Advertisement
Published: April 14th 2011
Edit Blog Post
Huzhou
The school track Right,
My last blog was messed up, somehow this bleeding computer managed to mix up the blog I published in the morning and the blog about Shanghai!
So I'm starting again! Sorry for the mix up folks!
I haven't written much about school life here in Huzhou, or about my day to day life, so I guess it's about time I filled you all in.
The students work unbelievably hard here. The school is the best middle school in the area, the students must sit an entrance exam to be accepted and after this they are worked to the bone. School begins at about 7.30 and by 9am the students have had at least one lesson, some of them have been for a run, some have done taichi. Some days all the students and teachers gather on the playground for a flag raising ceremony and the national anthem. (Should national anthem be capitolised, urgh grammar!?). Many of the students also have to sweep the leaves and clean the grounds before school begins. Could you imagine 13 year olds clearing leaves in England?
Alot of the students also have assigned jobs, each class has a monitor, who
Huzhou
Carrying the flag usually collects books from the staff room, delivers homework, many also clean the classroom, wipe the board clean and look after the computer and projector. Sometimes these kids are my life saver and I usually need their help with everything technical as it's all in Chinese!
11am is lunchtime for staff,if you have a free lesson, and 12 is lunchtime for students and staff who've been teaching through 11-11.45. Each lesson is 45 mins long, and each classroom is laid out in rows of single students. Each class has on average 40 students, and their level of understanding varies from class to class and grade to grade.
The students then have another form period and then it's back to lessons from 13.25 til finish which is sometime around 5pm-5.30. It's a very long day and many of the students don't go home at all. This is also a boarding school and many of the students only go home during weekends and holidays. Some grades also have classes on Saturday and many classes also have more lessons or extra curriculars in the evening.
I teach 12 classes a week, about 40 students in each class, 6 grade 7
Huzhou
Two boys from Grade 7 and 6 grade 8. I have two non-teaching days during the week which I spend in school usually lesson planning, blogging, or sending emails. I also have weekends free, which I'm trying to spend seeing the country, although so far it's mainly just catching up on sleep and doing housework. I'll have plenty of time to travel further afield in my two months off!
Once a fortnight, a class puts on a performance during lunchtime. It begins with grade 7 and then grade 8 and I assume grade 9. So far I have watched 701 and 702 both hugely talented classes. They perform a variety of dances, singing, comedy routines, and offer a small insight into life in China, the modern juxtaposed against tradition. I don't have any photo's of this but I'll be sure to take some next week and write a more detailed post about one of these shows.
Last week was really busy at school, it was sports week and there were lots of events to take in. On Wednesday we had both 702's lunchtime performance and a skipping competition. The competition involved all 3 grades, in which each skipper had to skip as
Huzhou
Balloons many times as possible in one minute. I sat with one of my grade 7 classes and they named each of their skippers for me so I could cheer with them! The atmosphere was electric, the sun was shining, the kids were laughing and cheering and it was just a really fun afternoon! The class that I was sitting with also won the event for their grade, so we were all very happy! Of course it wasn't just the students that took part, they also had a mini competition for the teachers too. Much to the amusement of all the students. 705's form tutor was the star of the show, just hilarious! He spent about 10 seconds taking the competition seriously, then with a giant comic gring on his face lolloped across the playground, serving in and out of the other teachers, trying to hit their ropes to put them off. The whole crown were roaring with laughter and it was certainly the most entertaining act of the day!
The following evening I was asked to take part in an oral exam, I was to judge my lovely grade 7's speaking skills. The exam was for this summer's
Huzhou
Lots of balloons trip to America. All the students there were the best in their classes and it was so difficult to score them. Unfortunately I had to so I probably gave them all fantastic scores to make up for feeling guilty about having to do so! Some of them were so nervous too, i just wanted to give them a massive hug and tell them the were doing just fine!
As Friday rolled in the atmosphere in the school was crazy, the weather was insanely warm and all the students in grade 7 & 8 seemed distracted by the impending competition. The morning dragged it's feet lazily and as lunchtime stumbled by the whole school was a giant ball of excitement. Even the teachers seemed in high spirits. All of the form tutors were dressed very smart, and those usually in jeans were all suited and booted. The women, always stunning had made that extra little effort and looked fabulous leading their classes across the track in a semi march.
The beginning was led by students carrying the Chinese flag, then a group of grade 7s carrying balloons, followed by grade 8s holding an array of different coloured flags.
Huzhou
Grade 8, flag bearing The kids all marched in time yi, er, yi...yi, er, yi and the lined up in the centre of the sports track, where the head teachers spoke for a while and a local news crew filmed the students. Then all of a sudden in what seemed like one synchronised swoop, the music began and the children began dancing, a stiff wooden and almost cheerleading type dance, but it was one hell of a sight.
After this the students took their seats and another group dressed in all white silk outfits ran centre stage and began a beautiful taichi performance. They performed for about 5 mins in total and as we speak there are some students outside practising. It's an extremely peaceful sport to watch and it's not only the students here who practise. In the parks dotted all over the city, in the afternoons, you can see small groups of elderly people gently moving each limb with careful consideration. It's a particular favourite with old people, apparantly, because it's not too strenuous but slowly revitalises the bloodflow and keeps aging bones 'well oiled'.
After the taichi, the races began. I stayed for most of the grade
Huzhou
One of the teachers with their class 7 events and a few of the grade 8s, and cheered and clapped and wooped with everyone else. However the heat was becoming too uncomfortable and I had a bus to Shanghai to catch and that is another story...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.04s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 6; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0201s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb