Respect for the Teacher.
Ahh, life here is a little hectic right now.
I still can’t really believe I am a teacher. Seriously. Me? It is strange because I am teaching a pretty wide range of students, ages 13-19 and of such varying skill levels even in the same grade that it is really hard. The younger ones are actually pretty good, it is the oldest ones who are the most troublesome and don’t really have much interest. Still, I know that the older ones are under a lot of pressure to pass exams, so it is hard to get too upset.
For my first lesson in each class I’ve had them get into groups and come up with any questions they can think of to ask me. The most typical questions and answers are …
Q: “Do you like China?”
A: “I love China! I am so excited to be here because I have studied China and Chinese culture for many years.”
… applause …
Q: “What is your favorite Chinese food?”
A: “Dumplings.”
Q: “What do you think of our school?”
A: “It is beautiful and all the students and teachers are very nice and friendly”
… applause …
Q: “Do you have a girlfriend / wife?”
A: “No. I am too busy for love.”
Q: “Do you like Michael Jackson?”
A: “Umm. In America we thought MJ was a little strange. He lived in a big house filled with child’s toys. So we thought he was a bit odd.”
Q: “Do you speak Chinese?”
A: “我会说中问。我的专业是中问和电脑。” – - – “I speak Chinese, my major was Chinese and Computers.”
They all get really excited when I tell them I speak Chinese. The younger ones break out into a deafening applause which just cracks me up. They also get sad when class is over, and I must admit, I do as well since they are so excited and a joy to be around.
I have 18 different classes, totaling about 600 students. Yeah, its nuts. I teach ten days in a row with four days off. Seven out of the ten days I start at 7:50am, so I am trying to get used to getting up at 6:30. The last time I did this was in high school. It is rough. I just started day one of five days in a row of teaching at 7:50am. So. Damn. Early. I teach each class twice a week, so 36 total. Thankfully I only have four different age groups, so that mean I just need to come up with eight lesson plans a week and they are only 45 minutes long so … well, it is harder than I thought.
Needless to say, after the long and tiring days, I’ve got a lot more respect for teachers.
September 9th, 2009 at 6:56 am
>too busy for love
bow chicka bow bow
i’m going to write you a ballad
September 10th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Dude! Badass. You shoulda said: I have a friend who loves MJ – Shamone! Make that Change! It gonna feel real good, Shamone. I miss MJ.
Awesome stuff dude, still very jealous.
Z
September 15th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I applaud you as well my friend.
September 16th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I love that they applaud after almost every response! Daily applause is a good for the soul.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Teacher Nathan! Can you teach me a lesson?!
September 21st, 2009 at 1:54 am
Proud a’ you!
September 24th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Just spent the last 30min catching up on your blog. China looks beautiful, and I too love the applause you get from your students!
Miss you Mr. Nathan.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Wow, Nathan, I am so impressed that you made this all happen! I hope you are loving every moment there, I know you’ve worked hard to get yourself to China! I’m really happy for you, and I love your blog, so keep ‘em coming!
Em
December 20th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Thanks hun! Most days I still can’t believe I’m here. Everything is so different, but so good. I wish you could be here taking in all the awe-inspiring sites! It is always strange to think of the history this place has compared to our home.