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| Hangout with students at the weekend, Cambodia |
Jumping into the classroom at the beginning of the school year, I intended to relationship building rather than teacher roles in the classroom. It was my first time teaching at a remote high school and I met completely new people in different areas of mine. I knew making a great rapport would be the first thing I needed to do to my students and colleagues. I had tried a few things to enjoy with students both inside and outside the classroom. Enjoying came, relationship bound. Here were things I had with students a whole school year.
"You are the first teacher leading students to decorate our classroom". a girl said
At the beginning of school - just three days before school officially started their new academic year, I was working with students to make some flowers and put some slogans on the wall to decorate our class. I was assigned as their homeroom teacher though. We spent a whole Sunday morning preparing stuff and decorating our classroom. They seemed to enjoy themselves and had a great time. We were not such a teacher and students, but just brothers and sisters, or father and kids.
"Who can play the guitar? Would you like to go out someday if we could?" I asked my students while having break
Girls were ready to have food to eat at the site and boys were checking the two-wheel tractor and preparing water and soft drink. We were ready to head to one local attractive site named Avean. We travelled by two-wheel tractor and it was called a walking tractor sometimes. One of the students brought his guitar and we were singing along while travelling. They were surprised when I asked him to play one song and started singing. We spent a whole afternoon having fun: having food, going bird watching, going on a boat trip, etc.. It was so nice.
"Can I come in and help you?" asked one student standing outside the classroom.
I remembered when I planned to have a teacher-parents meet at school. Lots of students came and help me with this project. I didn't use the printed banner and backdrop; I used color paper and printing letter to decorate the meeting room. Some were cutting color papers to make flowers and leaves for decoration. Some were pasting the letters on the whiteboard and some were helping to decorate with flowers and leaves. The meeting room looked well decorated and seems ready to welcome all parents in tomorrow. We were not good at decorating, but made it at least. We were satisfied with our work.
"I can't join your project because I cannot do it." one student said.
Last project project with my students was book publishing. I was working with students to write a short Khmer poem from various topics from school learning to memory of school life. I had great fun and enjoyed their work. They were working in a small group of two or three, and helping correct each other's work. It was not good, but a great project for us. At least, we could have a meaningful, memorial book made by us to hold a long-last memory.
Working in a project with students gave me a great memory and relationship bond. I would remember all these things and continue to have other projects with my wonderful students in the next academic year. I can't wait to see new students coming to class. Last but not least, I would build a close relationship rather than holding a tight-straight role of being a teacher into my classroom. I liked working with humans rather than just students.
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