easy that he could spell. Tom. We then spelt it out to him and he wrote it down. During the next two weeks, his name stuck and the others students acknowledged him as Tom. To think that I have named a child before my own is pretty incredible. I think of Tom fondly and often. He was sometimes disruptive in class and difficult to control. At first I thought he was a slight troublemaker however one time in class I walked past his desk and saw an exercise book different to the ones used in class. There he had written out all the vocab we had taught him numerous times to try and practice the words. My heart sank a little and I felt guilty of labeling him a trouble maker as i could clearly see deep down he wanted to learn English. I wish i could have spent longer teaching and getting to know the children. They are all so special and I wish the best for all of them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zhao, James (趙一兆)
I had so much fun! Teaching was one of the most amazing experiences I had and I loved my kids. Tour was extremely well organised - everything went smoothly, with such a large number of people taking part, I was positively surprised with the logistics! Although it was hectic, teaching has been one of the most fulfilling times of my life. The look of the childrens faces as I taught them, played sports with them, laughed with them, joked with them, played all kinds of games with them has made these few weeks so much more meaningful. To know that I have changed so many lives with just a few weeks has opened my eyes to more volunteering.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnstone, Alexander (詹宏達)
I look back on my experiences during AID Summer as an extremely formative time; the programme has enriched me with a greater understanding of a culture once foreign to me, friends from all over the world , and memories that will endure for a lifetime.
Coming from a non-Chinese background, AID Summer presented me with the chance to explore and relish in a whole new country for me. With my mother being Vietnamese, I have always held a natural curiosity in Asian culture which I have wanted to explore- this programme provided me with this opportunity. Through its wondrous natural landscape, hospitable people and succulent cuisine, my heart was truly seized by the beauty of Taiwan. It really became evident to me over the course of my month on the island why it had obtained its name, 'Formosa' (Beautiful Island), by Portuguese sailors in the 15th century.
This manifested itself most firmly during my teaching experiences at 有木國小: a school nestled within a sprawling forest (hence the name, right in the heart of a set of towering mountains, a 40 minute drive up from the nearest town. Regardless of its breathtaking setting, the school charmed with its overall friendly persona- my thanks go out to all the assisting teachers, the volunteering soldiers, and most especially, the students, for welcoming us throughout our two week spite and providing us with an unforgettable experience. Alongside my fantastic teaching group, helping elementary school children with their English was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all of us. Watching my class get to grips with the English language, and derive pleasure from their learning (and my teaching!)was something that was truly heart-warming. It has awoken me to the fact that I am a global citizen- my knowledge of English is something that can be used to help people from all over the world. The program has inspired me to search out for similar volunteering programmes, so I can share what I know and be of benefit to others.
However, what makes AID Summer so unique and different from other teaching programs is the people- over 350 young people coming together, from a myriad of different nationalities and backgrounds, the only thing combining us being our desire to teach English and the slightly garishly purple polo shirts we all wore. Born and raised throughout my life in England, it was particularly noteworthy to have spent over one month with mostly North Americans; the differences in accent and vocabulary was a regular topic of conversation for me! Through the program, I have come to know and befriend some truly incredible people, who I have shared a joyous month together, and hopefully will spend many more moments together in the future. I hold a whole spectrum of memories with so many different people, which I know I will look back fondly on in the future. Lastly, I would like to thank the assistants on the program, who helped co-ordinate events in the first and final week, in addition to providing many memorable moments!
Overall, AID Summer has been a truly unforgettable experience which I am really grateful to have had- I am strongly considering coming back in the future! 謝謝大家!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|