Education Taiwan Project #74284

Invest Monthly in Kid's Future in Rural Taiwan

by Teach For Taiwan

Project Report | Mar 15, 2026
"Teacher, I Want to Try."

By Lu Yue | TFT ER Team

What helps a child believe they can try?

What gives them the courage to say, “I want to try”?
And what role does a teacher play in that moment?

Today, we would like to share a reflection from TFT alumnus Hong-Jie Zhang, who served as a homeroom teacher in Yunlin County. His journey into teaching began long before he entered the classroom.

From Social Worker to Teacher

Before stepping into education, Hong-Jie worked as a social worker supporting children placed in foster care. Many of them carried deep uncertainty and trauma. It often took a long time for them to understand what they were going through, and even longer to begin rebuilding trust in themselves.

During those years, one thought kept returning to him:
“I wish I could stay with these children a little longer—long enough for them to believe in themselves.”

That hope gradually grew into a vision: to accompany children as they discover who they are, recognize their own effort and growth, and find the courage to become the adults they want to be.

With that belief, Hong-Jie joined Teach For Taiwan and began his journey as a teacher.

Letting Go of the “Right Answer”

The class he inherited included several students whom others had already labeled as “troublemakers.” They were energetic, mischievous, and unpredictable.

Yet the more time he spent with them, the more he realized something deeper.

Were they behaving well simply because a teacher demanded it?
Or did they truly understand why their choices mattered?

This question stayed with him—especially when thinking about one girl in the class.

Seeing the Child Behind the Struggle

This girl had vivid dreams for her future. When she talked about them, her eyes sparkled.

But she also acted impulsively at times, making choices that confused adults around her. Watching her struggle, Hong-Jie once caught himself thinking, “She shouldn’t be like this.”

Then another question emerged:
What does it mean to say a child “should” be a certain way?

What did she truly want?
What did she truly need?

That moment became a turning point.

Returning Choice to Children

Instead of giving fixed answers, Hong-Jie began returning choices to his students.

Together, they practiced noticing their emotions and reflecting on their desires. He invited them to ask themselves:

What do you really want to do?
How much effort are you willing to give for it?

At first, many students felt uncomfortable with the idea of choice. Some doubted they were capable. Hong-Jie prepared himself to respect their decisions—even if they chose to give up.

But something unexpected happened.

“Teacher, I Want to Try.”

One day, a student looked at him and said:

“Teacher, I want to try.”

“Are you sure?” Hong-Jie asked. “This will be challenging.”

“I want to try!”

Soon another student said the same thing.
Then another.

Slowly, “I want to try” became a shared language in the classroom.

They were no longer responding just to please their teacher.
They were choosing to challenge themselves.

A Different Meaning of Educational Quality

Through these moments, Hong-Jie began to understand something important.

Educational quality is often measured through obedience or academic performance. But perhaps there is another form of quality—one that appears when a child, in the midst of uncertainty, finds the courage to say:

“I want to try.”

That courage, quiet yet powerful, is also a form of high-quality education.

And it reminds us that meaningful change rarely happens instantly.
It grows slowly—when we learn to believe in ourselves, and when we choose to believe in one another.

Thank You for Walking With Us

Because of your support, teachers like Hong-Jie can accompany children as they discover the courage to say, “I want to try.”

Sustainable change in education takes time. Recurring support helps provide the long-term stability that organizations like Teach For Taiwan need to continue supporting teachers and classrooms across rural communities.

Thank you for standing with us.

To follow more stories from the classroom, visit our website or stay connected through Facebook and Instagram.

Links:

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Mar 2, 2026
A Letter Written with Two Years of Care

By Lu Yue | TFT ER Team

Today, we’d like to share something a little different.
This is not a report or a summary—it is a letter.
A letter written by Jia-Sheng Lee, a TFT alumna who served in rural Pingtung, to the graduating class she walked with for two years.

Dear My Children,

Congratulations on your graduation.
This is a letter I’ve wanted to write for a long time.

You may not remember every word, but these lines carry my truest feelings—my graduation gift to you.

Two years ago, I became a homeroom teacher for the first time. I was nervous and inexperienced, stepping into the classroom with equal parts excitement and fear. You were my very first class—and the beginning of my teaching journey.

