C and O have been back in school for over a month now, so I thought it’d be a good time to share a little recap. I’ll start with big brother C (哥哥) first.
In Taiwan, elementary students switch teachers and classmates every two years, a transition that can feel nerve-wracking for families. This year, both C and O had to change classes. Knowing this, Baba and I met with the Director of Academic Affairs to request a more “relaxed” teacher for C. Since he was already doing about 2 hours of homework in 4th grade everyday, we couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the next two years.
The Director assured us that teachers are randomly assigned (which we weren’t entirely convinced of but let go) and said we’d need to work directly with C’s teacher. In August, classroom assignments were released and C was placed with the most notoriously strict 5th-grade teacher 😆. And we knew she was strict because she mailed every family a 4-page letter outlining expectations and sent daily reminders all summer.
We reached out to the teacher share our situation. She asked if C could try completing all the homework for a month and then see if adjustments are needed. We replied that he will do the best he can within the time we allocated for him (~1 hour a day), with the condition that he wouldn’t have to stay in class during recess if he couldn’t finish (a common practice here).
I was nervous about how she’d respond. In Taiwan, homework and tests are the ultimate measures of success, and this teacher seemed stern and unyielding. But to my surprise, she’s been understanding. Even when C couldn’t finish his homework, she didn’t scold or embarrass him (though she still has to grade him fairly). Over time, C has grown to appreciate that she allows students to start homework in class, has a structured schedule, and even her humor while scolding students. I’m grateful he’s kept such a positive attitude through all these changes.
Left photo: C doing homework in class. Right photo: His nightly stack of homework books. 😯
This year has been a bit more challenging since we decided not to bring back our tutor. Combined with our limited schedule for C’s Chinese homework, it’s led to lower grades, which was something we expected. We keep reminding C that this choice is intentional: we want to prioritize his well-being and focus on what will benefit him in the long run. Of course, once we’re back in the US, homework can’t be left unfinished and grades matter more. I just hope he’s not going to think that skipping work or poor grades are acceptable… 😣
For extracurriculars, C is on the badminton team, Global Scholars Program, and an ambassador 小小外交 at school. He also had the opportunity to visit Kinmen 金門 (an outer island of Taiwan) for 3 days in September with classmates. Outside of school activities, C (and O) still practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has gotten really interested in Minecraft and making Lego stop motion videos. Baba has also been working with the boys on simple engineering projects, while I’ve been focusing on reading and writing. It’s been busy in a good way!
Hongs Abroad 