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Published: September 6th 2008
I’ve officially survived my first week of teaching English. There are many things that I love about my job, the kids in particular. My first graders are absolutely adorable and sweet. During the course of the week most of the little girls would keep saying this one sentence to me in Chinese, but I had no idea what it meant. I finally asked my co-teacher, and she told me that it meant “I love you”. Of course I completely adore them. It’s difficult to leave the classroom when my lessons with them are over because they all surround me and grab on to me. They do that to all of the foreign teachers. Whenever one of us so much as steps into the first grade wing about fifty little kids just latch on to us. The first graders don’t know very much English. At the beginning of the week about half of the students could say “hello”. Now all of them can say hello, and most can say “what’s your name?” and “My name is _____”
The biggest challenge with the first graders is keeping them engaged. There are over forty kids in each of my classes, and the kids aren’t very interested in listening to other children ask questions. If I do a game or ask a question to the class and it lasts for more than about five minutes, there’s total anarchy. This makes things difficult because I’m currently trying to teach them the alphabet and I’m running out of different ways to present the material. The teaching aides that I use have to be made by hand because I’ve yet to find a source of mass-produced teaching materials, and while there is one printer on the campus I teach at I haven’t actually been able to get onto the attached computer to use it. It’s possible that there is another printer somewhere, but nobody knows about it.
My fourth graders are much less antsy and much more academically motivated. They’re a fun group. They love to answer questions in class, and get excited at the mere mention of a game. My co-teacher for that class is highly professional and undoubtedly one of the most talented teachers I’ve encountered, but I think I exasperate her. With the first graders the class is treated as mine, and my co teacher follows my lead and lets me make the lesson plans. With my fourth graders my co teacher has her own plans for the lesson, which she tells me about pretty much right before class. As a result I don’t feel like I have any time to think about how I’m going to perform my role, and therefore I don’t do so to the best of my ability. I hope that in the coming weeks things will start to run more smoothly between us, and that the class will develop into a true partnership. I know that I’m not up to her standards at the moment, but I think that if I work at it enough I can be. I’m learning as I go (trial by fire, I guess.).
In all honesty this is the most stressful job I’ve ever had (not that my previous jobs have been particularly stressful at all.). At the same time I’m happy to finally be doing a job that is worth doing, and I know that this is where I want to be. I think that after this year I’ll be ready for anything.
Outside of the classroom I haven’t done much this week. Eating is always an adventure. I’m enjoying all of the new tastes. Dumplings are the most popular food among the foreign teachers, and I think that most of us can ask for them in Chinese now. One of the foreign teachers from the original group seems to have made it his quest to make sure that every one of us tries bitter melon (it‘s a melon, and it‘s bitter. Very bitter.). There are tons of bakeries around Wuhan, and they’re nice for a break from the more savory things that tend to be served here. Last night the company took all of the foreign teachers out for a banquet at this amazingly fancy restaurant. We had a private room, and there were three weddings going on right outside the door. They brought us dozens upon dozens of different Chinese dishes to sample. After many years of living in Maine and refusing to eat seafood I’m starting to develop a taste for it. At one point I went out for dinner with some other teachers, and one of the dishes in front of us was shrimp and the other was the stomach lining of a cow. Needless to say I preferred the shrimp.
I’m admittedly surprised by the things that I can’t find in Wuhan. Coffee for example. I’ve searched but I haven’t come across any. High quality loose leaf tea is everywhere, but I can’t find a tea diffuser. I didn’t bring one with my to China because I thought a new one would be cheap and easy to find, and I’m regretting it now. Today I walked into this tea shop and these two women followed me around with little cups, trying to get me to sample everything. At such a point as I find a diffuser I’m going to have to go there. The shop had giant bags of jasmine pearl tea for a fraction of what it would cost back home. I want it.
Anyway, my plan for the night is to go to the joint birthday party of one of the other foreign teachers and a local friend of his. He’s promised to show us a musical night market.
Oh! Somewhere around January/February we all get a month of paid vacation time. I’ve never had a paid vacation in my life. We also get a paid week off at some point between now and then (but I don’t know exactly when), and a few holidays. Something called the moon cake festival is coming up. I don’t actually know what it is, but I can’t wait to find out. There’s also a big national holiday called “teachers’ day” that we’re all going to get to take a part in.
That’s all for now. Bye!
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mumsisdaughter
non-member comment
Welcome to the teaching profession. As I contemplate retirement in 2009 or 2010, you are starting out in the best job in the world. It will have its moments of disillusionment, but generally is the most satisfying profession there is. The lining of a cow's stomach? It's called tripe in UK (a Northern dish), is usually poached in milk and served with onions. My Dad loves it. I have survived 55 years without trying it! I don't blame you for going with the shrimp. PS Your photo link didn't work for me. It took me to a deleted Travelblog (also Wuhan but not yours). Strange.