When I first began this project for Reach the World, I hoped to give students an inside look into my daily life in Cambodia. I wanted to share what my classroom looks like, how students learn, and what village life encompasses. What I was not expecting was how much this exchange was going to occur between classrooms on the opposite side of the world.
Throughout this journey, I have had the privilege of teaching English to primary school students in Cambodia while connecting with students in New York through these articles. Even though many kilometers separate us, many of the experiences are the same. Students everywhere ask questions, laugh with their friends, work hard in school and dream about their future.
Through Reach the World, I've tried to show both the similarities and differences that make our world so interesting. Cambodian classrooms may look different due to the students sharing desks, limited technology and lessons being on paper rather than on a screen. But the excitement of learning is the same. My students light up when they understand a new word in English, just as students elsewhere feel proud when they learn something new.
Writing these field notes, journal entries and albums has reminded me that learning about the world is not only about geography or history.
