Be the best of yourself

When teenagers from the metropolis encountered children from villages on mountains;, and when textbook knowledge collided with local wisdom, this cross-country teaching volunteer journey provided students with life lessons far beyond the classroom. This Rural Revitalization and Volunteer Service Project at Qiandongnan, Guizhou took place in Xiage Village, Zhaoxing Town, Liping County—a conservation area for the Dong ethnic culture. Focusing on three key themes—rural revitalization, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and educational equity—the program was carried out through a Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach.

Before the trip, students attended a six-hour preparation course covering rural revitalization, the awakening of volunteer spirit, practical fieldwork, and fast-track teaching skills. Once they entered the village, the students were deeply touched.

Cai: “The moment we stepped into the village, we were struck by the breathtaking natural scenery. Whenever it was sunny, the sky remained incredibly blue, and the wheat fields were as neat as if they’d been measured with a ruler. At dusk, smoke curled up from kitchen chimneys, elders chatted at their doorsteps, and children played around joyfully.”

This is the homeland of the Dong Chorus—a multi-part harmony known as the “sound of nature”, embodying the Dong people’s reverence for nature and passion for life.

Xu: “What fascinated me the most was the well-preserved traditional culture of the Dong village, especially the unique drum-towers—each one is in form and rich in meaning.”

On the first afternoon, the team visited Chengge Elementary School in Xiage Village for teaching exchange. Faced with conditions far different from what they had imagined, every student was deeply touched and silently resolved to open the door to knowledge for the children in the most engaging way possible—planting seeds of curiosity in their hearts.

According to Gu’s observation, the school had around 100 students and about 10 teachers. “But during the teaching, I noticed a serious issue: the children here lacked initiative in learning and had limited interest in classroom knowledge.”

Xu: “Initially, we used candy to reward students as motivation—whoever answered correctly would get one. But we soon ran out of candy. Maintaining classroom discipline became our biggest challenge. Our carefully designed fun lessons couldn’t proceed as planned. After class, we reflected and discussed: how could we get these children to quietly complete a lesson? 

The turning point came on the fourth day. We tried having students take turns reading out loud, followed by random English vocabulary checks. Surprisingly, it worked effectively. Every child became focused—even the naughtiest one settled down.”

You carefully prepared a lesson called Understanding the World, hoping to broaden the children’s views; Li found that although third graders were the hardest to communicate, their participation significantly improved through games and some rewards.

We are well aware that a few weeks can hardly make a lasting change. But at the very least, we tried to let these children know that: a girl’s life should not be confined to marriage and childbirth—the world is far broader than their imagination.

Through continuous trial and adjustment, everyone gradually realized that “true education is not about imposing change, but about seeing with heart”.

Su: “I realized that the teaching methods used in cities were like ill-fitting shoes here—they looked good but couldn’t walk on mountain paths. The change began when I stopped ‘teaching knowledge.’ Gradually, I taught them; we played together; they braided my hair; we learned, played, and laughed together. Teaching isn’t about forcing knowledge upon them—it’s about helping them experience life and understand the meaning of learning.”

Yu expressed strong confidence in future development, saying “In the future, we could try integrating Dong culture with English teaching—for instance, using English to introduce the Dong Chorus and traditional festivals. This could not only motivate their interest in learning but also help preserve traditional culture in new forms.”