Taipei Times

Movin Right Along

As I cap off week three, I feel like I’m starting to settle in and get a stride going. I have really begun to settle into a routine at work and build a good relationship with the kids. Oddly enough, the kindergarten section of my day has proven to be the most challenging. Their rudimentary English skills and non existent attention spans necessitate a huge variety of classroom games and activities. This means not only large amounts of planning time but also the challenge of keeping things fresh. My elementary classes are much more teaching intensive, but they are quite far along for most part considering their age (7-12). I can actually have full conversations with several of my more advanced students.

On the non-work side of things, I have been having a pretty great time. My American coworker Nick and I have already become buds and between my friend Alex from McGill living 15 minutes away and the other Westerners I met at my training sessions, I’m already starting to build a social network in the surrounding area. As far as kicking back in Jhudong, the night market offers a huge variety of cheap amazing food (avoid the stinky tofu) and a pint of draft Japanese beer is just the thing to cap a long day. I should have a few more stories come Monday, as the principal of our kindergarten is taking us all to Taipei for the weekend. Awwwww yeaaaaaaaaaa.

Cheers Y’all
Andy

Pictures Vol. 2

Pictures Vol. 1

Lianne, the director of both the kindegarten and elementary school!




My first class of 1st graders!




Kid Castle kindegarten where I spend my mornings.




The courtyard at my apt. building.

The Opening Volley

Well I'm coming up on the end of my first week in the East, so here are my impressions thus far. I'll start with basic living conditions. My setup here is nothing short of incredible to the point of absurdity. The apartment I have been given has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a balcony. Not only am I the only one living there but the rent is half of what I paid for my cheapest Montreal apartment. High speed internet, which will most likely be set up by the end of the week, will run around 5$ a month. Things only get better once you head into town, as the food is both dirt cheap (indivudual items running around 1$-4$) and absolutely delicious. Both general and specialty items are quite cheap as well, I just purchased a 12 megapixel Olympus camera for around 200$.

Now on to the work. So far I have taught 2 kindegarten classes and 2 first grade classes. The kids are great, both in terms of behavior and enthusiasm in the classroom. Over the course of several conversations I have had with the school director, Lianne, I have begun to get a sense of the teaching philosophy here. Contrary to most American schools, the focus here is on comprehension rather than retention, which is an incredible relief for me. Rather than having to prepare the students for tests or some form of standardized evaluation, I can actually work on creating a truly effective learning environment. This is also bolstered by the fact that the school's curriculum only stipulates what I teach, not how. I pretty much have a free hand in creating my own games and classroom activities, and so far the feedback I have gotten on work has been quite good (one staff member made me blush a bit when she told me that it already felt like I had been teaching there for months rather than days).

Well that about does it for week one. Now that I am properly equiped in the camera department, pictures will start coming up asap.

Cheers
Andy

A Thing or Two

Hi everyone! I thought I would let you all know that my friend and fellow member of the Badass Young People Who Run off to Asia Club,* Alex Smith, also started up a blog to record her own adventurous doings here in Taiwan. Check it out here.

Detailed reports on my first classes and the opening round of photos coming soon!



* We really need to get T-Shirts...

mmmmm food

Fresh fried calamari for a dollar right across from my apartment? Ahhhhhh yeaaaaaaaa.