The first day with my first 1st grade classes
I had one class of 34 children for 2 1/2 hours in the morning and another 33 children for 2 1/2 hours in the afternoon. I have to say the stereotype of children sitting bolt upright, eyes forward, and quiet is a MYTH!!! The reality is that they are very chatty. I was lucky, but many of the teachers couldn't believe the behavior- constant talking, throwing things, falling asleep, texting on their phones, and the list goes on. And on top of that the AC was in short supply, so the rooms were often 85 plus degrees. Imagine that while trying to teach a bunch of "little emperors." Again, as chatty as my groups could be, I was lucky.
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. A... ... read more 
