Ni Hao,
It is Friday evening here, and the students had scheduled a basketball game, with the two classes competing against one another, but a thunderstorm whipped through the campus and cancelled that event for now. We try to appeal to their competitive spirit a bit in class with the fly swatter game and other games that have them generating word clusters in groups for points.
I introduced a verbal version of Musical Chairs yesterday, and they loved the scramble to get to the available seat. I put the chairs in a circle, rather than a line, so that we could enjoy the many collisions in the center of the circle. The students added another element to the game: any "caller" who was left standing three times in a row had to sing a song for the class. This is the farthest thing from a punishment you can possibly imagine. Every person in my class has a beautiful singing voice, and hearing them sing in unison is a very memorable and musical experience.
We show two films a week, hoping to expose the Chinese teachers to more of American culture. I showed "Fly Away Home" on Monday and "Rudy" today. I hadn't remembered all the references to religion in the film, as this is one of those more delicate subjects here. The students really enjoyed Rudy's spirit to fulfill his dream of playing at Notre Dame. We'll have a longer discussion of the film on Monday in class.
It is odd how time doesn't seem to be a factor in music. Several students have Carpenters songs as the ringers on their cell phones. The class broke into song one day during break, treating us to their rendition of "Yesterday Once More". They are also very fond of "My Heart Will Go On" from the film "Titanic".
Our conversation groups again focused on teachers/teaching as well as male/female roles. Here are some of the ideas that emerged:
1. William told us that his best teacher ever was like a dictionary that you can get everything you want from. He talked, too, about how Mr. Lee, his favorite teacher, taught him how to find the happy things around him.
2. Another student, Gabby, talked about how her favorite teacher, Mr. Lu, went to see the doctor with his students when they were sick. She told us he is a very old man now, but he still likes to study and learn.
3. Ruby told us about Mrs. Jing who took good care of the students and gave everyone all of her love. She said this teacher never punished the students, but she gave them encouragement instead. She also talked about how Mrs. Jing let her know how to be a good person and told her "nothing is impossible if you try your best to do it." Ruby told us she still remembers what this teacher told her a long time ago.
4. Shirley talked about how Mr. Xu, her favorite teacher, taught her how to become a confident person.
5. Michael told us about Mr An, who taught his students how to "face the hard of our life." He told us, too, that many of his classmates were very poor. They wanted to study, but they can't pay for many books. Mr. An would often pay for many books for his classmates.
6. Michael also told us about his worst teacher. This teacher became very angry when his students made mistakes. He would beat them, hold tight their ear, face, or even kick them with his leg. "We would shiver in class", said Michael. This teacher was often late, he told us, and he did a lot of drinking and gambling . He would drink so much at night that he could not get up on time the next morning. When Michael is stuck for the exact words he wants to say, he moves into pantomime mode. He acted out the beatings this teacher inflicted on his students, and then the other people in the class helped him find the English words to match the actions.
7. Ruby told us her worst teacher abused them. When asked questions that he didn't know the answers to , he would get very angry. This teacher also smoked in class, which bothered the students very much.
8. Gabby talked of a teacher who would get so angry that he would throw classmates' books out of the room. She referred to him as a very ferocious person in her memory.
This group of students , too , composed a list of characteristics of "good" teachers:
a. kind-hearted
b. responsible
c. love the students
d. knowledgeable
e. has good sense of humor
f. has an open heart
g. be patient with students
h. have good teaching methods
i. be good at acting
j. be a good leader
k. be a good listener
l. be a good learner
Some themes that emerged all focused on the significant and memorable role teachers play in all of our lives. Many of the students in their 30's were discussing teachers they had in primary and middle school. What emerged reminded me of the teaching philosophy of Jack Johnson, a dear friend and fellow teacher in Michigan: Students will not always remember what you taught them, but they will always remember how you treated them. We all know that we are more open to teachers who respect and value us, teachers who are kind and gentle and patient with us.
