To live up to the youth and reap what you sow

After a 30-hour journey, I finally arrived in Antigua and Barbuda, a Caribbean Island country in Central America, where I was both nervous and excited to serve as a volunteer Chinese language teacher.  

I am in charge of four Chinese classes for Grade 1 and Grade 2 in two public high schools. These students' age ranges from 10 to 15 and they never learned Chinese before. The school equipped with only a few dozen desks and chairs and a whiteboard.

Despite the lack of advanced teaching equipment, I can still see the children's desire to learn Chinese from their curious eyes, which also bring me and the students closer together. To ensure effective learning, I often use one-on-one questions and spot checks to check their homework, and constantly encourage students to express themselves and participate actively in class.

Each child has his or her own personality, so how can we teach them accordingly? In my class there are a pair of brothers, the older brother is outgoing and active, while the younger brother has mild autism. With a brother who often fails to answer questions in class, the eager older brother almost answers all the questions. As their teacher, I think of a way that I can turn passive into active, which is to let the younger brother learn to ask questions and other students to answer them, which attracts his attention and increases his participation. Gradually, he becomes more and more outgoing and begins to stand up and overcome his cowardice.

The job of volunteer Chinese language teacher not only improves my teaching ability and helps me gain rich teaching experience, but also gives me more opportunities to understand and know the world. Good social welfare allows people in Antigua and Barbuda to live with style and leisure. Encountering or a passing-by on the street, people there always give you a big smile or a simple greeting. I also respond positively and treat people politely and warmly. The customs and habits here are very different from those in China, but I take the initiative to get myself blended into the area, which also brings me a lot of convenience in my work and life.

Shifting from the role of a student to a teacher has made me think more about my work. Sometimes I ask my colleagues for advice when I can't do the work alone, and I find my goal to work harder when I see the strengths and advantages of others. I have become more confident, happy and outgoing, which is the biggest reward of my volunteering experience. The rewards are of significance in shaping my personality and improving my confidence, as is such an excellent learning experience. Never too old to learn, and I will always be on my way to learn.