Aloha from China!

Aloha dear all! How are you guys going? Really miss our time together during APLP.

After APLP, I have had a quite crazy busy but also very meaningful and fruitful year. Did Yoga training workshops for the teachers of young children in 5 cities in China (one is in Tibet), built a 80 member teachers team. Opened a kindergarten, a children training center and a children’s town (children come there to play roles as social positions, such as doctor, fireman, postman, etc ).

I really appreciate what I learnt from APLP and I do use the leadership capacity in my life and for changing the world each day. Very proud! :)

Today is a super busy and happy day for our students, teachers and me. 140 children started summer sessions today at the new More Fun Kindergarten and summer program in Ruichang, China. This is the place I have been setting up since September 2013 and today was our first day of summer classes. 2 programs are now running simultaneously. 40 children ranging in age from 2 to 5 years old are attending the kindergarten. 60 students from 5 to 12 years old are attending the summer vacation education leadership program.

This morning the 5 to 12 year olds enjoyed meeting each other, and then they participated in a yoga session to loosen their bodies. After yoga they formed P4C (Philosophy for Children) circles with their groups to choose the role of the group, their group name, group leaders, and also their flag. The children used P4C concepts for the first time today during these activities. They also used leadership principles of take care of yourself and take care of others.

The summer education program consists of the following classes: Art, Drama, English, P4C, Reading, Sensory Integration, and yoga. Leadership is the common theme of the program. P4C as a teaching style and method of collective inquiry was recently taught to our teachers in June 2014 by Lulu Leng from the University of Hawaii and we are already using P4C with our teachers and in circle discussion groups with children. Our teachers are enjoying using P4C. Blaine Ray’s TPRS method of teaching a second language using story telling was recently taught to our English teachers.

During the beginning event of the summer training, students were playing leadership games and doing some yoga positions.

Students were writing their goals and wishes for this summer training, and voted for their group name, values, and drew their group flag.

Our kindergarten students also like p4c(philosophy for children) thinking tools. By that they maintain their wonder.

  

Art by our students and teachers.

(Note: As Duan does not have direct access to the blog where she is, she sends me an email with her post content and I publish it on her behalf - Ahila)