This seems to be universal. I told my class about one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Volk. This marvelous woman trusted me enough to loan me signed first editions of many books she owned. I was so petrified of dropping the book in a puddle or losing it that I never took any of them home. Instead, I stored her precious books in my locker in high school and then checked the books out of the library to read. Mrs. Volk also asked me to meet her in the parking lot one Saturday night. She proceeded to take me downtown Detroit to the Fisher Theatre to see Julie Harris perform in "The Belle of Amherst". This began my lifelong love affair with the works of Emily Dickinson... Mrs. Volk also asked me to teach the class on occasion, trusting me to synthesize a study of a novel by teaching about themes and relevance in many of the works we read in class.
Further, I remember a time when the entire school was in chaos on the Friday of Homecoming Week. Truman High School was constructed in the mid-1970's, and the design was essentially a wall-less, open floor plan. Imagine twenty or thirty classrooms in a huge cluster, with nothing but a file cabinet here or there to divide the rooms. Day after day, not just on Homecoming Day, chaos and noise permeated every area of the building, making it very difficult to think, concentrate, or learn. On this Homecoming Friday, Mrs. Volk, as usual, had us seated in a semi-circle, discussing the literature of the day. I remember her leaning toward us and saying, "Isn't it wonderful that we are the only people in the entire school learning anything today?" And all I could do was say, "yes, yes, yes..." I admired her determination to teach and her dedication to our learning, even under difficult and challenging circumstances. I think of her often and wish she were still around to share this China journey with me.
Some history about this Summer Language Institute here at Bijie...
Apparently, this is a highly sought after workshop for many departments at Bijie University. A department chair from another department, outside Foreign Affairs, asked if he could observe my class today. This may have been the first time he has experienced observing an American teacher interacting with Chinese students. We sang and did the choreography to "I Will Plant Seeds of Joy" and "Lend a Helping Hand." We worked on additional vocabulary by generating opposites of words. This professor joined in by offering words to consider, too. We then played the fly swatter game to reinforce the vocabulary and the pronunciation of the new words. And then we read a dramatic version of "The Three Little Pigs." Anthony wanted to play Mother Pig, and he did a most outstanding job offering sage and stern advice to the three little piglets. Cindy took on the role of the big bad wolf, and we all ended up practicing huffing and puffing and blowing the house down.
I also introduced the K-W-L reading strategy using "The Paper Bag Princess." This is a strategy that asks students to discuss what they know about the topic before the story, what they want to know as they read, and what they learned after reading. I chose this story because we had discussed gender roles in conversation groups the day before. I had a marvelous time creating different voices for the prince, the princess, and the dragon - and this story turned the traditional fairy tale on its head. We had a very engaging discussion regarding how the female in this story overpowered the dragon - not with force or violence, but with her cleverness and her wit. I imagine the whole experience was quite a culture shock to the visiting professor, but he left smiling and seemed happy to have witnessed the class today.
For those of you who know me well, you know that my classroom is always open to anyone, at anytime. No prior reservation or request needed. As a result, I do not get nervous when someone visits my classroom. Most visitors discover very quickly that I pull them into the class activity and discussion, which is a joy for me as well as the students in the class.
I am learning about the importance of chain of command here in China. We have been having difficulty with our food, as much of it is swimming in a great deal of oil, which isn't agreeing with our digestive systems. There is also very little protein available. Mr Tang has graciously worked with the kitchen staff to develop a "menu" for us for each meal. We experiment with new foods each day. For example, tomorrow we could potentially have a feast of fried cowpea, fried fungus, and a fried vegetable that resembles an elephant's black, foot - with rice, too. Anyway, Nancy has reached her limit with the oil and the fat, and with the pork in her morning bowl of noodles. Mr. Tang called in the kitchen supervisor today and gave him a very stern old-fashioned tongue lashing right by our table. I noticed that the person receiving the criticism did not look up from the ground at all while being reprimanded. Mr. Tang did not look at him, either. The kitchen supervisor knew that he had to answer to Mr. Tang, and that Mr. Tang was clearly not pleased with his performance. It was a very awkward situation, and the kitchen supervisor was apparently told that if he didn't want to do his job well , he could simply quit his position. We made it clear that we did not want anyone fired, but we are finding that people with particular jobs are expected to perform at high levels, especially where foreigners are concerned.
