Second day of school or camp or whatever combo it is that we are doing. Everyone is more in sync with understanding how it is supposed to work during the day. There is a strange fuse box switch in my classroom, so that took some getting some help to fix. Then the students arrived and it was “on with the show”. I try to find things in English conversation that they might not know bout. One group learned about the question, “How was your lunch?” with long discussions about what IS a lunch, and what could you say about it. Another was very interested in which things are “fruit” and which are not. These students do not seem to be used to being asked to crawl around on the floor, but they are very willing and seem to love to do it. We are also working on doing some reader's theatre. Very interesting how quickly they are able to memorize and "recite". this is very much a bit part of their educational process.
I did one of my very easy magic tricks, the magic coloring book to rare reviews. (Although several kids wanted to see my book so they could figure out how I did the trick.) This lead to having to learn “abracadabra” as a magic word.
Students were also VERY interested in seeing photos of my house in California, and of my family. They could hardly believe that there were four children in my family and that I had eight nieces and nephews. Due to the official government policy that each family may have only one child, virtually all of these students come form families where they have only their parents and grandparents. They have no uncles, aunts, cousins, brothers or sisters. They thought my family was a VERY LARGE family. Their eyes were glued to my photos.
The temperature is in the high 80’s and 90’s with a very high level of Humidity. It is really hot and muggy and uncomfortable. By the finally class of the day, which ends at 4:15, both the teachers and the students are EXHAUSTED and brain dead. Everyone does their total best, but kids are struggling….and some are poking and hitting bugging each other. Just like kids everywhere. One teacher had to take a couple boys out in the hall to talk to them today about their behavior. I had to ask a couple of teachers to move wherer boys were sitting so one wouldn’t bother the other ones.
One English phrase I taught the kids was “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Sounds like that should take about a minute to teach, huh? Nope! In Chinese they do not have plurals, so students can’t hear or say those “s” sounds on the ends of the word.
Friday we have a performance for the parents. This is really a high level of pressure of the staff and therefore the students. One of the members of my team is working with the kids on singing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (A-wem-away, a-wem-away……In the juggle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight…) I got to watch him in action today with getting kids playing piano, and on the drum sets, and singing all at the same time. Chaotic (and slightly disruptive to the classrooms around him) but totally awesome.
Some students are totally excited and really “into” what we are doing, and some are either lost or bored and talking to their neighbor as I am trying to get them to cooperate.
I loaned my picture book that I co-wrote, “How Baby Coyote Learned to Howl” to one of the teachers and she read it to the students and acted it out. She said they loved it and really understood what she was reading. Yah!!!! Baby Coyote rocks China!
There are times when I wish that I had more experience, or that someone who could REALLY figure out how to make the students tap into their creativity like my dad were here to help make this happen. Today as I was crawling on my belly on the floor trying to demonstrate what a tiger “creeping” would look like, I decided that I couldn’t let my pride get in the way of graphically showing what the English words mean. At times, the Chinese teachers seem puzzled (and maybe dismayed) at some of our styles and methods. We will have to see what it all looks like in the next two+ weeks.
We are driven to and from school and our hotel in the morning, at noon and then after school (or meetings) are done. We have a lovely bus, and enjoy the ease of getting around. It is funny to got a month without driving a vehicle.
After school, Jenny, my roommate and I walked over the grocery store and bought some treats.You can buy Pringles Potato chips and Snickers candy bars here. Yah! Sometimes you need a treat that tastes like home.
You gotta love the signs, "Food laying fallow" which we THINK means packaged food.
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