Same Place Next Year? - Fall Semester Reflection and Thoughts on a Second Year

 

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So, the semester comes to an end in less than a month.

For our mid-year conference in January, we will reflect on our time and experience as ETA/Fs during the semester, so I have been reflecting on my time and progress in Kinmen. It has been half a school year in Kinmen. Wow. At my site's wrap-up workshop, two Fulbright advisors led our reflection and asked us to choose three different objects that represented us in the past, present, and future. I chose the screaming chicken, a camera, and a blanket. 

The screaming chicken represented me in the past. I was scared-- any touch or look at me would make me scream. I was fragile, afraid, and vulnerable. It showed, and my advisor shared that I have grown a lot since the first time she met me. The camera represented my present. I am taking it all in, the adventures, the memories, and the interesting things I see. My camera roll is full of pictures of beaches, flowers, food, and special moments made so far. I am working on being as present as possible. Since most program applications I am considering after the grant year are due in 2025, I am focusing on being present on this little island because my plans for next year may be somewhere else. The blanket represented what I want to be in the future. I want to be comfortable and to feel at ease in Kinmen. I think there are moments where I feel at ease, but those moments are not consistent. I think the past few months had been an extended adjustment period to being an outsider in nearly every capacity, if not every capacity. I think I can be able to feel comfortable during the spring semester after learning my environment inside and outside the classroom. I look forward to the next semester.

I went to lunch with my second grade LET during the weekend. She asked me if I was coming back for a second year. 

I told her that I am thinking about a second year in Taiwan-- something I previously did not consider. I was a little surprised by my want to do a second year in Taiwan. I have enjoyed my time in Kinmen-- meeting new people, trying new foods, and finding community. I am thinking about a second year, but I did not know if I wanted to teach in the same capacity as I had this year. She understood and suggested to teach junior high or high school. Another LET and her think that I would fit better with higher grades, which I agree with, too, because my activities are more geared towards students with a greater ability to be creative in a second language. The elementary schools focus more on their ability to obtain vocabulary and create simple sentences in various tenses. I have adjusted my materials to their abilities and skills, but I think my coworkers all agree that a different grade level would be more suitable. We discussed pros and cons of living in the U.S. and Taiwan, my ETA experience in Kinmen, and career plans. My second grade LET suggested living somewhere in Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan, and China. She suggested China if I wanted to make more money. Those countries are the top ones she suggested for me as a foreigner. I told her I would think about it, but the jobs I really want require me to go to graduate school. The graduate school tuitions in Taiwan is more affordable than graduate school tuitions in America. I am, also, not sure of the location yet, although I do like Kinmen. The pacing and lifestyle is one that I enjoy. I have yet to travel to more cities on the mainland besides Taipei, but I plan to visit a few during the spring semester. 

I had in my mind that I needed only a year away from the US to recalibrate myself, but I have grown fond of this place. It has its challenges, but it's pretty neat. I share with my family how much I think they would like it here (minus the language barrier), but living and food wise it would be a good place for them. Will it be the same place next year? 

Stay tuned~