I’ve lived without a sink for almost two months and it’s been the best two months of my life.

I’m in Vietnam as a volunteer English teacher.

What does that entail?

Each week I teach at two public preschools, one private preschool, one homeschool class, one public primary school and one English center.

The age of students range from 3 to 17.

I’ve done some teaching here and there never as my primary focus.

I’ve learned so much.

All the hand motions to ‘5 Little Ducks.’

How to gesture to bring a student to the front of the class.

Everyone counts to three on their fingers differently, e. g. pointer, middle finger, thumb OR pointer, middle finger, ring finger OR index and thumb together in the okay hand sign. (Although interestingly enough almost everyone counts to two the same, pointer then middle finger.)

Winning is making learning a game.

Leaving a class feeling like you’re not sure what you accomplished, if the students even learned anything, whether because of lack of focus or your failings, sucks.

Language is something that is personal, unlike math and science, you actually get to learn more about the student you’re teaching as you learn the content which I really enjoy. Even if that’s as simple as learning their favorite color.

It’s easy to hide in a crowd. Getting one on one time with each student every class is ideal.

Each class has different needs, try and listen and watch for them.

The drama of a little red chair is high.

How impactful songs are on kids.

How important caring about the kids, wanting to get to know them, their interests and being happy and sad about what they’re happy and sad about and greeting them warmly and saying goodbye, is the foundation for a relationship. These may feel incredibly obvious but to those who don’t naturally use these rituals to connect I think provide unmatched value.

My most advanced class, defined as the English literacy average, isn’t my oldest class, although that class has the highest performing individual students.

My most advanced class isn’t the wealthiest class, but it does have elements that tend to be found above the poverty line with smaller class sizes and better content & support for the teachers.

My most advanced class is the one that has both a smaller class size (less than 7) and where I’ve been enabled with the best content and structure to teach the students, interestingly enough by the mom of one of the students who runs the class in her living room.

I also teach on Saturday because someone somewhere made the ungodly decision that school was a six day a week endeavor here.

I’ve had moments where concepts have clicked with students, where we’ve laughed together, and sometimes at each other, where I’ve been filled with pride, and others where I’ve been filled with a deep sadness.

I also got to do all of this in Vietnam, a country that has captured my heart from day one.

So bringing this all back to where we started with no sink. The program I’m volunteering with works with owners of local English centers which act as a host family for the volunteers.

So in this case, I’m living in the host families extra apartment in Dan Phú district.

And I’ve had the best two months of my life.

That’s not to say there aren’t areas to improve, and that I wouldn’t love a sink, a kitchen, a microwave, a toilet paper holder, but it’s a good reminder that you don’t need to have even very basic things in order to have some of the best times of your life.