Friday, September 12, 2003
THE STUDENTS AT HUAIROU YI ZHONG
(While you read the lastest update take a look at some photos taken by Ken and Judy around the school in Huairou where they are teaching.)
Dressed in their school uniforms -- blue and green camouflage for the Senior 1s and blue, red and white sweat suits for the Senior 2s and 3s, they wait patiently for the gate keeper to admit them to the school grounds in the morning. That's 7:20 am. Each has a bike with a carrier basket filled with books, bottled water and occasionally an umbrella if the weather looks threatening. Five or six abreast, they form a line which stretches down the city street to the stoplight half a block away. They chat quietly - no horseplay, no taunting or teasing, no roughneck stuff. And no one arriving in Mom's car, driving at breakneck speed for no reason other than to show off.
The students of each class, every morning, clean their classroom. The floor, the desks, the boards, the window sills all receive attention. Between each class, students are assigned to clean the boards, ready for the next teacher's use. All these responsibilities are shared and taken very seriously.
One or two students are assigned to look after each of their teachers. That means they meet you in your office, carry whatever needs carrying, deliver assignments, get water or chalk or photocopying. If you plan to return to your office between classes, these students will escort you back, if you wish them to.
In class, students are very attentive. They listen carefully, and often repeat what you've just said, if you pause for more than a normal breath. They love to have material read to them, following along with great concentration in their copies of the text. When we roam the room while they are doing assigned work, they are full of gratitude when we stop to correct an English phrase or a spelling error. They realize the importance of English and are determined to improve with our help.
As in any classroom, there are 'the boys in the back'. How this can happen in such a studious environment is beyond us. These are the extra tall or extra heavy guys who would rather be playing football or basketball - their obsessions. They have no interest in English, but will try if put on the spot -- which of course, we do. There are several very young - maybe 20 -- sweet, attractive female teachers who have just begun their careers. The back row boys are, of course, smitten, and act as all 17 year old males do when their hormones are jumping.
Many students either have or want English names. We have dubbed many Kevins, Andrews, Catherines and Janes in the past few weeks. It's a strange power to be able to confer such beloved names on people half way around the world. [BTW, we also gave Doa Yan's cat an English name: Griffin!] Many of the sports-mad boys are called Jordan or Michael after their basketball heroes. I came across a boy called Onion today. He assured me that he knew it was the name of a vegetable, so I let it pass. (After all, one of my teaching colleagues has the English name Rice as her first name.)
The level of English fluency varies from class to class, but we can be assured that most of the students understand us. We do a lot of pantomiming to get our ideas across. Today I was a polar bear, thumping down the classroom aisles. When I growled, the nearest girl jumped out of her chair. We had a very violent rain storm yesterday (Monday) afternoon, which Ken used in class today as a topic. He was the wind, the rain, the thunder and the lightning - a multi faceted presentation all by himself. This despite the fact that he's come down with a cold which has settled in his chest, and weakened his voice.
The students are so artless. They are unbelievably innocent. It's so refreshing, especially when we think of Canadian students, who are so worldly, cynical and blase about everything. These students praise their teachers, are very proud of their school and their country. They tell us about being fat, about how much they love their parents, and how much their parents love them. They genuinely want us to be their friends. Already Ken has been invited to go out for pizza with a second year student. Many are looking forward to coming to our apartment once we move. They are very anxious to see photos of our family (which we won't find until we've had a chance to unpack our suitcases.)
This Wednesday, September 10, is celebrated as Teachers' Day in China. Each teacher received a gift of money from the school, the sum depending upon how long the teacher has worked here. We got 360Y each because we are new to the school. Keyan received over 600Y. In each class over the day, the students stood and greeted us with Happy Teachers' Day, and then gave us gifts: flowers, toys, candies, wind chimes, a toy cat and a Chinese musical instrument. We were overwhelmed.
After period 8, all the teachers were invited to a banquet across the street from the school in the Dragon Hotel. Each person was assigned to a table of 10. Fortunately Ken and I were at the same table, with two English teachers, who translated for us throughout the meal. Of course, there were lots of speeches to begin -- the Principal, the Party VP, a local businessman who took the opportunity to sell us his product while he praised us, the school district official among them. We never heard the word 'loushr - teacher' spoken so many times. And later while we were eating, these people went from table to table toasting the teachers. They were drinking a strong, clear liquor which certainly made them very jolly after 20 tables of toasts! There was tons of food - far too much at every table. Following the dinner, there were several activities to chose from: karaoke, swimming, mahjong, chess, bowling, dancing. We went bowling with some of the English teachers, who were much better than we were! I succeeded in putting every ball I bowled into the gutter. That's got to be some kind of a record.
