Nothing is more heart warming than to see a room full of people so happy just because your presence. We may not have been in the classrooms as much as we wanted to or planned to, but to see their appreciation and enthusiasm when we were there could light up a room.
The first day in the school we observed the classroom to get a feel for what the environment was going to be like. It wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. It was so different from what I am used to in the United States. The structure of classroom participation is completely opposite. They go up to the teacher at the front of the classroom to tell her the answer rather than raising their hand and wait to be called on. This scared me, but I was up for a challenge.
The second day in the classroom I gave my lesson about how to wash your hands. I had them trace their hands on a piece of paper and we wrote on a poster the steps to clean hands. Then we taped our cut out hands on the poster and hung it up in the classroom. They were just so excited for me to be there.
The third day I taught them how to brush their teeth. I even brushed my teeth with them. I asked how many cavities they have and no response was lower than three. This made me feel like I was doing such a great thing for them. They thought the toothbrushes donated by Dr. Lodding in Elgin, Illinois, that already had toothpaste on them were the coolest things. When we were done brushing our teeth we signed a card thanking Dr. Lodding.
I am so grateful for the education my parents have provided for me over my academic career. So here is a Thank You to them! This trip has been a life changing experience and I can’t wait for the rest!
-Kristina Brockner
