August 2011
It's been six months or so since I've signed on with the Aihua Foreign Languages Academy in Beijing, China. This is my second year of teaching and I have benefited significantly from the larger school, staff and resources. I have also found a rhythm in my class that I was just beginning to see at the end of my time in Taiwan. I feel like a teacher.
September 2010
Children in one of my young classes in Taiwan.
September 2009
I have spent the better part of a decade employed as a paramedic in a rural 911 emergency medical service. In the course of that time I have learned a great deal about the management of evolving medical emergencies, the logistical challenges of prehospital trauma, worked as a team member in a number of capacities, discovered the satisfactions of caring for a community and developed a passion for carrying my career forward in this field. Though it is certain to be a winding road I hope to make a life in nursing practice.
For the next 3+ years I am taking a sabbatical from my long term goals so that I may experience another facet of service. I am spending this time learning to teach English to both children and adults in Taiwan and China. My hopes are that the experience of becoming familiar (or rather re-familiar) with the intricacies of my language and learning to communicate this to non-native speakers will provide me with experiences in both education and cultural exchange. Time will tell.