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Published: March 5th 2006
Yellen Teaches
I'm in the back there somewhere.Greetings blog readers,
It has been way too long since I provided tales of my adventures here in China, so sit back, put on some music, and relax as I tell you some tales. Today's entry will focus on the start of my teaching adventures here. As last week was the first week in which I began teaching at the Jingshan school. This will be one of those two part blog entries...so stay tuned tomorrow for part 2.
I would first like to open with a great little story that just happened. Earlier readers will remember that I frequent a store on the corner in order to make my water purchases every couple of days. Despite my lack of language, the proprietors (a young couple and their baby) and I always share a smile and a hello, thank you, you're welcome, and a see you later. Today, my hopes of this becoming "my store" were realized. In the late afternoon of a gorgeous day here in Beijing I left the park outside my house, book in hand, in order to go buy my water. Barely a foot in the door, the owner sees me, says something in Chinese and
scrambles to a box that was yet to be unpacked. Out he pulls my brand of water, puts on the red travel tab I always request, and scans it in. He smiles and I enthusiastically say thank you and laugh. After purchasing my water I told him I would see him soon, and went back out into the Beijing streets. I have arrived.
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The first part of this entry is about classes I taught this week. Perhaps this will come across as hyperbole, but I think it is fair. When historians look back on the history of Chinese education it will be divided into two parts. Before Brett Yellen and after. The dividing point will be 9:40 AM on Monday morning, 3rd period history with yours truly. I have already mentioned my assignment to teach a couple of history periods. This provides many challenges...but those will be documented at a later time. I should say that the lesson plan for this week for all 11 classes that I taught was the same regardless of subject. It was for brief introductions and then a reading of the Responsibility Fairy Tale. This fairy tale will be known
to all former students reading this entry. However, in short to those who are not familiar, it is a fairy tale about a prince and princess in which the prince dies and blame must be assessed at the end of the story. The story had what at best could be termed "mixed results." I knew language would be difficult, so I put 5 important vocab words and their definitions, along with the words in Chinese. (I had help from my host brother on that one). I thought any language difficulties here would be amelerioted, and the main idea could at least be understood by most students. Well, that wasn't the biggest problem...the biggest problem was that my style is so different, I think many Chinese students had a mix of amazement, wonder, and sheer terror. It appears that Chinese teachers mostly stand on a stage like thing at the front of the room working from a textbook. I on the other hand immediately walked all over the room, reading the story with a mix of many voices. Again...education before Yellen and after Yellen. It was unclear how this was received. Stay tuned throughout the semester.
The highlight of my
Yellen Teaches
Caption from the kids: "I am more handsome than Mr. McDonald's" teaching career in China in the first week had to be the following quote from student sitting in the front row of one class. I started off the class telling kids I had heard that students in China did not like history much. Then I asked who didn't like history. This of course was all scripted, and I hoped that many answered that they liked science or math better. I had prepared picture examples of things we'd be learning that are science and math related and there was something here they would like...dare I say love....and even more dare I say....like history. "So, kids, who here doesn't like history?" Nothing. Dead silence. I laughed. "Cmon, everyone here LOVES history? I don't believe that at all." Finally, one brave girl in the front dares to risk offending the teacher and says, "I don'.t" I run to the front from the back of the room. I was excited...finally some life in the class. "Great," I say. "You don't like history?" "No, she says." "Well...what do you like?" "Anything else," she responds. I start laughing....this was a group I was going to like.
The next day of teaching was well....let's just say
The School Uniform
Me in a borrowed school uniform rocky. The history class is 11th grade. Their English is better...so they could grasp concepts a little better. Today's adventure consisted of 5 7th grade periods in a row. The first 2 were...well...a disaster. Not since early in my career had I had such bombs. If this class was on the highway people would have stopped to watch the car crash that was those first couple of periods. Well...first off...7th graders' English varies to such an extent that very few understood what I was talking about. Either that or they didn't want to admit it in order to avoid participating. The lowlight came when I was demonstrating a telephone ringing because I needed the students to make a telephone noise for the story. I hold up my cell phone, looking for some signs of life, when I say very slowly..."Has anyone here ever used a telephone?" Nothing. It got worse from there.
I seemed to get the hang of it as the day went on. I figured out a better cadence in which to speak and what level of vocabulary to use. In hindsight the the story was too hard, but I had committed to it, and it was
Fragrant Hills Park
Will I make it up the 2153 steps? too late to look back. By the fifth period, I found one trick was to use what I like to call "The American English Word of the Day." This is the portion of the show where I get an entire generation of Chinese students speaking like well...me. Last week's word was "awesome." The kids were loving it. I even mixed it in with what some affectionately call-Chinglish. When the class did not respond as loudly as I would have liked I said "Kids, that was bu-awesome....not awesome." They laughed, and did better the next time. For one class I saw twice this week, an accelerated hand-selected bunch...the second phrase of the week was "Hey, what's up?' We had a lot of fun with me saying "Hey, what's up students?" to which they respond "Hey, what's up teacher?"
I illicited a lot of laughter from the students as I tried to speak Chinese...I know on many of occasions I introduced myself as Yellen the old rat and not the teacher. But, they did get excited when I said "I will teach you to speak better English, and you will teach me how to speak some better Chinese. That will be
Hot Pot
Look at the noodles being made at the table! our deal." Several students in each class nodded, and thought this would be a fair...if not a fun arrangement. I do get laughed at though when I try.
Participation is a huge problem. NO ONE wants to participate. For these first classes I instituted something some students at home once called "The sticks of death." In short I have everyone write their name on a piece of paper, and I randomly select them in order to get responses. This keeps students on their toes and well...helped get participation from classes where maybe 8 of the 400 plus students I have (yes you read that correctly) raised their hands. My favourite moment was when before I picked a paper out, one student in the front row gave himself the sign of the cross, looked towards the heavens, and muttered something. Incidentally, his name didn't come up.
My other favorite story of the week comes from the cut-throat Simon Says game I did in the advanced class....NO ONE got out. Next week I plan on teaching them YMCA. That should be fun. I also took a bunch of pictures of my computer and had them come up with thought bubble
The Hot Pot
My host uncle and cousin about to chow down! captions...in one picture I was sitting next to Ronald McDonald on a bench. The caption one group came up with..."I am more handsome than Mr. McDonald's." Finally, its good to see the art of kissing up is alive and well here in China. I made a big deal about my love of baseball in my introductions. One kid yelled "Red Sox!" and the next day brought in a Red Sox hat.
In the next entry we wil hear about: My embarrassingly bad performance in a class called "Labor Skills" and my attempt at Kung Fu. As well as other tales of teaching here in China vs. The Yellen style.
Until Next Time,
Brett
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Sharon F
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The Stage
Please, please don't even think about using a stage when you get back to the states. I don't think I could handle all the kids that would come down to guidance!!!