Can you see Ernie Eves and his ministers throwing a big party to praise Ontario's teachers? Every year? AND giving them extra money?
The notes our students have written for us for Teachers' Day are disarmingly charming. For example,"Thank you for teach us. You illuminant our voyage of life with your own right of life. We love you very much. May all the plan you are planting be true." I had a student write me "You are beautiful, kind and funny." Who could ask for more?
Our students love to greet us in the hall or on the campus as we go from class to class. "Hello!" is the key word, and occasionally "Goodbye" when they mean hello. When we ask them how they are, there's often a pause as they process this information and decide which English formula will work. The other day in one of the big department stores, I heard behind me "Hello Judy Thomson!" and turned to find several students beaming at me. Yesterday, a student introduced us to her Mom as we stood waiting for the lights to change at a downtown intersection.
Students and teachers alike are very keen to learn about Canada. We have been asked to give a series of lectures on the subject. However, at present, we are so busy teaching 14 classes each week, planning to move, and just finding our way around that we have said we can't do it for a while. A good 45 minute lecture takes a lot of time to prepare! However, in our classes we talk about snow and school buses and individual timetables, and believe it or not, hockey! All of these topics are endlessly fascinating to the Chinese.
Yesterday was the mid-Autumn Festival, a lunar calendar event, which celebrates the full moon at this time of year. (We think it's like our Harvest Moon.) The major feature of this day is moon cakes, small pastries shaped like little cakes and filled with sweet pastes of bean, coconut and almonds. Some even have meat in them. Stalls have been set up at the local plazas for the past week selling boxes of these cakes packaged in elaborate foil paper decorations. The interior of each box is lined with shiny gold fabric, each moon cake in a decorated box nestled in the fabric. The exterior box is then placed in an equally elaborate gift bag with handles. (And we think we over package things in Canada!)
We've just finished (Friday) our second full week of teaching and are beginning to get the feel of things. It's after dinner, which we spent with Keyan and her Dad at a nearby restaurant. It continues to be very hot here during the day -- our Canadian summer clothes are much too heavy for this weather! We're planning on a quiet evening with our feet up. We may even read a book!
(While you read the lastest update take a look at some photos taken by Ken and Judy around the school in Huairou where they are teaching.)
Dressed in their school uniforms -- blue and green camouflage for the Senior 1s and blue, red and white sweat suits for the Senior 2s and 3s, they wait patiently for the gate keeper to admit them to the school grounds in the morning. That's 7:20 am. Each has a bike with a carrier basket filled with books, bottled water and occasionally an umbrella if the weather looks threatening. Five or six abreast, they form a line which stretches down the city street to the stoplight half a block away. They chat quietly - no horseplay, no taunting or teasing, no roughneck stuff. And no one arriving in Mom's car, driving at breakneck speed for no reason other than to show off.
The students of each class, every morning, clean their classroom. The floor, the desks, the boards, the window sills all receive attention. Between each class, students are assigned to clean the boards, ready for the next teacher's use. All these responsibilities are shared and taken very seriously.
One or two students are assigned to look after each of their teachers. That means they meet you in your office, carry whatever needs carrying, deliver assignments, get water or chalk or photocopying. If you plan to return to your office between classes, these students will escort you back, if you wish them to.
In class, students are very attentive. They listen carefully, and often repeat what you've just said, if you pause for more than a normal breath. They love to have material read to them, following along with great concentration in their copies of the text. When we roam the room while they are doing assigned work, they are full of gratitude when we stop to correct an English phrase or a spelling error. They realize the importance of English and are determined to improve with our help.
As in any classroom, there are 'the boys in the back'. How this can happen in such a studious environment is beyond us. These are the extra tall or extra heavy guys who would rather be playing football or basketball - their obsessions. They have no interest in English, but will try if put on the spot -- which of course, we do. There are several very young - maybe 20 -- sweet, attractive female teachers who have just begun their careers. The back row boys are, of course, smitten, and act as all 17 year old males do when their hormones are jumping.
Many students either have or want English names. We have dubbed many Kevins, Andrews, Catherines and Janes in the past few weeks. It's a strange power to be able to confer such beloved names on people half way around the world. [BTW, we also gave Doa Yan's cat an English name: Griffin!] Many of the sports-mad boys are called Jordan or Michael after their basketball heroes. I came across a boy called Onion today. He assured me that he knew it was the name of a vegetable, so I let it pass. (After all, one of my teaching colleagues has the English name Rice as her first name.)
