I have now been in Taiwan for 4 months! Contemplating this specific milestone over the past few weeks has been an interesting process. I have been fortunate to have had many opportunities to travel internationally before this year: Israel in 11th grade and the Czech Republic and Namibia during my junior year of college.  All were for one semester - 4 months. Right now is the period during which, in the past, I was getting ready to come home.

At times, the realization that I will be here for many more months is daunting. At the same time though, I believe very strongly in making cross-cultural awareness a part of my life, and here I can do that EVERY DAY. I am committed to continuing to learn how to teach the value of open-mindedness, and this year is an amazing opportunity to dive head-first into that process.

Last week for my birthday, our whole group and some other friends surprised me by showing up to the shaved ice shop (a yummy dessert here) when I thought I was only going with one friend!

Interesting tidbits: Before I discuss life here in Taiwan, I would like to first share two things that have been on my mind the past few weeks.

1) I saw this recently and think it is priceless, which on one hand seems silly because I am not actually a parent yet ... but being a teacher really must be quite similar because I found myself laughing out loud as I read these. If you like children, click on this link and enjoy!

https://www.upworthy.com/15-hilarious-parenting-comics-that-are-almost-too-real?c=tpstream

2) I also came across this Facebook page all about the amazing activities one teacher organizes for the students in his special education classroom. He posts videos of the creative ways he teaches them life skills and I have found one idea more inspiring than the next. This teacher plays his guitar and uses music therapy to encourage students to express themselves, spends time complimenting each student, tests their comprehension not by giving tests but by asking students to act out what they have learned, connects his students to other special needs students around the country, and more. Please take a minute to read about this fascinating and inspiring, classroom environment:
https://www.facebook.com/specialbooksbyspecialkids/

Now for some updates about life in in Taiwan!

English Conversation with Chong Qing teachers: There are several staff members who faithfully come to our English Conversation each week. One woman is retired and she volunteers in our library. Beauty's English is about as good as my Chinese, but she and I have nonetheless formed a special connection despite the language barrier. I love talking with her because she is determined to have a conversation; I use the little Chinese I know and therefore can practice and improve, and it's a great opportunity for her to do the same with her English. She is very patient and with the help of pictures, and body language, we always have very interesting conversations. Beauty is the woman in the bottom left of the picture below.

Our weekly English conversation is a wonderful experience. I love it and the teachers seem to gain a lot from it. It is also quite a challenge; I am responsible for guiding a conversation among a small group of teachers whose English levels range from very very very basic beginner to complete fluency along with much awareness of U.S. culture. I usually begin the conversation nervous about how to ensure that everyone is somehow involved and minimally uncomfortable ... Our teachers are great and so it always works out well, with much informal chatting, informing each other about cultural norms and linguistic tidbits, and of course, translating. This "Conversation Time" is a both a weekly struggle and success for me. I wonder/worry if I am providing enough opportunity for the teachers to practice their English, if everyone is interested and engaged, if I am doing all I can to help people feel comfortable and not embarrassed to use their English, if I vary the topics enough from week to week ... and so on :) Below is a picture from one recent English Conversation.

Chong Qing staff: Last week, the Academic Affairs Department went out for lunch. It was nice to spend time with teachers, interns, and administrators outside of our office.

English Camp: I LOVE this aspect of being a Taichung ETA. English Camp is set up differently for ETAs at each site; ETAs elsewhere in Taiwan have students who come to them in the same place each week. Since we travel to different schools each week, we have the opportunity to see many varying parts of Taichung, different school buildings and set-ups, different school atmospheres, and different staff. It is a fascinating experience and I have learned so much more about elementary schools here from physically seeing so many. It is a wonderful experience to see how much these students and staff appreciate our coming and providing a brief, fun, and interactive exposure to English.

I have also grown personally through this experience. The average group size that we work with is 50 students, and not only do we present our lesson to them but also to all of the teachers, administrators, and principals who come to see what we do with their students. It is quite the audience. I often laugh at myself for choosing the path of teaching because I don't like to be the center of attention, and as teachers that is exactly what we do all day long! I have grown more comfortable speaking in front of staff who are there to watch us, and in front of students I do not yet know (though we make sure that the ice is usually broken withing the first 10 minutes of our English Camp curriculum). 

I co-teach with 3 other ETAs each week, and we each lead one period. I lead the first period, which means that I am the first ETA to address the students, break the ice, quickly gauge the students' overall English ability and comfort level, and introduce what we will be learning and doing that day. The very beginning, right as I take the microphone and double-check that it really is time to start, is always a bit nerve-wracking for me, though less so as time goes on. This is a great personal challenge for me that I am grateful to have the chance to work on each week.  Below are two pictures from the first few minutes of English Camp a few weeks ago; in the first picture I am introducing the concept of English Camp and in the second picture I am leading a demonstration of a quiet cheer that we use to get the students' attention.

Yes, the students come in and sit in rows often separated by boys and girls! We do our best to offer them a different experience by encouraging them to sit randomly in a group, thus creating a more informal atmosphere and lessening the gap between teacher and student. Often by the end of the day this is very successful and well-received.

Winter in Taiwan: It is getting cooler here! This is the first place I have seen people wearing winter jackets, gloves, hats, and scarves when it is 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or 15 degrees Celsius, as people 1use here. The sky continues to be beautiful (though in part that is because of pollution) .... People are so cute, warning each other that it will be cold and reminding us foreigners to wear our winter jackets.

I know that it is already cold back at home ... wishing everyone a warm and healthy winter!!