Orchid Garden Nepal had a wonderful celebration on Friday as
a heartfelt send off to a volunteer who has spent the last five months working
with the children and teachers. The children put together a fantastic talent
show that highlighted the incredible dedication shown by both students and
teachers. The children displayed their talents through many different dances,
poems, and singing. The whole show was MC'ed by two puppets run by two very
funny boys. It was a brilliant way to end a week full of learning experiences.
Sage and Gabe teaching "The Little Green Frog"
Prayers at morning assembly
Sage:
One of the most incredible things that Orchid Garden has
given me is confidence in myself as a teacher. For a long time it has been
difficult for me to really see myself in that role, because my academic path
has been so different than most of the women on this trip. Initially this
feeling was debilitating at Orchid Garden, because the cultural differences and
language barrier meant that most of the skills I tend to fall back on were
dashed. However, the beautiful unpredictability of Orchid Garden allowed me to
summon my courage and take a few risks. Some of them were successful, and some
were certainly not. But by embracing what I have to offer and choosing to trust
my instincts, I was able to solidify relationships and introduce some new
ideas. The overpowering love that is always present at Orchid Garden has shown
me the beauty that arises from serious challenges. I could not be more grateful
for my time there!
Reading books with Sage-ma'am
Team teaching counting in Nepali and English
Gabe:
One of the most powerful lessons I have learned is sometimes
not having a plan, allowing things to happen, and taking the back seat in
events is the best thing I can do. I have the wonderful ability to be very
flexible and simply go with the flow. The chaos that is unavoidable when
working with toddlers does not cause me stress, but rather energizes me. Early
on in my visit with Orchid Garden I felt burdened with the task of trying to
pass on all of my teacher skills to the very new teacher I was working with in
my classroom. Without the benefit of language and the huge disadvantage of lack
of knowledge about culture norms and classroom expectations, this task seemed
completely unattainable. I tried making plan after plan only to feel as though
I was failing in some way. I quickly became very discouraged. As I entered the
second week, I was finally able to just let go of this task I had placed on
myself and just call upon my skills in flexibility and patience. The moment
this happened, beautiful things started to happen in my classroom. Bina, the
director, came into the room one day and helped to create a wonderful, fun
filled learning environment. She helped to demonstrate to my teacher how to
embrace the liveliness of toddlers to create a classroom that meets their
needs, but also includes the educational pieces they value so much at Orchid
Garden. I learned that sometimes the best thing I can do is to simply step back
and see what happens. While I am confident in my skills as a new teacher, it is
okay to not try and fix all the things I perceive to be problems. By opening myself
up and changing my perspective on what I deemed issues, I was able to witness a
profound transformation in a fellow teacher and an amazing shift in classroom
environment.
Gabe teaching the concept of 1,2, and 3 in English
Having fun on the playground
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