Another term has started. The first year is suppose to be the hardest, or so they say. I sure hope so. Well one more semester to go and never again will I have my very first  year of teaching. I”m looking forward to being able to look back and say I did it. I have one year under my belt and a full foot in the water of teaching.

This semester I’ve lucked out with a decent schedule. Three morning classes and the rest right after lunch.

I must admit I did not think I would enjoy teaching as much as I do. I could never understand my parents enthusiasm but I’m beginning to understand a little. I’m still not ready to make this my career but I’m thoroughly enjoying my time as a teacher.

This semester I’m excited to use the pronunciation text I’ve brought back. I’ve learned the vital importance of textbooks in lesson planning. Oh how naive I was last year to think freedom from assigned curriculum was a good thing. Ha, well you live and learn I guess.

Cheers to the upcoming semester!

Mixed emotions, okay not really, just plain relieved. I’ve survived my first term. One more to make my first year and then Mom promises it only gets better.

Teaching has been surprisingly invigorating. I’ve enjoyed the challenges and am beginning to see real potential for travel opportunities in the future. I still find it odd some days that I have followed in my parents footsteps.

I’ve most definitely learn more about myself this year as I’ve had to confront my fears and frustrations on my own. I’m learning to explain things more clearly and simply. I’m learning for the first time in my life to go with the flow. If there’s only one lesson I’ll take from China it is the lesson of flexibility.

I’ve still not been able to drop my Americaness of needing to know WHY before doing anything but there are worst qualities to hold onto I guess.

Overall this semester has been a learning experience I wouldn’t try for too many things. I’m looking forward to next semester with eager anticipation.

I walked into class feeling completely prepared with a min by min planned lesson. It never goes as planned, the children caught be off guard from the very beginning. I decided to make the board festive and drew a Christmas tree, I left it blank as I continued setting up for class.

Ke Xin the student I walk to class with proudly shouted out “Christmas Tree!”  “I decorate?”. I wasn’t expecting much, but boy did she knock my socks off.

First she added strings of lights, bows, bells, stars, candy canes and ornaments. I was shocked, well her English teacher in school was thorough. So my lesson was not going to be as planned at that point. I was thinking vocabulary lesson here but instead we moved to sentence structure and prepositions. I at least learning to think on my feet.

My favorite had to be the Primary song “Once There was a Snowman.” First we built a snowman on the board and sang the song and helped in melt.

While building they corrected me I had cut buttons for the eyes but they insisted using them for the body. They keep me honest that’s for sure.

Yes I’ve fallen in love with my children’s classes.

Wednesdays are always horrible days for me. They are my busiest. The first change I make next semester is my Children’s night class. I’m putting my foot down and refuse to do it on the night of my craziest day. A full day of classes and then a night class just about does me in.

I woke this morning in a slight depression no real reason but I just can’t seem to shake the funk. Thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday and I get to see the rest of the gang for lunch. Okay if I can just make it through the afternoon and then the evening things will brighten.

Well off to class.

One of the BYU teachers asked if I had any Christmas activities to share. I sheepishly had to admit I haven’t nor do I ever plan that far in advance for classes. I told her I would begin looking online and I would get back to her if I found anything good.

So the basic google search began “ESL Christmas Activities”. Oh how I love google, I mean really, what would I do without it? The hardest part is removing Christ from Christmas, which is a requirement in China. As Christmas has become quite secular in the States it would not seem that difficult at first but still it is acknowledged as a Christian holiday. So many of the traditions and customs so cherished are steeped in Christian symbolism and require a basic understanding of the Christian faith.

I am so grateful I have my nativities up as a constant reminder of what this season should be centered around. Tis the reason for the season!

Okay back to lesson planning, I stumbled across this lesson plan and thoroughly enjoyed the information.*I’ve included the information at the end.

I was intrigued by the explanation of the presence of apples on the Christmas tree. We have always had small apples on our tree but I could never figure out why. I just figured it was a family tradition from my mom said and never asked. My mother’s side is German and that explains it!

I am learning so much about my own culture as I prepare to teach it and true bonus to this job!

*The Origins of the Christmas Tree

(http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/christmas.html)

As I sit at the half way mark in the semester I am beginning to question my abilities. What did I sign up for? Why did I think that getting my TEFL certificate, was going to turn me into an English Teacher? Seriously how does a 120hour course turn a novice into a professional even if only marginal. People go to four years of school to be a teacher and here I am thinking I could do it after taking an online course with a weekend workshop.

I feel as if I am slapping all real teachers in the face with my certificate. I have no book and no experience to draw from. Oral English is the biggest joke. What is an Oral English class suppose to be? My idea was a class where you practiced conversations. Not reading and listening skills but on your feet conversations that will better prepare you for the real world. When traveling you will not be able to stop and write a dialogue. You will be forced to respond in a matter of seconds to the speaker at hand. Life is not a script, Oral English is to prepare a student for that fact but none of my students seem to feel that way.

They can all write dialogues great but heaven forbid they answer a question with a complete sentence. What am I suppose to do? I try to make class engaging but I don’t know how to get my students to talk. Discussion groups on guided topics turn into cellphone time or nap time. Reading lyrics to music doesn’t do any good. Chorally reading is the only way I can get at least half the class speaking in complete sentences but I guarantee they have no idea what they are saying they are just repeating words. Is that really helping?

My waiban has suggested debates but my students don’t seem to be at that level if they can’t respond on their feet. Maybe I’m just under estimating their abilities. Who knows.

DAD WHAT WAS I THINKING??

To prepare for class I wiki-ed Halloween (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween). I didn’t have a firm handle on the origins of Halloween and its traditions and I wanted to be prepared. Intriguing article by the way, really sad that most reported cases of candy poisoning actually turn out to be the child’s parent’s fault.

