When I first came to Mr. and Mrs. Lander's house and read that little plaque that hangs on the kitchen, I didn't know what it meant. In fact, I didn't know what to expect out of this trip...
* Was it going to be a good time?
* Would I get along with everyone or, for that matter, were we all going to get along with each other?
* Was our lodging be able to accommodate us all and be comfortable for our needs?
* What about logistics that were out of our hands? Food? Showers? Sleeping arrangements...
These and many other questions wondered my mind even as I was driving to Gaston last week; however, as this trip comes to an end and we spend our last day in the High School, Middle school, and the students, I've came a little closer to understanding that plaque that still hangs on the kitchen and I read everyday.
The reality is, what isn't there to like about this town? Everyone is so respectful and welcoming; the students greet you when you walk down the halls and are not afraid to spark new conversations laughing along our silly jokes and games. The middle school is very well structured and I felt that the students get a solid-built foundation that will be with them for the rest of their lives. They're treated with respect, integrity, and honest teachers that truly care about their work and education. Never have I seen such dedication from educators towards students and after speaking with a majority of them, it's almost like they NEVER give up! It's amazing how much stamina and desire every single teacher has towards every single student's success and ability to perform. The first week that we were here we did a lot of tracking, grading, but also interacted with a lot of these kids that can make you laugh every sigle minute of the day. Over the weekend I had some of the most fun I've had in a while... We BBQ, watched football games, played Jenga (Xtreme Edition), played Cranium, and just talked about everything we could talk about.
The high school was a little different but yet so rewarding. I taught "Sports and Life skills" with Matt and it was such a great experience. Initially, we didn't know what to do during those 3 days. Should be teach materials during all the class? Make a powerpoint presentation? play sports with the class? talk about college or just watch a movie? Well, in reality we did all those things! The first day we introduced ourselves and got to know each student and as soon as they knew we were going to play Football in the Gym they were really excited and liked the idea. During the other days we covered a lot of different topics and subjects, we showed them a video of Jimmy V and Randy Pausch and discussed them accordingly. Furthermore, we talked about college, the recruitment process, and how important it is to focus on a goal and do whatever it takes to get there. Matt and I really tried to make the class as enjoyable as possible while expressing a very realistic approach to college and how different it is from High School. Overall, I really cherish the times we spent in class talking about their futures as well as the time we spent being their team mates on the court. We provided them with our emails to keep in touch or to have some of their answers about colleges or universities answered and I truly hope some of them take the initiative to do so.
This trip meant a lot to me and I'm sad to be back in Maryland, but at the same time truly blessed to have experienced the last days of my Winter break with such wonderful participants while meeting new people from all over the place.
Arturo Chang
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