Year Three: Momentum

My theme for this year is positive momentum.

The first year at Liger, as I have said to many people, felt almost like a false start. We came in with high expectations and big dreams, but it was harder than we thought to mesh our personal goals with the reality of this brand-new school. We had students we knew nothing about, who spoke little to no English. We were creating curriculum daily, based on their ever-emerging needs, with little time for quality reflection. Our teaching staff was the eight-armed octopus, all going in different directions.

Year Two was easier in some regards, but also more challenging. While we knew our students much better, and they us, they had made so much progress relative to themselves that the stakes were raised. We needed to do even more. Push even harder. Those initial expectations that we arrived with had now been met and surpassed. Low English was no longer pervasive, and the majority of students were engaging with and truly enjoying our out-of-the-box approach to teaching. Year Two felt like what we imagined Year One to be. Now I know what it means to work at a start-up. I understand that growing pains are hard, but usually worthwhile. That being said, I'm not sure if I ever want to do it again...

Now we are embarking on Year Three. I am proud to say some of my top students might even be able to use context to decode the meaning of that word. English is now spoken during the entire school day, no exceptions. It has simply become the norm, and runs on the honor system with less and less frequent reminders and check-ins. For the most part, these kids are incredibly, almost uniquely, honest. They prioritize respect and we can trust them to turn themselves in if they have made even the smallest mistake. They are now twelve and thirteen, becoming adolescents (gag - prior to this I have never taught beyond third grade) and with that comes all the requisite questioning and envelope-pushing.

This year we have a new focus on Entrepreneurship, so our first few days back have acted as a general introduction. Last year, Jeff and Dom created a partnership with a pair of local brothers -- born in California to Chinese-Cambodian parents who fled the Khmer Rouge -- who started the first 3D printing company in the country. They opened their own shop this weekend and all 50 of our students attended, networking with local businesspeople, seeing the latest technology, asking questions and drawing up their ideas for what the printers could print. Before the end of this year, each student will rotate through a 7-week start-up business project, led by the brothers, in which they will agree on the best item to be 3D printed, design, market and sell it. Some of the ideas I have heard floating around are baby-safe electrical plugs, which do not exist here, and a relief map of the entire country for use in government schools.

Last week, students researched different entrepreneurs and took on their histories and personalities in a faux networking event. We had the Rocher (chocolate) magnate making business deals with the owner of the largest Chinese supermarket chain. Three members of the Wal-mart family were being asked by Warren Buffet (played by one of our female students) why they refuse to sign his 50% pledge. Niron, who was the owner of what is now known as H&M, was carrying around one of my shirts as evidence of his product. His opening line? "Do you like fashion?"

Even though this sort of teaching is not the norm for me, and in no way would I consider myself an entrepreneur, I have enjoyed teaching them email etiquette and networking skills, and tomorrow, launching their dining etiquette course. No more chewing with their mouths open!

We have only been back about a week, but it genuinely feels like we never left. It is currently thunder storming outside in the best possible way. The air smells so fresh, the dust is gone (for now), and I can hear the yells of the kids from the sports court.

Since this year may very well be our last, I want to try and remind myself to take full advantage, push myself out of any bad moods that arise, and really make the best of it.

Stay tuned to see how that goes...

I sign off with something new and something old. First the new: while we were gone, Phnom Penh got its first real mall. We are talking gorgeous lighting, sparkling floors, escalators and top of the line haute couture stores. Food court, parking garage, fountains...I mean, the real deal. Furthermore, our local grocery store went green, now stocking their own brand of reusable cloth bags. Such progress, one might think.

However, lest we forget we live in what used to be a jungle, I also witnessed the discovery and subsequent hunt for a five-foot snake. Oh yes.