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On Thursday afternoon Cherry, my class scheduler, came into our office and advised Pete and I that we would have a fire performance rehearsal on Friday morning during 2nd period. I responded, "what will we have?" Then Cherry turned to the other 3 English teachers sitting in our office and said in Chinese what do you call what we are having tomorrow. None of them knew what we would call it so they learned something new from us, waiguorens, a fire drill.
I thought to myself ok, I have no idea where they are to go but I will follow my 58 students out of the classroom and out to the soccer field.
On Friday morning, I arrived for 1st period and the students of A1 were taking a class photo since it was their last day as a class together. I took a photo with the class then was asked through my students translating for their head teacher if he could have my lesson. I was thinking to myself really it is our last class and you want it. All the students around were like NO, we want Oral English, but the Chinese teachers override my power and
get any class they ask for.
2nd period was the fire drill and I had no idea what to expect. I arrived to the classroom of A6 and they were watching an English film(movie) as were the other 2 classrooms that were next to mine. Cherry was teaching next to me A5 and in A7 was a first year teacher who doesn't speak much English but tries. They both were standing in the hallway and I figured I would send my students out for the fire drill when they sent theirs.
There was no alarm just someone speaking on a microphone out on the soccer field in Chinese, next over 3,000 students from 3 buildings with 6 floors each were escaping the smoke filled buildings to the soccer field. I went with my students and stood outside for the next 30 minutes as it was hot and humid already at 9:15am.
Pete told his students to RUN. They ran the wrong way and turned around and ran past his classroom again. He said it was the funniest thing watching 57 students run in the hallways. He just went back to our office and then left since the
fire drill would last all period.
I got to experience the whole drill. The fire trucks arrived as their was fake smoke in all 3 classroom buildings. In the Senior 2 building 3 students were actors and were stranded/trapped on the 5th floor. There were 2 fire trucks that pulled up and ran up the stairs to put out the fire and the 2nd fire truck had a boom on it that rescued the students from the 5th floor.
I was thinking it was really slow as to get the students and bring them down. Samantha, an English teacher, was standing next to me and said I think that is really slow the students would be hurt if this was a real fire. I got a good laugh as I was thinking the same thing but kept my mouth shut.
The school administrators had 2 tables set up with a fancy red table clothes and each spoke in Chinese so I have no idea what they were saying. All the students were lined up with their class and head teachers applauding at the administrators speeches.
Pete made a good point when I arrived home as how
exactly would this school that is made from concrete and brick actually catch on fire.
After speaking with other CTLC friends this weekend 3 others had fire drills last Thursday and Friday also. It must have been Shenzhen's week for fire drills.
It was kind of amusing since it was a REAL Chinese Fire Drill but had nothing to do with getting out of a car and running around while at a stop light. Ah the good old days of being in High School.
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anonymous
non-member comment
Fire trucks!
Wow! We didn't get firetrucks! And our "ambulance" was one of the teacher's cars with a paper red cross taped to the window. Yours was certainly cooler.