Shall attempt to write down my thoughts about the trip before it fades off.
This is one Service learning trip which i did not diligently write down my reflections. Like i told some of my students, maybe it is because some of the things that i see do not have that much of an impact on me anymore since this is my third trip. However, there were moments that i really would want to remember.
We went to 4 primary schools this time, which is another kind of experience as we get to see that different schools react differently to our teams. We've seen rich schools, poor schools, heartwarming schools to schools who treated us as if we are giving them so much trouble. It is definitely a good experience for us as we get to realise that to us we might be thinking that we are there to teach and give, but not every school actually appreciates that and some might even question our meaning of going there.
Wan Lv Qing Primary, Xiao Jie Primary, Yang Liu Primary and Lu Chong Primary. Four different schools, four different experience. However for me, i had the chance to interact with the students most at Wan Lv Qing Primary. This is the school that i went last year and this is the school that made me feel the most welcomed. The principal and teachers went all out to help us and make us feel comfortable. I am glad we went back again as this part of the trip i feel actually made the students feel more attached to the local students.
I will always remember how i tried talking to a group of primary one students from the window. It was then when they start warming up with us, it was from then that our students dared to go forward to interact with the children. I guess i made a right move. I will also remember how the primary one students were screaming from their classroom to ask me to teach them.
I will also remember the experience of gathering firewood. None of us would think that we will need to climb up to the mountains to CHOP firewood. We all thought it was just a trek somewhere to pick up firewood, but we were all wrong. It was then when we realise how useless we are. Two primary five students were attached to one of us and they had to carry their heavy tools up as well as to pull or push us up the mountains when we are struggling to climb up the mountain. I think was the most useless one, i did nothing but sit there, take pictures. haha. they even made a walking stick for me to go down the mountains easily. It was then i got to know Pinxian and Jiahui, two lovely girls who treated me like a queen. It was also then when i realised that they actually remembered desiree and felicia who taught them last year. I was really glad to hear from them that, even though more than 10 teams have been to the school, our team last year made the greatest impact on them and they really love our team.
I guess it was the close interaction i had with them that made me feel so attached to them at the end of our short stay in Wan Lv Qing. I nearly teared when they waved goodbye, i nearly teared when they asked me to stay, i nearly teared when ping xian stayed a corner to watch me leave.
For the subsequent schools, i feel that i should give my students more chance to interact with the school children. Thus i took a back seat and tried not to be so involved in the lessons. Cos i really hope that my students can have the same experience as i had, enjoying the time with those children and feeling a sense of attachment to them when they leave. This is one of the best takeaways for anyone who come on such trips, the feeling of wanting to come back to the village as we know that someone in a place far away, there are people who actually remembered you for what you have done for them.
Lu Chong Primary was probably a challenge for the team when the teachers do not seem to be so welcoming and the students there seem to be rather rowdy. I was not there on the first day, but from what i hear from my students, it seems that most are not enjoying their lessons, especially the P6 class. I took on the challenge to visit the P6 class the next day and i guess it was a good chance for me to break into the class when i managed to make small talks with some of their class girls during their break. They first were rather shy and did not answer my questions. However, i continued trying and i guess the ice was broken when they shared my love for music. They wanted to sing with me but the bell rang and they ran into their classroom. Though the interaction was short, but i guess it was sufficient. I went on to visit other classes and when i came back to P6 class again, i stood outside the classroom to watch them. A boy (who apparently challenged one of my students yesterday) decided to play a trick on me by clapping right in front of my face. He was glad to see my shocked face. However, the girl sitting beside him (one of those who i interacted with during break), told him that I am actually a teacher. Now it was his turn to have a shocked look! haha. However, I was impressed by him when he instantly stood up to say "Sorry", it was then that i feel that this class is actually not too bad, they are probably just craving for attention. Something which their teachers probably have not been giving them and thus their kind of actions to get it from our students. Thus, at the later part of the day, when i realise that my students are having a hard time to get their attention, i decided to go in to takeover the lesson. It was probably a random chat with the class, ending with some riddles which they actually loved. I enjoyed the lesson when they actually responded to me. (something which i took more than 2 weeks to achieve in CCSS) Guess no student is too hard to handle, we just need lots of patience and time to gain their trust and to make them comfortable in communicating with you.
Weather this time was bad as it can be very cold on one day and very hot in the afternoons. This has thus affected our road project very much. In the end, the students only spend 3 mornings on the road. Though many felt that they could have done more, i personally felt that they have contributed to the road even before they went to kunming by raising funds for the projects. The trip up to the rural part of the village and the fields was an eye opener and it was the trip that convinced me that our money is put into good use. No cars not to say trucks could get into the fields without our money. Many crops would have gone to waste if there won't proper roads. To us, S$5000 might be a small amount. To them, it will definitely change their lives. And maybe that's why I always felt that for a service learning trip, the service we are giving them is not the actual manual work that we are providing, but the donations that we are giving and the attention from the local govt that the school and village gets from working with us.
Like i told my students, I feel that this team is the most successful Service Learning Project which i ever organised as i feel that Learning has been properly planned for the team and that the team is very comfortable in sharing their thoughts as they know the importance of sharing. Many thoughts have been put into planning for their learning journey. I am also glad that my fellow colleagues were so supportive of the concept and they went all out to help me put my passion for service learning into actions. Without their support and understanding, I would never be successful in executing such plans. As for the students, I am really glad that the 2 saturdays we spent before the trip helped them to understand the importance of learning during the trip and that planned learning could actually help them to maximise their learning during the trip. I see the growth in them as they come to realise the importance of asking questions and the benefits of sharing within the group. I am excited when I see them discussing about their projects, and that different ideas are exchanged during the discussions. I am relieved when i feel that they don't see the project as a burden, but something they really want to complete and be proud of at the end of the trip.
The project itself might not have made a great impact on me, but the bond i share with the students definitely have convinced me that this is something I would want to continue on in future. All 25 of them are great people, special in their own ways and everyone of them has touched me in one way or another in the 14 days I spent with them. It has also proved to me that satisfaction do come in teaching but it definitely takes a long while before we see it. All hard work was worth it when I see them enjoying the trip, it's worth it when I see them bonding together as a team, it's worth it when I see them feeling upset when the programmes are not going as well (cos they care), it's worth it when I hear the song that they wrote for the teachers, it's worth it when I hear them learning my song and singing it wherever they are, it's worth it when they take my scoldings gracefully and we can still talk as friends the next moment, it's worth it when I see people helping out in washing when it's not their duty, it's worth it when I hear everyone thanking each other for the dinner cooked, it's worth it when students bother to say sorry when they make me angry, it's worth it when students do not want to see me stressed up, it's really all worth it.
To my darling students, members of the YELL team:
You are definitely a team I would remember. Though you are not my first team, but all your little actions have left a great impression on me. There were moments when I am really touched by all of you, especially the time when you all came in to sing for me. I was not feeling very well then but your little action actually made me want to be strong and continue this journey with you all. I do hope that this journey would be one that you will never forget and that you will continue to serve the community in your own ways.
