Last Day with Jiguchon Elementary

By far, Friday has been the most emotional day of our trip. It was our last day at Jiguchon Elementary – time to say goodbye to all the friends we had made over the past four weeks. To celebrate the hard work we had all put in these past four weeks, there was a closing ceremony hosted by Peter and Sophia, with Thomas and Martha singing, our DukeEngage team dancing, and more (very talented performers, if I do say so myself). We watched videos: from cha cha sliding to hearing about the students’ favorite moments during class. We also took many pictures. And as a final testament of the bond we had created with our kids, many tears were shed.

Teachers and Students at Closing Ceremony

I hope that our short time at Jiguchon will be impactful for them just as it has been for us. The third grade teacher said that the children keep talking about the DukeEngage teachers for a long time, and are always looking forward to the summer when the next group comes.

Being a teacher involves a lot of pressure, but the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when teaching is unparalleled. I feel grateful for the bright smiles and the unconditional positive energy these children showed up to school with every day. We all look up to how well these children are doing at school, despite the difficult circumstances they are facing back at home. The kids have managed to build friendships, look out for each other, participate in extracurricular activities, listen to their teachers. They are capable of much more.

This must have been one of the most heartwarming experiences in my life. I think we can all agree that our time at Jiguchon will become a highlight of our lives. I am looking forward to sharing my stories with friends and family back at home and school.

Learning Colors (Second Grade)

Second Grade Teachers and Students on the Last Day of School

Talking to Middle School about our Hometowns

On Tuesday after lunch, we had a conversation with the Middle School teacher about her aspirations for the students, and ways in which we could connect with them. The students’ reserved personalities, together with the language barrier and perhaps a lack of trust, make it really hard for them to talk to us and engage in the class. 

How could we get our students to be more interested and open to discussion? This week, Martin and I focused on a more personal topic: ‘hometowns’ (“Where is your hometown? What do you miss the most? What do you like better here?”)

What did the students know about us? Almost nothing. We thought that some more input from our part would encourage the students to share their own ideas.After talking to Pungwei about my school life in Argentina, he responded to me by sharing his own story about how he attended a public middle school for days and had to quit because he could not “fit” into the system. Our experiences at school can serve as inspiration to these students, and despite the obvious differences, there are always things we can all relate to.


Leandro