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Published: March 6th 2006
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The Labor Skills Fiasco
Look at how happy I am at the beginning of class Okay folks...I'm here to debunk the following myth in a big way. You may have the image of Chinese students who are afraid to offend the teacher, and view the teachers as demi-god-like creatures. Not true my friends, not true.
(NOTE THIS IS ENTRY NUMBER 2 of 2. MAKE SURE TO READ PART 1 FIRST)
Case in point....today's history class.
So this morning was history class number 2 for a group of 11th graders. Last week the class went pretty well, and despite low participation it appeared that they had some personality. Despite this assessment I didn't know this was coming. First off, the computer in that class hates me. I have taught 14 classes and there is a computer for presentations in every room. I have only had problems with my powerpoints twice...both in that class. Then, the piece of the Indiana Jones DVD I was going to show....it didn't work either. It has become quite the joke in the class.
Anyway...back to my original point about the myth of Chinese classrooms. So, as soon as the DVD didn't work I moved to my next thing. Today's lesson was about how historians do their work. I
wanted to get the students used to filling in theories and making guesses. So, much like with the pictures last week with the seventh graders, I did the game where they had to fill in the caption bubble. Well...here's the good news...participation was not a problem for the 46 students in that class. However, well...they had no problem using the time to take shots a me. I guess I have an instantly calming relaxing effect on the Chinese youth because you would have thought (except for the nearly 50 kids) that we were in the US of A. Case in point, I put up a picture of a caveman at a computer....one group's answers...."Hi, I'm Mr. Yellen's sister." Thanks kids, I really feel at home now. I will not go into the other comments. Needless to say I deducted a point for that one. Finally, I decided to spark participation with the bag of jolly ranchers I purchased a western supermarkert. Conclusion: All kids like candy. The biggest difference though, when the computer didn't work....and there were 2 minutes of down time....there wasn't a single discipline problem. Most were quiet, some just chatted calmly at their desks. No offense, I'm
The Labor Skills Fiasco
These were the instructions we were given...can anyone follow these? They look like that sign on I-95...and can anyone follow that? not sure that would have happened at home.
*** *** ***
Okay, the other part of today's blog is about the culture classes the 11 Newton folks have to take. (The teachers and students) Our week started off with a class called "labor skills." We had no idea what went on there. It takes place in the cold basement of the school. I had images of being forced to craft some of the terra cotta warrior knock offs that were prevalent in Xian and told to us by our tour guide there. But no....it was worse than that. In labor skills we had to tie these knots that were to be part of this bead thingie. To say it didn't go well would be an understatement. Two hour class...I couldn't do it. My students took turns helping me...but to no avail. The teacher tried, then gave up. It was awful. At the end of the class the teacher said (In Chinese so someone had to tell me) "Everyone did well today, except for one." Thanks, I feel really good about me now.
Next class didn't get any better. Caligraphy. Sounds good right....I was awful.
Chinese class happens
Calligraphy
Our calligraphy desk. Ink and workbook. four days a week. That actually went decently. The highlight was when I taught the Chinese teacher about the "finger on the nose" thing to symbolize "the not it" phenomenon. She loved it so much she started using it to get "volunteers."
PE class was cool because se did Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Our teacher is this small Chinese woman who you definitely would not want to mess with. Turns out she was either the stunt person or stunt coordinator for Jet Li...a famous Chinese Kung Fu actor. She did this thing with a pool cue by swinging it around...all I can say here is wow! Lookout!
My week ended with a double period of art class. That was almost as bad as the labor skills was to start the week. We had to paint pictures of trees. Trees? Cmon, that stinks. Can't I take a double period of PE instead? The teacher came up to my picture...after having said "Hen Hao (very good)" to everyone else . He took one look and says "Holding a Chinese paintbrush is very difficult for you." Thanks pal, you could have just told me my painting bit, but I get
the message just the same.
Finally, the week ended Friday evening when school took us out to an acrobatics show. I have a wonderful movie to show when I get back, but pictures will have to do for now. One highlight of the evening, 13 girls on one bike while riding around the stage. It was something to see.
Okay, until next time.
-Brett
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Julia
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