The level of English fluency varies from class to class, but we can be assured that most of the students understand us. We do a lot of pantomiming to get our ideas across. Today I was a polar bear, thumping down the classroom aisles. When I growled, the nearest girl jumped out of her chair. We had a very violent rain storm yesterday (Monday) afternoon, which Ken used in class today as a topic. He was the wind, the rain, the thunder and the lightning - a multi faceted presentation all by himself. This despite the fact that he's come down with a cold which has settled in his chest, and weakened his voice.
The students are so artless. They are unbelievably innocent. It's so refreshing, especially when we think of Canadian students, who are so worldly, cynical and blase about everything. These students praise their teachers, are very proud of their school and their country. They tell us about being fat, about how much they love their parents, and how much their parents love them. They genuinely want us to be their friends. Already Ken has been invited to go out for pizza with a second year student. Many are looking forward to coming to our apartment once we move. They are very anxious to see photos of our family (which we won't find until we've had a chance to unpack our suitcases.)
This Wednesday, September 10, is celebrated as Teachers' Day in China. Each teacher received a gift of money from the school, the sum depending upon how long the teacher has worked here. We got 360Y each because we are new to the school. Keyan received over 600Y. In each class over the day, the students stood and greeted us with Happy Teachers' Day, and then gave us gifts: flowers, toys, candies, wind chimes, a toy cat and a Chinese musical instrument. We were overwhelmed.
After period 8, all the teachers were invited to a banquet across the street from the school in the Dragon Hotel. Each person was assigned to a table of 10. Fortunately Ken and I were at the same table, with two English teachers, who translated for us throughout the meal. Of course, there were lots of speeches to begin -- the Principal, the Party VP, a local businessman who took the opportunity to sell us his product while he praised us, the school district official among them. We never heard the word 'loushr - teacher' spoken so many times. And later while we were eating, these people went from table to table toasting the teachers. They were drinking a strong, clear liquor which certainly made them very jolly after 20 tables of toasts! There was tons of food - far too much at every table. Following the dinner, there were several activities to chose from: karaoke, swimming, mahjong, chess, bowling, dancing. We went bowling with some of the English teachers, who were much better than we were! I succeeded in putting every ball I bowled into the gutter. That's got to be some kind of a record.
Can you see Ernie Eves and his ministers throwing a big party to praise Ontario's teachers? Every year? AND giving them extra money?
The notes our students have written for us for Teachers' Day are disarmingly charming. For example,"Thank you for teach us. You illuminant our voyage of life with your own right of life. We love you very much. May all the plan you are planting be true." I had a student write me "You are beautiful, kind and funny." Who could ask for more?
Our students love to greet us in the hall or on the campus as we go from class to class. "Hello!" is the key word, and occasionally "Goodbye" when they mean hello. When we ask them how they are, there's often a pause as they process this information and decide which English formula will work. The other day in one of the big department stores, I heard behind me "Hello Judy Thomson!" and turned to find several students beaming at me. Yesterday, a student introduced us to her Mom as we stood waiting for the lights to change at a downtown intersection.
Students and teachers alike are very keen to learn about Canada. We have been asked to give a series of lectures on the subject. However, at present, we are so busy teaching 14 classes each week, planning to move, and just finding our way around that we have said we can't do it for a while. A good 45 minute lecture takes a lot of time to prepare! However, in our classes we talk about snow and school buses and individual timetables, and believe it or not, hockey! All of these topics are endlessly fascinating to the Chinese.
Yesterday was the mid-Autumn Festival, a lunar calendar event, which celebrates the full moon at this time of year. (We think it's like our Harvest Moon.) The major feature of this day is moon cakes, small pastries shaped like little cakes and filled with sweet pastes of bean, coconut and almonds. Some even have meat in them. Stalls have been set up at the local plazas for the past week selling boxes of these cakes packaged in elaborate foil paper decorations. The interior of each box is lined with shiny gold fabric, each moon cake in a decorated box nestled in the fabric. The exterior box is then placed in an equally elaborate gift bag with handles. (And we think we over package things in Canada!)
We've just finished (Friday) our second full week of teaching and are beginning to get the feel of things. It's after dinner, which we spent with Keyan and her Dad at a nearby restaurant. It continues to be very hot here during the day -- our Canadian summer clothes are much too heavy for this weather! We're planning on a quiet evening with our feet up. We may even read a book!
All text and photography © copyright Harkaway, 2003 - 2004