In those early days, every morning felt like opening a mystery box. Some days were joyful, others heavy. There were conflicts, tears, and moments when I doubted myself so deeply that I was afraid to walk into the classroom. Once, after a fight broke out, I cried in the room—then had to pull myself together and keep going.

That was when I realized: you had already found a place in my heart.

Growing, Quietly and Steadily

Over time, we changed—together.
From fifth grade to sixth, you learned to remind one another, to take responsibility, to calm yourselves, and to care for the group. These changes may have felt small to you, but I saw them clearly—and I will never forget them.

We planned dreams and made them happen.
We traveled together, laughed endlessly, and created a graduation book filled with our shared memories. Other teachers began to notice your kindness and growth. You really did grow up.

Your emotions rose and fell, and sometimes confused you. But remember—these feelings are proof that you are growing. They will not last forever. One day, you will feel steadier, stronger, and more like yourself.

What I Hope You Carry Forward

More than anything, I hope you grow into confident people.
Not the strongest—but those who know their own uniqueness and where they shine.

Wherever you go next, remember this:
You have tried, fallen, and stood back up.
You have cared for friends—and been cared for in return.

If one day you feel tired or lost, remember—you can always come back.
The place that grew with you is still here.
And so is the teacher who once walked beside you.

You will become even more capable than you are now.
Every small effort you make will one day become a treasure no one can take away.

Thank you for walking with me through the very first chapter of my teaching life.
I will always remember you—my gentle, funny, hardworking children.

Happy graduation. I will always care for you.

—Teacher Jia-Sheng

Thank You for Walking With Us

Stories like this are only possible when teachers are given the time and stability to truly stay with children.

Your recurring support makes that stability possible. Monthly giving allows Teach For Taiwan to support teachers consistently and accompany children beyond one-time moments—through growth, change, and goodbyes.

Thank you for choosing long-term support. We invite you to stay connected with us through our website, Instagram, and Facebook, and continue walking with children and teachers together.

Links:

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Jan 23, 2026
When "Another New Student" Becomes the Norm

By Lu Yue | TFT ER Team

Have you ever wondered how many times a child can start over?

How many “first days” can one hold before they begin to feel ordinary—or exhausting?

And what happens when constant change becomes a child’s everyday reality?

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Another First Day—Again

In my first year of teaching, my class had 19 students.
By the second year, transfer students kept arriving—one after another.
The classroom grew more crowded, lessons were interrupted more often, and someone joked,
“You must be a great teacher—everyone keeps transferring here!”

But I couldn’t laugh.
What I saw were the quiet, heavy stories behind each transfer.

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Children Who Are Always Starting Over

These children reminded me of seedlings blown by the wind.
Just as they begin to take root, they are uprooted again—forced to start over in a new place.

Behind every transfer is a lack of choice: changes in caregivers, learning struggles, parents moving for work.
Each move means rebuilding routines, relationships, and a sense of belonging—again and again.

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Rethinking Educational Equity

When we talk about educational equity, we often focus on resources or staffing.
But for children living in constant transition, what they need most is continuity— a classroom willing to wait, a community willing to welcome, and an education system that understands their life’s rhythm.

Perhaps true equity is not placing every child at the same starting line, but ensuring that even those pushed forward by life can keep learning—without having to repeatedly learn how to belong.

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Changing What Children Arrive To

We may not be able to stop children from moving again and again.
But we can change what awaits them when they arrive.

Sometimes, education begins with something simple: open arms, a sincere smile, and the words—“You’re welcome here.”

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Thank You for Making This Possible

Your support makes stories like this possible.
Because of your generosity, Teach For Taiwan can continue supporting teachers and classrooms that become steady ground for children who are always starting over.

Every donation—especially your continued support—helps ensure these changes are not one-time moments, but lasting ones.
Thank you for walking with us and helping this work continue.

If you’d like to keep exploring these stories and the issues behind them, we invite you to stay connected with Teach For Taiwan through our website, Instagram, and Facebook. Together, we can keep the change—going.

For Teach For Taiwan, recurring monthly support is especially meaningful—it provides the steady foundation we need to keep teachers in classrooms and learning continuous for children who are often forced to start over.

Links:

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