Last week I taught without electricity. Not that one needs to 'plug-in' a piece of chalk or chalkboard, but there's something surreal about teaching students in overcast half-light that only seeps through the windows.
I learned one important thing which will always help me in the future: Yellow chalk is the brightest.
I also learned that planning should be done including a contingent plan for not having electricity (we have seen several power-outages so far). What exactly can one do to learn English without using your eyes or the use of technology? This question has a riddle-like quality, and if you have ideas I am all ears.
The students were ready to learn. There was no talk of rescheduling. As a sign of my own understanding, I never thought of that as an option (though I would if I were ill).
On the upside, it IS easier to see the glow of a cell phone in the dark.
10.29.2007
10.28.2007
The Chinese Classroom
Lately my life has been the same routine each week. My schedule is so ingrained that I feel everyone else must know what I’m doing day-by-day too. After all, it’s the same thing each week. This kind of thinking has led me away from posting lately because I have a sense that you already know what’s going on. This is ridiculous, of course, but I often overlook things to write about because of this exact concept.
I have never talked about my students or the specifics of the Chinese classroom. I had been introduced (on a surface level) to the Chinese classroom by things I read in the United States. Then, during our training, we talked about them. Current volunteers came and shared their experiences with the new volunteers. After that we taught for 3 weeks in a model school, where we began to understand the students and the “feel” of the Chinese classroom in general. Finally, we came to our sites and taught on our own.
This process has slowly given me a better understanding of the classroom. There was no immediate rush of information. Nothing anyone told us completely changed our view of the Chinese classroom. But we learned and slowly began to understand and see differences. I guess what I’m trying to say is that whatever I write about the Chinese classroom will not give you a completely accurate picture. I can only share my own experiences.
Chinese students are incredibly attentive. If I wanted to speak for 2 hours about mud, I could probably do so and the students would follow the entire presentation. In their classes, when Chinese teachers call upon students, the students stand up and respond. This bothers me so much that I asked them to stop doing so in my classes. The students typically are not allowed to eat food in their classes. Walking down a hallway while classes are in session allows you to hear one of three things: The teachers lecturing, the students responding or chanting in unison, or a single student responding to a direct question from the teacher. The methods are universally focused upon memorization and rote learning. The classes are teacher-centered and there is little or no group work done during classes. The textbook is the law, even if it is filled with errors. Students can memorize an alarming amount of information. This seems to be built into the very idea of memorizing characters as individual pictures. Rather than learning the phonetic rules and patterns, there seems to be more of a need for young children to memorize stroke order and vocabulary.
This is the classroom I walked into my first day of teaching and, despite my knowledge of these particular things, I still run into problems. My teaching style began as a combination of lecture, activities and games. Even this was too much for the students (they are used to mostly lecture). The day I announced meaningful role-plays the students were very confused. One student gave me a letter because she was concerned about my health (no healthy teacher would give such a crazy assignment!). Often my questions are met with passive silence. “Do you have any questions,” is challenged with their own thoughts, “Why would we ask questions if that shows you didn’t explain it well enough – we don’t want to embarrass you!” or else my “Who knows the answer?” is received with the same quiet thoughts: “If I show I know the answer my friends will think I’m bragging.”
But things are changing. The students are already beginning to become used to my teaching style. They are speaking more often and they are more willing to take risks. My American accent is becoming more familiar to them. And they’re learning to speak, understand, read and write in English.
I throw chalk and poorly write Chinese Characters on the board. I dance and pat them on the back and try to wake them up to these new ways of thinking and speaking. I trip over podiums and I use poorly pronounced Chinese to help them understand instructions. It is only the beginning. We have a long way to go.
I have never talked about my students or the specifics of the Chinese classroom. I had been introduced (on a surface level) to the Chinese classroom by things I read in the United States. Then, during our training, we talked about them. Current volunteers came and shared their experiences with the new volunteers. After that we taught for 3 weeks in a model school, where we began to understand the students and the “feel” of the Chinese classroom in general. Finally, we came to our sites and taught on our own.
