Teachers and Teaching!

(Heather)

Before I write anything else, let me tell you about a new survival strategy I’ve adopted…it works well when you’re trying to cross the street with a delicate birthday cake in a box, and are faced with an onslaught of cars that largely ignore traffic lights or walk signals. I call it the “stand close to but on the other side of traffic from a local, and then mirror and match every step he or she takes” method. It’s worked so far, though I do have some guilt at effectively using local Hangzhou residents as unwitting shields against aggressive bicyclists, moped-ists (is that a word?) and motorists.

Now, onto the core of my post. Sunday night I was invited to dinner at Fanny’s house; Fanny is the Hangzhou English teacher who will be visiting DS this April. It was incredibly kind of her to have me in her home, and I so appreciated not having to brave ordering another meal by pointing and gesturing, or resort to McDonald’s (though, that being said, I DID buy a McFlurry on my way home today as I was craving ice cream… it was delicious). In any case, on Sunday I had the chance to meet Fanny’s husband, a Physics professor at the local university, and her daughter, an accountant who is also working on an advanced degree in mathematics, I believe. Smart family, no? I’d say! The three of them were so gracious, and I was fed to the point of exploding—we had tender dumplings, chicken in ginger sauce, beef and broccoli, rice, glazed lotus root, spinach, and small cakes and oranges to finish. The lotus root in particular is a Hangzhou specialty, and something that I’ve discovered I really enjoy. The consistency is hard to describe—it’s soft, but at the same time has a defined cellular structure. It’s sweet, too, especially when cooked with or glazed with a sticky sauce.

What I relished most about Sunday night, however, was the chance to eat with a family, and to see the three of them at home, in comfortable, truly local surroundings. At this point in the trip I’ve seen stunning vistas, breathtaking works of art, and peaceful and serene temples, but I haven’t honestly had much personal or direct insight into the lives of actual families (this is the downside of being the teacher on the trip, and living in a faculty apartment rather than with a homestay family). Thus, I was so pleased to spend the evening in a real home and conversing about life here versus life at home, teaching here versus teaching at home, and what it’s like to transition from university to full-time jobs. I’ve also resolved to invite Fanny and her students to a meal this spring, so as to repay my debts (no, I’m not a Lannister. Yes, I did just make a Game of Thrones reference. Thanks, Ben—and don’t you dare watch ahead without me).

Before I sign off, I also wanted to write a bit about teaching, as I have the grade twos this week (Chinese students have three years of high school, so the grade twos are kind of a hybrid of sophomores and juniors). With the grade ones last week, I spoke a lot about how American students choose colleges and apply to colleges, as I thought it might be interesting, and as some of them might choose to study internationally. For the latter group—those who might study or go to university internationally-- I wanted to give them helpful information as early as possible. With the grade twos, however, I’m spending more time discussing the differences between American classrooms and Chinese classrooms, and subjecting them—very minimally, mind you—to the question and discussion style of American education. Honestly, it’s so foreign to me to ask a question and not have a single hand in the air; it’s equally foreign to the Chinese students to be asked for their opinions or ideas on a book or passage. As Gatsby came out in theaters recently, and as I correctly assumed some of the students here would have seen it, I’ve been asking them why they think the book is important, and then going over some of the reasons it is indeed included on so many high school curriculums. While I do ultimately cave and present the “important information” they’re used to receiving from their teachers, I’ve also tried to demonstrate the difference in pedagogical style, and what their experience might be like in an American classroom.

Lastly, and on a positive note, English corner has definitely become more popular. Max, Dareus, and Timmy seem to have an entourage of boys who appear on a semi-regular basis; I’m unable to hear what they’re actually discussing with these students (this is slightly worrisome…). Caitlin and I have our own cohorts of girls asking us questions. Caitlin’s host sister, Willow, has many friends who are very interested in Caitlin’s life and perspectives, and I now seem to have developed a reputation as an expert on admission to American colleges and universities. I worry this is not entirely justified, and retrospectively wish I had asked former colleagues at Union, Colgate, and UMass more questions about international admissions. Also, so many of the girls I speak with are intent on improving their English skills and abilities, and want to know how they can develop speed and easy, effortless fluency with the language. While I give some tips and pointers about exposure to English language materials and suggest watching—and pausing—English movies to understand and repeat dialogue, what I’m really thinking is how IMPRESSIVE, earnest, focused, and diligent these girls are. The word I’m looking for is wow—just wow.