Teacher! Teacher!
Trip Start
Jun 18, 2008
1
16
46
Trip End
Sep 04, 2008
Beijing,
China
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The summer camp is located nearby in a cool area of town, which is good for commuting and spending free time during lunch. My commute consists of a short-distance bus ride, but the traffic is so bad that going probably no more than 2 miles takes 30-40 minutes. But, even though it's painfully slow, I'm thankful I don't have to go any farther because the buses are so crowded that you can barely breathe. And, I'm not proud of it, but I have learned to push. If you don't elbow your way on to that bus, you are left at the curb.
My first day I gave myself plenty of time to get to the school in the morning and even had Adam show me exactly how to get there by bus the day before. However, sure enough, I still managed to screw up. I got on the express instead of local bus, and we went on a different route and passed my stop. Once I realized this, I got off as soon as possible and had to orient myself, ask directions and get there by foot. Nevertheless, I did get there and was sweaty but not late!
My first impressions of the school were very good. The place has an abundance of friendly staff, most of whom speak some English, and there are actual classrooms with desks, whiteboards, and CD players. The students must come from wealthy families to afford this school because it is in a luxury office building and the average class size is only 6. In fact, in our get-to-know-each-other discussions, I've learned that most their parents are either "engineers" or "businessmen" so I guess that explains it.
Each day, I teach students for 2 ½ hours in the morning and then another set of students in the afternoon. I plan my lessons around a book provided by the school, and we will complete it by the end of the three-week session. My students are 13-17 and at an intermediate level. With the exception of two students who are pretty slow, I am very impressed with the English-speaking abilities of my students. Though I may be overly confident, I am fairly certain that they understand just about everything I say, but I am quick to clarify when they look confused.
Day 1 was a little tough because the time went by more slowly than I had hoped. I resorted to playing games because I wanted to keep them happy, and I know how important it is that they like me from the start. This way, I can be stricter later but I need to win them over first. Also, I stressed that they are only to speak English, but I tolerate some Chinese when the smart kids explain things to the others. Rather than scold them, I realize I need them as an ally because I have to depend on the brighter students to help the rest since I cannot explain in Chinese even if I wanted to.
At the end of Day 1, exhausted, I thought Really, I have to do this again tomorrow? So far, the majority of things I've had to do in China have been a one-time thing, so I can have a why not? attitude about it. Here, though, I have to maintain a level of consistent performance and treat the job in a professional and responsible manner. I'm up to the challenge, but it makes me more appreciative of the free time I had up to this week even if I was bored at times.
Today, Day 2, was already a million times better than the first day. I was more relaxed and it helped me to develop a better rapport with the students. We had more fun today, and I have no problem with my students learning English through having fun. Maybe they won't need to know the word "sideburn" or "Internet dating" anytime soon, but you never know.
Plus, I am learning things from my students. For example, I just assumed that the one-child policy was a fixed rule. However, if two parents are both only children, an exception is made and they are permitted to have two children. Also, I learned about Liu Xiang, the Chinese hurdler whose world record is 12.88 seconds, and he will win Olympic gold or else bring enormous shame to his country.
Another surprise benefit of my job is lunch time. For two reasons: I receive a free lunch daily, and they have seen to it that I get a Halal meal, which won't have any pork. Also, there are two other American teachers working at the school, who have taken me under their wings. They both work at the school year-round and have each been in China for several years. Today they introduced me to McDonald's coffee, which is drip, 7 RMB (dirt cheap for Beijing) and refills are free.
Here I am in Beijing. Settled a bit, with a job and a purpose.
