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Published: July 11th 2010
Kitty and I
at a "TPR" wedding with kittyGood Morning Class,
Believe it or not this “trip” has been 99%!w(MISSING)ork. I’m a teacher, at least for another 3 more classes. I’ve been teaching for over a year now and I’ve learned a lot. I’d like to think I wasn’t a bad teacher, at least this can be said, the kids loved my classes. Although I think I’ve left most of my TA’s with clumps of hair missing from a slight lack of declipine in some of my classes (at least by Chinese standards), there is a method to the maddness and my students score well and we all have a jolly good time. There have been many highlights and a few lowlights, some of them you
need to know.
The Lowlights *Starting my very first class of adults, after having planned an elaborate lesson, only to realize I’d been given the wrong book after the class began. Good teachers know how to improvise, I’m not one of them.
*Teaching Sick
*On Parents days all the parents come and we have a demonstration class with their kids. During my kindergarten class with cameras flashing and mothers cooing I accidentally get punched
hard Certificates
handing out awards in the balls. We no longer play simon says on parents day.
*Yelling at the kids, something you never want to do, but you have to have some control.
*One of my VIP students “accidentally” emptied a fire extinguisher while I was in the bathroom. The room was caked in white junk and I wanted to throw in him out the window I was so angry.
*Angry/crazy parents
*I had one kindergarten student who cried every single day for the first 10 minutes of class. I was stunned when she came back for another semester.
*For every good activity I use regularly there are dozens in a graveyard of failed ideas that bomb during class.
*Eric
The Highlights *My very first TA I ever had walks into my very first class and I think “DAMN.. she’s gorgeous”. A year later Carmen is sitting next to me as I type this.
*Naming Students
*One of my favorite students at the start of the semester took a picture of me, pretty normal. But at the end of the semester she gave me a stunning life size portrait of myself that
class outside
i like teaching outside if I can, and the weather is always nice makes me look way more attractive than I am. She got an A.
*Return students
*One of my vip students and I have created a very good relationship and I have gone out to eat multiple times with his parents. His grandfather, a famous Chinese artist with works in museums around the country, painted 3 original Chinese paintings for me.
*Signing Autographs
*The same student who cried for 10 minutes at the start of each class, the second semester stopped crying and her father told me I was her favorite teacher.
*Coming home and finding stickers on my clothes, in my hair, and on my books.
*Being offered a Job at the most prestigious rich kid’s English school in Zhongshan, had I stayed I would have worked there.
*Activities that work
*My colleagues at TPR
*Applause. In China we give applause for everything, so in class if I want a student to do something, like sing a song, everyone applauds and they do it. Really funny applauding everyone like they just won a medal, but its really effective.
*“Rain Days” Teachers like days off too.
*Singing, dancing, acting, playing,
Picnic
eating with the students and calling it English class.
*Swing, Coco, Tom, Stephanie, Molly, KiKi, Lamb, Mandy, Candy, Jerry, Kristy, Pheobie, Jackie, Kathy, Fanny, Jenny, Ivy, Shaylee, Claire, Kelly, Wendy, Lemon, Ben, Harry, Tina, Voile, Sunny, Rex, Anita, May, Lynn, Sophia, Stacy, Alan, Yo-Yo, Ebee, Michael, Xin, Arthur, Paddy, Raymond, Fiona, and many many others… even Eric.
I have had a lot of fun and have enjoyed my time as a teacher. I have a new world of respect for teachers but now I’m ready for life’s next challenge. To commemorate my time in the teaching world I’ve uploaded shots of me in the textbook trenches. My life as a teacher, hope you enjoy, much love, enjoy the week, Zai Jian.
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Rita
non-member comment
coming home
Wow, hard to believe the year for you is done. I am sure coming back to the US will be as foreign an experieicen as your fist days in China. I am sure it will be an emotional goodbye, but friends you will keep for a life time. We had great fun with your family for the 4th. Everyone loved your presents and I have red wealth and good luck tassels hanging from many doors in the house now. The fans are lovely too. We all look forward to seeing you again. Travel safely home. Rita