During my two years at DaShin Elementary School, I often felt like both teacher and student. I did not grow up here, so my perspective is that of an outsider. However, I rarely felt like an outsider. That is because the members of DaShin Elementary School welcomes students, teachers, and foreign teachers into its small community with warmth and kindness from the very first day you walk through the gate. I had no expectations upon arrival, and what I quickly learned is to get to know life at DaShin as enthusiastically as the DaShin Community wanted to get to know me.

The words that come to the forefront of my mind when I think of this school and everyone I met and worked with are: Exploration and Experience. DaShin Elementary School and its surrounding community involvement is best when experienced and explored personally. Whether you are a student, teacher, administrator, or staff member, you will benefit the most from your time here if you embrace the energy and concepts of these two ideas with enthusiasm, excitement and wonder.

Exploration does not only mean traveling to faraway places. There are so many things to learn and explore without leaving this school, where involvement is immersive and the connections between students and their teachers grow into one of trust and companionship. The DaShin Community members bring local events directly to the staff and students. Teachers provide students with the opportunities to tackle hands-on activities that explore and impart respect and understanding for traditions and cultural practices both domestic and abroad. Students and teachers participate in these activities together.  We all teach and learn from each other. Everyone at DaShin Elementary are both teachers and students at the same time. Everyone is brave and willing to try new things, even trying to do what scares them. It often turns out that what scares you is not as frightening as you thought.

Experience cannot be gained without exploration. When students and teachers explore through immersive, hands-on activities, amazing things begin to happen on many different levels. The seeds of potential in every student are carefully tended to by teachers. Through teacher encouragement, student curiosity sprouts, leading to the wonder of exploration under further dedicated guidance of teachers and staff. From this grows a student population comfortable and confident in themselves and their learning. They watch, they learn, then they do it themselves. Students find their creativity and self-expression through art, music, writing, games, projects, and discussion. They appreciate the natural world around them. They want to reach out to learn and experience the traditions and cultures of different countries of the world and they want to share Taiwan’s traditions and culture with the world. Their effort and determination blossoms into sharing the joys in their successes, the pride in their accomplishments, and the stubbornness in their refusal to give up after their failures. Students at DaShin Elementary School mature with the understanding that cultivating beauty in each other’s lives and enjoying worthwhile experiences may take more time than you want, but with discipline and patience, the result is fulfilling and the sense of accomplishment profound. As both a student and teacher, what I have learned from my students and my colleagues every day continues to enrich my life, guide my future, and endure in my memory as treasured experiences.

I like to believe that I left an equally indelible mark on DaShin Elementary School as that which has been left on me. I hope my efforts and time here encouraging and bringing as much joy as I could to students and colleagues will be remembered by those in whose lives I played a brief role. It was my honor and privilege to accompany two classes to graduation, one of which for whom I had the honor to be considered as a second homeroom teacher. I hold incredible respect for the homeroom teachers, especially after having personally undertaken the role in a limited capacity being a foreign teacher. It was a unique and precious opportunity I will likely never experience again. Therefore, I am grateful for the generosity of the homeroom teachers for allowing me to work so closely with their graduating students.

Hello, 大家好! My name is Teacher Amanda Kalinowski. I’m happy to be part of the DaShin Elementary School community.  I’m from Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. Everyone at DaShin Elementary School have welcomed me with generosity and kindness. 感謝您

When that chance came to go to Taiwan, I packed my life into four bags and moved halfway around the world. (I had to leave my cat, Cato, in the USA. I miss her.) I like to make crocheted animals, draw, sing, grow plants, have fun, and try new things! I want to learn everything about living in Taiwan. I plan to stay for many years and call Taiwan my home.

My students are learning English, and I am learning Chinese. We are each other’s teachers and students. We learn from each other. We make mistakes, but that’s okay. I have started a program at DaShin to encourage students to practice speaking English. Each grade chose an animal, and I have made a scoreboard for everyone to see their points. They’re doing great!

                          One Year Later - Amanda

When I came to Taiwan in September 2022, I was welcomed with immense kindness and warmth by students and colleagues. One year later, I'm still here: learning, teaching, and smiling every day. Much has happened, and much more awaits.

In June, I saw my first elementary school graduatin. In the USA, this is not a very important day. In Taiwan, it is marked with respect to both teachers and students, personal growth, wishes for each student's good future from staff and younger grades, and saying farewell as they leave their elementary school for the last time. How could I not be moved by saying goodbye to my first sixth grade class? 

Look to the Horizon: 致家長和小朋友的訊息 – Amanda

As we prepare for the 59th Graduation Ceremony, I reflect on all that happened this year and look towards the future.

In the last two years, my Colleagues, 47-53 Students, and I went on many adventures (on the high seas), engaged in many quiet and loud conversations, played many games, celebrated holidays and birthdays, learned together and from each other, and cared for one another. I have seen everyone, including myself, grow in so many ways and I’m so very proud of how far we have all come since my first day at DaShin Elementary School. Because of my Generous and Supportive Colleagues, I have learned both how to live happily in Taiwan and how to be a better teacher. 同事們， 老師們，非常感謝. 我會想念你們的陪伴和友誼。