This process has slowly given me a better understanding of the classroom. There was no immediate rush of information. Nothing anyone told us completely changed our view of the Chinese classroom. But we learned and slowly began to understand and see differences. I guess what I’m trying to say is that whatever I write about the Chinese classroom will not give you a completely accurate picture. I can only share my own experiences.
Chinese students are incredibly attentive. If I wanted to speak for 2 hours about mud, I could probably do so and the students would follow the entire presentation. In their classes, when Chinese teachers call upon students, the students stand up and respond. This bothers me so much that I asked them to stop doing so in my classes. The students typically are not allowed to eat food in their classes. Walking down a hallway while classes are in session allows you to hear one of three things: The teachers lecturing, the students responding or chanting in unison, or a single student responding to a direct question from the teacher. The methods are universally focused upon memorization and rote learning. The classes are teacher-centered and there is little or no group work done during classes. The textbook is the law, even if it is filled with errors. Students can memorize an alarming amount of information. This seems to be built into the very idea of memorizing characters as individual pictures. Rather than learning the phonetic rules and patterns, there seems to be more of a need for young children to memorize stroke order and vocabulary.
This is the classroom I walked into my first day of teaching and, despite my knowledge of these particular things, I still run into problems. My teaching style began as a combination of lecture, activities and games. Even this was too much for the students (they are used to mostly lecture). The day I announced meaningful role-plays the students were very confused. One student gave me a letter because she was concerned about my health (no healthy teacher would give such a crazy assignment!). Often my questions are met with passive silence. “Do you have any questions,” is challenged with their own thoughts, “Why would we ask questions if that shows you didn’t explain it well enough – we don’t want to embarrass you!” or else my “Who knows the answer?” is received with the same quiet thoughts: “If I show I know the answer my friends will think I’m bragging.”
But things are changing. The students are already beginning to become used to my teaching style. They are speaking more often and they are more willing to take risks. My American accent is becoming more familiar to them. And they’re learning to speak, understand, read and write in English.
I throw chalk and poorly write Chinese Characters on the board. I dance and pat them on the back and try to wake them up to these new ways of thinking and speaking. I trip over podiums and I use poorly pronounced Chinese to help them understand instructions. It is only the beginning. We have a long way to go.
10.27.2007
10.25.2007
Secondary Project
One of the expectations of Peace Corps service is to find ways to improve the community in some way. In China, our primary responsibility is to teach. My site-mate and I have been thinking about how to best fulfill the needs of our community.
Recently the Peace Corps Medical Doctor came to visit us in Anshun. In addition to showing us around our hospital, she also suggested several secondary projects: Buying a goat and selling its milk to make money for the school, starting an apiary and selling the organic, non-pasteurized honey to make money for the school, or opening a cafe. Raising the goat was immediately shot-down by an official at the school. All three options require money, which we don't have. We have been considering applying for a small business grant and we are combing the internet. If you have any ideas about organizations which may give to cover startup costs, we would love to hear about them.
Opening a cafe would have several benefits, including bringing an awareness of American (or western) culture to China, giving students a paid-wage part-time job, and helping the school purchase computers with the profits. The eventual goal would be to hand the business over to the students so that it becomes a sustainable, constant source of income for the school. We are still in the dreaming phase of this project, and you can help us with suggestions to make it work. Just click the 'comment' link below the post. Cheers!
Recently the Peace Corps Medical Doctor came to visit us in Anshun. In addition to showing us around our hospital, she also suggested several secondary projects: Buying a goat and selling its milk to make money for the school, starting an apiary and selling the organic, non-pasteurized honey to make money for the school, or opening a cafe. Raising the goat was immediately shot-down by an official at the school. All three options require money, which we don't have. We have been considering applying for a small business grant and we are combing the internet. If you have any ideas about organizations which may give to cover startup costs, we would love to hear about them.