1st class: I begin by explaining the origins of Halloween, the Celtic belief that on October 31st the Spirit world had power to cross into the real world and haunt the living . People would dress up to scare the spirits and keep evil at bay. Halloween began being celebrated in America in the 1840’s when the Irish, fleeing from the potato famine, brought over many traditions.

We still dress in costumes today but not all are scary. It is a time now to dress up in fun costumes that can represent anything.

Jack-o-Lanterns we originally carved into turnips and were passed of a fable about a man named Jack who tricked the Devil into the trunk of a tree and then was cursed to roam the earth with the only light he had at the time a candle.

2nd class: By the second class I had dropped the part about Halloween being brought over by the Irish and where Jack-o-Lanterns originated from.

3rd class: The Celtic tradition was gone by the third class, it was just getting to hard to explain and they really didn’t get it.

4th class: I think I finally had the structure down but trying to explain costumes to a culture who never dresses up is depressing. I would ask them to think about what they would be if they went trick-or-treating, it was liking pull teeth! For heaven sakes who doesn’t have a costume on the tip of the tongue? Even if that might not be really what you want can’t you just think of something, anything?

5th class: I had watered it down even further and just gave examples of what we did rather than try to explain why we did it. Costumes: Scary outfits most popular, Children often wear fun costumes. Parties: Bobbing for Apples, the String game (what do we call that game?), watch a scary movie or go to a haunted house. Jack-o-Lanterns a fun tradition to scare away evil spirits.

6th class: To be honest I’m glad I had watered it down because the last time I gave the lesson it was to my most difficult class. I had a hard time keeping their attention with this version. I can’t imagine if they had been my first class.

The blackboard by the end of the lesson.

they’re letting me teach an English class to children!

Wendy came to me a few weeks ago with a proposition, the English teachers on campus proposed an Oral English class for their children twice week if I wanted an extra job. Okay for those of you who know me, know my initial reaction, an absolute NO WAY JOSE! But if China has taught me one thing it is to hold my tongue until all the chips have fallen and even then it is just best to swallow and keep opinions to oneself. Besides the extra cash would be nice for traveling. I agreed to meet with the parents and see the students levels first before agreeing to anything.

Wendy agreed to do all the translating and help with the negotiations. 10 students between the ages of 6 and 10 years old. 2 nights a week for 1 hour. I’m too much of a Reagan to do much negotiating which will change next semester that is for sure. If there is one thing about the Chinese I’ve learned they will squeeze you for all your worth and still try and make you feel like they are the ones getting the bad end of the deal, but because you’re you and you seem alright, they will live with the decision although you really should understand they are the ones suffering here. So with that said, I have to work Friday nights and underpaid in the tutoring world.

From Left to Right: Xuan, Rose, KeXin and Margaret

I did request all the students be given English names as I know it would be pointless to slaughter their Chinese names class after class. When speaking to the parents they just suggested I name the children as I saw fit. Maybe I’m uptight but that just didn’t sit well with me. Naming children is the responsibility of the parents in my book and I told the parents I would feel more comfortable if they discussed with their child and selected a name. Of course this method left the door open and I still have two students who have insisted on their Chinese name so Xuan and Ke Xin it is and slaughtered each week they are.

I have to admit the more I teach the more excited I get about the class. I don’t know what is happening, I think the world is coming to an end and I am growing a soft spot for children. For the first time in my life I am beginning to understand my parents love for kindergarten. The absolute joy on the children’s faces when they understand a new word or get an answer correct. Then of course there is they’re sweet smile and burst of applause at any Chinese I use.

Preparing for the one hour classes is labor intensive and I put more time into that one hour than anything for my college students, sad to say, but then the return is so much more from my ten children than all 8 classes combined during the week.

My only real run-in when teaching this class is getting the parents to accept the fact that I am an American, born and raised with a Western Education with two amazing parents who do not encourage parroting teaching. I finally put my foot down and told the parents if they wanted a Chinese style class they would be better off getting a Chinese teacher. Chinese students are great readers and boy can they memorize, some of my students can knock your socks off with their vocabulary but get completely confused the moment you give them a complete sentence. The parents and I had a little disagreement on simple sentences and what was appropriate for their children.

What it really all boils down to is the definition of what an Oral English class is. Unfortunately, that is not a question I’ve been able to get answered by anyone in this country so far, not even for my college classes. The parents where upset with the simple “I have…” sentences I had the students practice when I asked them about their body. When I give a direct question they are able to answer but when given a simple instruction to describe something they freeze.

I’m slowly and at times painfully learning but all in all I am happy I took this job and who knows by the end of this semester I just might be able to say I like teaching kids.

The students on the other hand do not get the same pleasure. They are confined to campus Monday – Friday and not just to campus during their free time. To prevent any possible breakouts, each evening from 7:00 – 9:20pm they are confined to their classroom. They can do what ever they like within the classroom they just have to remain there.

Then once they are released they have 20min to get back to their dorms for lock-up. And I thought a 12:00am apartment curfew was a pain, 9:40, really!?!

Any way to ease some pain I’ve brought my DVD player a few times and let them watch some films. Unfortunately the class across the hall who I also teach found out about movie nights so they want in to now. Not really quite sure off far my one DVD player can stretch. So I’ve come up with a new trick, a class will have to earn movie nights. Oh the power of being a teacher or I should say a foreign teacher with a much coveted DVD PLAYER!!! hahaha.  I think I will see an increase in lets see, homework, class participation oh and what else did I mention to them, ah that’s right practice! I have made the rule that if they are going to watch a movie it must be in English with English subtitles. No CHINESE is a rule I stick to in the classroom, during or after class time.

Bond...James Bond. Casino Royale movie night.