2018 AID Summer
志工感言 (Reflection) >> Boston
# Center
1 Houston
2 SF-Milpitas
3 New York
4 Toronto
5 Orange
6 Chicago
7 Maryland
8 Seattle
9 Vancouver
10 Los Angeles
11 Boston
12 Atlanta
13 Denver
14 Miami
15 London
16 Cape Town
17 Sydney
18 Hawaii
19 Queensland
Chang, Katelyn (張嘉玲)
After meeting so many amazing people in this program, I first want to say thank you to all the staff running this program, all the teachers and schools that have taken such good care of me and my peers, the counselors who made sure we were all comfortable and safe, and lastly the amazing friends I met from this experience.
From the first week of preparation I learned a lot about what it would be like to teach at these schools. I had no idea hat to expect, attitude wise, from the kids in taiwan. I really appreciate the lecturers telling us that the children arn't used to forming their own opinions and doing fun activities to learn, as that inspired me to try to make my teaching style more interactive and fun in order to inspire these children to view learning english in a positive way. Although I thought some lessons were too specific to certain schools, such as the "Teaching in Rural Schools" lesson. When I taught at Fongli elementary school the students were pretty shy at first so it was very rewarding to see them slowly warm up to us. To see them focused on learning and trying to participate warmed my heart and might shift my interest to consider teaching as a future career.
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Chin, Sheryl (秦若雪)
My experuence in AID Summer 2017 has been incomparable. I've made friendships that I will cherish and hope to last a lifetime as well as developed a strong appreciation for teachers all across the world. I believe this is the longest time I have spent in Taiwan. Although it was difficult actually living in such a different culture than America, I'm glad to have gone through the experience of caring for myself outside of home. Especially with college coming up, the program has basically prepped me into independence. I also learned how hard it really is to have a career as a teacher. The job is extremely under appreciated by students and public alike. The skill of being able to control and teach a large group of students is one I currently do not have and possibly will never have. My experience has made me seriously reflect on my own career as a strudent and give thanks to all who have helped me along the way. But despite all the hardships and mosquitoe bites (my legs look like red bean ice cream) I had an absurd amout of fun in this camp and am really glad I came. Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible for an unforgettable summer!
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Meredith, Leah (梅葳)
Before I joined the AID summer program, I was somewhat reluctant. I was unsure if I could handle the monumental challenge of teaching english in a foreign country and living away from home for a month with complete strangers. I took a risk and applied anyways, interested in the truly unique opportunity it presented me. I have always loved teaching, even from a young age, and I love visiting Taiwan with my family, so it seemed like it would be a good experience. Throughout the application process I still had my doubts but I grew increasingly excited. I was finally accepted and super happy to go! The week of training was interesting and I enjoyed getting to know my group and roommates. We learned a lot of helpful methods of teaching english as a second language. By the time I got to the school, I definitely felt super underprepared and nervous. But I found throughout the experience that it was important to be able to think on your feet and quickly adapt to the needs/skill level of the children. We also didn’t really know the english level of the children until we got to the first day and realized we had to start with the alphabet. Overall, I absolutely loved the experience and wish I could go again next summer. I became very close and very good friends with my group. I came to love my class and embrace their spontaneity, energy, and enthusiasm for learning. I miss them all a lot. I really feel that AID summer has opened my eyes to a different side of Taiwan, thus expanding my worldview. It has taught me valuable life lessons about different cultures, people, teaching methods, and ways of life. 10/10 would recommend!!
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