The First Class

During the summer break of 2019,  my sister and I, together with a group of volunteers, traveled to an elementary school in rural China. The students there, having minimal access to education, only learned basic subjects such as Math and Chinese. They never had any English, Science, Music, or Art classes because there weren't any teachers around to teach them. I am so proud to say that we taught their very first classes on these subjects. It was incredibly gratifying to see the students really enjoy learning with us. The principal herself even said that she had never seen her students so excited during class and showing this much interest.

It wasn’t easy to take the trip at the time, as I had just finished 5th grade and never had any teaching experience. Thankfully, my mom encouraged and reassured me that I wouldn't be alone as some friends and my twin sister, Emma, would be there. I also seek help from Mr. Kolb, the best ESL teacher ever. He’d helped me tremendously. He told me that teaching isn’t as easy as just talking about a subject and handing students an assignment. It involves knowing your students, preparing classes with care, and a lot of practice. I took his words and spent a long time writing and revising my teaching plans, watched videos on how to deliver a good class, and did mock lessons with my sister again and again. All my efforts became worth it when I stood in front of the board, teaching my class with confidence. We also taught the kids to sing an English song called “Small World”, and my heart raced when I heard it being sung by the group of kids who barely knew any English or music 3 hours ago. All they needed was an opportunity to learn, and I was able to make a change in the life of others through this experience. 

We made plans to return the following summer, which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a solution, my sister and I, together with Elton and George, decided to create an online platform to promote quality and accessible education worldwide through virtual teaching and learning. With the help and support from our families and friends, UstartTeaching (UST) was born on June 12th, 2020, after we did pilot teaching for about two2 months. Besides the administration work I am in charge of at UST, I have since been teaching my six 1st and 2nd graders English weekly. 

My teaching experience showed me how much teaching could bring, such as making new connections, learning along with my students, and getting more organized and efficient. I also learned the joy of helping others by sharing my knowledge. It is an addictive feeling when I elicit a smile or laugh, and there is no doubt that teaching is one of the most meaningful and rewarding jobs in the world, as you help others grow and progress in their own life journey.

I am the Conductor and my twin sister, Emma, is the Pianist.