Opening a cafe would have several benefits, including bringing an awareness of American (or western) culture to China, giving students a paid-wage part-time job, and helping the school purchase computers with the profits. The eventual goal would be to hand the business over to the students so that it becomes a sustainable, constant source of income for the school. We are still in the dreaming phase of this project, and you can help us with suggestions to make it work. Just click the 'comment' link below the post. Cheers!
10.15.2007
T comma IBE period period T (and guanxi)
T comma IBE period period T seems to be winning the hearts of the masses (the six people who have thus far submitted votes in the poll). A note about how to accomplish this task is in order, because it's not exactly like traveling to California (or to Thailand, Vietnam, etc. for that matter). In fact, I cannot even write the word as it is.
There are new restrictions on travel to this place, and I am rather unfamiliar with the mountains of paperwork required to visit. This is where guanxi comes in.
I could go into a brief history of the etymology of the word guanxi, but I'd rather just say, "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" or, as in zoology, "you remove the parasites from my body, I'll remove them from yours." In any case, the difference between the 'guanxi' in America and China is the overt quality it has here. We all know about the idea of guanxi, and we have all used guanxi throughout our lives, but we don't really talk about it. It's generally the principal of reciprocity. We feel an obligation to repay any favors people do for us. In China there seems to be more expectation for this to be carried out. For example, an expensive gift is generally a sign that the gift-giver wants a favor in the future.
Maintaining relationships and "building guanxi" is key to increasing one's success in China. People understand this in the business world, but generally, foreign teachers do not realize its full potential. This all may seem a little superficial, I'm sure, but I prefer to consider it a unique feature of this culture.
Recently I went to Anshun's customs and passport office to have my Visa renewed for 1 year. During this trip I caught a glimpse of guanxi in action. As we were leaving, one of our school officials spoke with a passport official and arranged for them to see one of our classes. In fact, I had 8 passport officials in my class last Friday. During our class break I helped them with basic phrases such as, "May I see your passport please?" and "Have you come to China for business or travel?" This project, still young, may turn into a language-learning CD of more useful English phrases for passport officials. After class I found myself at a banquet hosted by the passport officials. One of our school staff members told me that I could talk to these people if I ever wanted to travel anywhere. Hmmm... I thought.
Now I need to make a language-learning CD.
There are new restrictions on travel to this place, and I am rather unfamiliar with the mountains of paperwork required to visit. This is where guanxi comes in.
I could go into a brief history of the etymology of the word guanxi, but I'd rather just say, "I'll scratch your back, you scratch mine" or, as in zoology, "you remove the parasites from my body, I'll remove them from yours." In any case, the difference between the 'guanxi' in America and China is the overt quality it has here. We all know about the idea of guanxi, and we have all used guanxi throughout our lives, but we don't really talk about it. It's generally the principal of reciprocity. We feel an obligation to repay any favors people do for us. In China there seems to be more expectation for this to be carried out. For example, an expensive gift is generally a sign that the gift-giver wants a favor in the future.
Maintaining relationships and "building guanxi" is key to increasing one's success in China. People understand this in the business world, but generally, foreign teachers do not realize its full potential. This all may seem a little superficial, I'm sure, but I prefer to consider it a unique feature of this culture.
Recently I went to Anshun's customs and passport office to have my Visa renewed for 1 year. During this trip I caught a glimpse of guanxi in action. As we were leaving, one of our school officials spoke with a passport official and arranged for them to see one of our classes. In fact, I had 8 passport officials in my class last Friday. During our class break I helped them with basic phrases such as, "May I see your passport please?" and "Have you come to China for business or travel?" This project, still young, may turn into a language-learning CD of more useful English phrases for passport officials. After class I found myself at a banquet hosted by the passport officials. One of our school staff members told me that I could talk to these people if I ever wanted to travel anywhere. Hmmm... I thought.
Now I need to make a language-learning CD.
10.12.2007
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