We experienced a similar situation when we asked Mr. Tang to come into our classes and review some very basic rules with the students: be on time, no absences from the institute, no cell phones, and no guests or children. Mr. Tang, who is one of the kindest and most personable people I have ever known, once again went into "authority" mode, assuring us that students would not violate any of these class rules again. I was amazed that he spoke about each rule for about five minutes. The students were attentive and promised him they would do better in the future. Mr. Tang told us this is the "Chinese Way" and the students understand that they must do their jobs well and be accountable for their behaviors and learning. For us as teachers here, this is a very supportive and "no nonsense" atmosphere in which to teach. I was a bit flabbergasted to see him flip into authority mode, but he balanced the whole situation at lunchtime. Walking past the room where the students eat, we noticed Mr. Tang sharing lunch with the students, smiling and conversing. "It's the Chinese way, " he told us later. There is a sense of duty and consequence here, but there is also a strong feeling of friendship between the professors and their students. Mr. Tang is a master at balancing these two modes, and the students have a great deal of respect for him.
On another note, we saw a snake for the first time this morning on our way to breakfast. Yes, I have a photo, as I haul my camera everywhere. During the rain, many frogs have emerged... tiny little creatures that hop around very quickly on all the steps.On the basic needs front, we have had steady water for several days now. The mosquitoes are still under control. I battle several flies before I finally go to bed at night. My digestive system is still churning and uncomfortable much of the day. Nancy has decided to "play Mama" to me by plying me with purple Gatorade. She also gave me several capsules of Vitamin C and multivitamins. She has travelled extensively, to many countries, and sees the signs of dehydration quickly.
As a matter of fact, Nancy invaded my dreams last night. In the dream, I was at a meeting with my LATTICE friends, talking about the experience in China. As I was talking, I passed out onto the floor. Then I heard Nancy say that there was no way I was going to a hospital in Bijie, that she wanted me taken to a hospital in Guiyang, the capitol of Guizhou Province. In between her concern, she continued to say, "I told you to drink more water!!!" Ah, Nancy is even invading my dreams with her care taking.
I believe I have developed bronchitis, too, so I am taking an antibiotic I brought with me.... just in case. Feel like I am going to hack up a lung.
So, it is probably a good thing the weekend has begun. I won't have to speak as much, nor as loudly or as clearly. Several students tell me I am very easy to understand and that I remind some of them of the voice of a woman on some of their foreign language learning CD's. For the weekend, we are traveling with Mr. Tang and his driver to see the world famous Zhijin cave about 3 hours from Bijie. We will then travel to Anshun and see the beautiful Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia. Many hours driving, and we plan to stop in Guiyang to have dinner with Bill, the director of the institute.
It is odd to say that I have only known my students for nine days, but I feel very close to them and feel like I have known them all my life. They are absolutely wonderful to work with, and they make me very proud to be a teacher. Their open hearts and minds inspire me everyday. And... with their amazing voices, I am going to teach some rounds and some harmony next week! Music is truly the universal language.
I have learned two new Chinese words today: Shui (水) for water, and MaMaHuHu (馬馬虎虎 - literally, horse-horse-tiger-tiger) for the Chinese equivalent of "so-so". I am finding many situations to apply the phrase MaMaHuHu, as I love to say the phrase. I taught Mr. Tang "spelunking" when we were talking about cave exploration today. Another fun word in the mouth and on the lips!
I will probably not post again until Sunday night or Monday, due to travel over the weekend. In the meantime, I wish all of you a relaxing weekend. As the Nigerian saying goes, "Hold a true friend with both hands." Remember to embrace those you love with two caring hands...
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