Four weeks spend i the company of such amazing people did not feel like work at all.

My time as a teacher at E.S.Tibet was rewarding for so many reasons. Although I arrived with barely any idea of what I would be doing, I soon learned that the more I gave, the more I got back. The students are so passionate about their education; they never missed a chance to ask a question or came to me for help. They are the most hard-working, positive people I have ever met. It was a privilege to be a part of their strive towards learning English, even if just for a short time.

I learned a lot from my time at the school, not just about teaching, but about Tibet and the Tibetans' struggle. The students' stories, and their outlook on life, really put my own life into perspective. I feel I have come away a different person. I am grateful for the many memories I have: the 'ding ding ding' of the door bell at mealtimes; movie night, tingmos and jam; Saturday morning jogging; teaching everyone to say 'Kia ora!' (Hello in Maori); helping students with their essays; making momos - although I never did quite master the art of it!

To the students: i hope I was able to impart even a small amount of knowledge and insight while I was your teacher. Your appreciation of my

efforts made it all worthwhile. I learned a lot from you and I will never forget you. I wish you all the best for your future studies and your dreams to become teachers, doctors or novelists. I know you will all go far. Thank you for everything!

To future teachers: I think the most important thing I learned was that every effort counts. It did not matter that I had not taught before; that I sometimes did not know how to explain the meaning of a word right away (dictionaries will became your best friend!); that I am rubbish at basketball and badminton; that my attempts at drawing pictures were hopeless; or that my accent was the subject of ridicule sometimes (apparently 'next sentence' was the funniest thing that'd heard me say!) what mattered was that i was there and I was doing my best. The students made me feel valued and appreciated; they honed in on the skills and knowledge I did have and drew me out of my shell. They became my friends as well as my protégés. Make the most this opportunity - they have not your average learners!

By Katie