Personal Interests
Here, I would like to share with you a glimpse into my personal interests and passions. From my artworks to my extracurricular activities and volunteer work, I am excited to show you what I have been working on and what makes me tick. I am always exploring new avenues and pushing the boundaries of what I can create, and I hope to inspire others to pursue their passions as well.
Gallery
Teaching in Rural China
During my volunteer at the minority district in Northwest China, I worked for children from the local Islamic families with financial concerns.
As an elementary school educator, I faced various problems including difficulty of communicating in local dialect, increasing school drop-out rates, and unaccomplished academic expectations. To address the issue, I conducted family visits with other teachers.
Reflecting
As I engaged in open conversations with all families, I became aware of the advantageous position I withheld while evaluating children’s performances. Due to my geographic privilege, I learned mandarin with fewer obstacles compared to those affected by regional dialects.
Children from the remote mountainous areas of the Islamic district also experienced transportation challenges caused by the mountain-desert topography and local economy recession.
Moreover, facilitated by other cultural, religious, and financial factors, local children, especially females with siblings, held limited motivation to excel academically.
Initiating a Change
Illuminated by this experience, I realized that my evaluative standards focusing on punctuality and homework completion were limited to provide comprehensive and equal assessments for children from disadvantaged educational contexts.
Acknowledging my biases and reflecting on my current approach, I shifted the teaching emphasis to cooperate with children’s realistic concerns. For instance, I encouraged more interpersonal activities (such as role play) in class to complement the lack of family interaction due to parental migration for employment and the “left behind” phenomenon.