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Published: October 15th 2012
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Chinese Laundry
Quilts are hung outdoors in fine weather, view from my new campus room Yes I am teaching 4 days a Week
Getting up before 6am is not one of my strong points but I was told I had to be at the bus as it leaves on the dot of 7am. And it did and I was there. And I do it 4 days a week!
Qilo Normal University has an inner city campus for 2000 students and 8,000 on the new campus.
The new campus is a 50kms away to the east, a 1 hour journey in the morning and up to an 1 hour 40 minute journey on the way back, past the car franchises, past the factories, past the new Shandong museum, past the Olympic stadium, right out in the middle of nowhere.
The bus weaved in and out of the lanes, madly honked the horn when it was driving in the cycle lane, stopped within a hairs breadth of other vehicles and got us there safe and sound.
The bus had a set of buddist prayer beads and a chinese good luck charm up the front, think every bead was needed on our journey. This will take years off my life!
Note
to self-do not sit up the front of the bus; you see way to much this way.
Facilities are limited here so that is why we live in the old campus in the middle of town.
At the new campus there is a canteen, 2 levels; small supermarket in the canteen at both levels, automatic telling machines in a little bank area, sport fields for the students such as basketball, tennis and athletic and ball game area and big stadium such as football but not much other than the teaching and sleeping buildings. There is a lovely lake and scenic area near the front of the uni, very nice place to hang out if it was me.
The kids all seem to be fine, sport is a big thing, and they just hang out and be teenagers I suppose.
And they have various clubs to join, these clubs are currently recruiting.
The students are 19 years old but in terms of our maturity they are like 14/15 year olds.
Girls walk hand in hand, guys hang out together, there are very few male/female couples displaying much more than hand holding.
They sleep 6 to a room, 3x2 sets of bunks, with a communal shower and toilet block.
In town they sleep 8 to a room, and only have cold water showers and toilets.
Brave kids being out at the new campus I reckon. Not sure if they can catch a bus and go somewhere.
There are fruit sellers that come to the edge of the campus and a few other food stalls nearby, but they are really isolated out here.
Or even go home on weekends?
I have 2 groups of students, 46 in one class and 49 in the other.
The desks are in rows of 4, students expect you to speak and for them to take notes and complete writing tasks as directed. Unless directed they do not offer anything or participate.
They do contribute one word answers quite happily; closed questioning is the order of the day. I am so used to using open ended questions in Australia in class, student contribution here is not the usual thing but I will be trying to work on this as active learning is one of the keys to understanding.
You are the sage on the stage, their learning is passive, and all knowledge comes from you directly to them.
However I have done group work with them and with encouragement they are happy to have a go, as long as they are not singled out.
My workload for the week is 20 x 45 minute lessons. Plus going out to supervise and be part of their work placement in kindergartens.
I actually plan 10 lessons and then deliver them twice, once to each cohort of students.
I have a monitor who calls the roll and assists me with any issues.
And I have an interpreter who after I say and explain, says it again in Mandarin, so it’s slower than normal teaching. I try to say what I need in simple enough English and for it to be written so most of the students can follow me as well. I really want them focussed on me and not on the translator.
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Yvonne Mes
non-member comment
Hi Rosemary,
It is a lot of fun to read about your adventures in China. Now that I am home with two little ones I have to live vicariously now and then. I am wondering what you teach exactly, English or Early Childhood because I read that you supervise them at kindergarten. Good luck when getting to that bus on time each morning ;-) Yvonne