Education in Kaifeng

Anatole France, wrote in

The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard,
“The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.”

Like waves crashing onto the shore of our work with LWB Education students, these words came to mind when reading a report from our newest teachers in Kaifeng, Henan Province. These two teachers have been hired to live and work in the social welfare institute to strengthen children living there as well as foster children that attend local public school. The aim of our program in Kaifeng is to build a bridge between these smart, loveable children and their future.

When our Kaifeng teachers spent several days observing and training with experienced LWB teachers at our Believe In Me School in Changde, Hunan Province they were amazed at the dynamic of learning and teaching. The report that they wrote to us volunteers and to you sponsors and donors is full of the hope and challenge they take back with them to Kaifeng. I cannot summarize better than what they say in their own words.

What follows is a snippet of the report from our Kaifeng teachers. Enjoy what they have learned and will bring to their students, the incredible kids that we support.

Changde learning

Teacher Tang: We try to communicate with them not only language but also soul communication, the eyes are the window of soul…Patience is the basic stone of our work, we cannot be good teachers if you don't have it. The interest to life is more important to studying for the kids especially to some simple daily life independent abilities. We should focus on handcraft work and music classes for they can develop the kids' intelligence.

Teacher Den's: When classes begin, she comes to the key point of what the kids will learn immediately. Most of the time she used the Montessori teaching equipments to teach the kids. She used body language and focused on the explanation of the teaching aids. She used body language again and again together with teaching aids and let the kids do it themselves independently.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to the sponsors and donors that have made these opportunities to teach, learn and grow toward a bright future possible.

To learn more about the LWB Education program in Kaifeng and students in need of sponsored learning opportunities please visit: http://www.lovewithoutboundaries.com/education_kaifeng.cfm

School Begins!

What an exciting month it has been for our newest school, Believe In Me IV. Two teachers were hired and they were able to go to Beijing for Montessori training. They were very eager to come back to school and apply what they had learned in Beijing. They spent about a week preparing the classroom for the students, and last week they welcomed twenty-three nervous but excited children to the room. The students range in age from one to nineteen.

The first week, the children spent time familiarizing themselves with the school routine. They also learned some new songs and made some crafts. This fall, the teachers will work with the students to learn their names, talk about weather, and learn about some Chinese traditions. In November the teachers will travel to another Believe In Me school to observe how things operate there. They are both so willing to learn and try new things, and their enthusiasm is rubbing off on their students!

Love Without Boundaries is SO grateful to Hope's Heart Orphan Foundation for providing the needed funds to open the doors to this newest school. You can visit Hope's Heart at http://www.hopesheart.org/

Heather Hough

Believe In Me IV School Coordinator

Love Without Boundaries