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Merry Christmas! Before I get to today's journal from one of our great teachers. If you've not finished your Christmas shopping and plan on using Amazon, and not already using Amazon Smile (same as Amazon) If you can go to Amazon Smile and look for Giving it back to Kids as a charity of choice. A little from every purchase is donated back to GIBTK!
Here's Giang Journal
Time goes by like a blink of an eye. November is coming to an end and we will welcome a new year soon. The weather is quite cold outside and I have just finished my first teaching day of the week. Unlike the normal days, I am sitting alone in front of my computer and recalling all the memories I had during the past 13 months. Yes, I have been working at GIBTKs for more than a year. This figure surprises me that I have to utter " Wow, how time flies!" Over a year, my heart was packed with memories of kids. I have gone through so many emotional situations, both joy and sorrow.
From the first days at GIBTK's, I was trained that my role is not only a teacher, but also a person who helps the kids understand how important education is, helps them to pursue their dreams and especially encourages them to make their dreams come true. At first I felt excited, but could not hide my worries because I didn't know anything about the kids.
All I know about them was that they have been living at Carmela's Home for such a long time and each of them has their own sad story. The other students come from disadvantaged households in the neighborhood. I wondered to myself: "How can I understand them and how can they freely share with me their thoughts if I am not a person that they can trust? And I decided not just to be their English teacher, but be a friend who is willing to listen to them.
As time went on, I gradually knew how much difficulty they had gone through in life. To be honest, I used to feel tired and even hurtful because of their behavior. However, the nature of every child is good and life can hurt them so much. This is the reason why they need us, to transform their lives because every kid deserves a better life which is not decided by their circumstances, as Robert said.
Compared to the first few days, I just want to thank all the kids at home and in the community for teaching me to be a good listener. And more specifically, many students chose me to share their joys and sorrows. They shared with me about their dream, study and all the difficulty that they have been facing as well. More than a teacher, they see me as a friend they can trust and I feel so blessed for that.
One of those students is Hoang Thu, who is good at drawing, always dreamed of being a graphic designer and working in Ho Chi Minh city. But her mother wanted her to study English at Da Nang University of Foreign Languages so that she could live near her parents and made it easy for her to find a good job in the future. She texted me and asked me what should she do to pursue her dream but not let her mother down? I decided to talk directly to her the next day. I told her that I wish she knew how much her mother loves her and worries for her future.
I advised her to talk to her mother, let her understand how much you love this job and you will try your best to make your dream come true. I also told her that English plays an important role, too. Finally, she got her mother's support. A short time later, she texted me again and told me she found English interesting and she would put her efforts on studying it, which made me so happy. Every child needs to be listened to.
I believe we will all find our happiness in our work, and so do I. My happiness and motivation are my students. I cannot describe how I was happy when I saw my students changing every single day. And I will certainly respect each change in their attitude and academic performance. Every little thing they do touches my heart. I still remember Hung's lovely smile when he happily gave me his thank-you card which he had spent a lot of time designing on my first Vietnamese Teacher's day at Legacy 1. Another student said: "On the upcoming Teacher's day, can I bring you a good grade instead of a card?" In my eyes, all the kids have warm hearts.
It has been a great year for me to work in a special home, with special people who are doing their best to transform the lives of the disadvantaged in Vietnam. I also feel so grateful with the love of the housemothers, those who always care for the kids and all the teachers at Legacy 1 through every delicious meal. The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen, they must be felt with the heart. So, be kind to everyone!
Much love,
English teacher at Legacy 1,
Giang
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