Thursdays are always fun! I never look forward to getting up early, but once I get to school it is worth it! I start off teaching Kindergarten! They are so adorable! They like to practice the little English that they know. Which means I am told “Good Morning” all day. I come to class and they say “good morning,” I come to lunch and they say “good morning”, and anytime I see them through the day I hear “good morning”. Each week at lunch, I take turns sitting at the two kindergarten tables. As I was getting ready to leave lunch, I heard “Good morning, Zai Jian!” (Meaning “Good morning, Good Bye”) The teachers were trying to explain that my name was Holly and not Zai Jian. They called me that through most of lunch. It definitely put a smile on my face!
The second class I teach is second grade. I have fallen in love with these kids. They took some time to warm up to me, but now it is amazing. There is one boy, who always comes up and says hello or gives me a hug! Last week I asked him if he wanted to be my little brother and he said yes. So now, I have 6 little brothers and 4 little sisters.
Third grade is one of the funnier classes. We have a tradition of reading “Curious George” in class, and when it is time to read, they gather around me to hear about George and his fun adventures. Even Allen, the English teacher, enjoys hearing about George.
Then you have 4th grade. They probably dislike English the most! But, after being given a good dose of homework, they have become more agreeable, and are willing to work with me in English class. Today, they wanted to know when I was leaving Taiwan, so I told them January, but then I told them that I would come back in February and they were very glad to hear I was coming back.
Fifth and Sixth grade are a little different. I am not responsible for teaching them, but assist in teaching. For the past few months we have been working on 3 Stories for English class. We read the story and then they talk about the meaning of different words, then we listen to the story on CD. There is not a lot of time for interaction in class, so it took me a little longer to get to know them. The girls have been spending more time with me. Today in the 6th grade we went outside, the boys played basketball and the girls jumped rope. It has been a long time since I jumped rope. I have had a blast getting to play with them and talk with them. I have been working on learning their names, and that really seems to make them happy!
Tonight, a friend asked me what I would miss most about Taiwan while I was at home for Winter vacation and then when I went home for good. The one thing that came to mind was the people. I would miss the smiling faces of the Taiwanese people. I would miss the friendliness of those in Nantou County. Taiwan has become my home away from home!
I am so grateful for my time here! The Lord has used this time to teach me so much! It is encouraging to see that the Lord is at work! May God bless you this Christmas!
Holly Polson
JiJi, Taiwan
