I had my
first day of lessons yesterday. It was a long day.
I met my
first teaching assistant outside of my building at 7:50 and was whisked off to
a nearby bus stop. We chatted for a bit and I found out, much to my surprise, I
was teaching four classes that afternoon in addition to the five I had
scheduled this morning. I love knowing things! I just steeled my resolve and
figured there’s nothing to do but put my head down and plow though.
The first school, two bus stops
past the Walmart. God damn it, America! China has enough cheap crap without
your help! Ahem. Anyway. My first school was a bright, reddish building with a
charming campus and cartoony pictures all throughout the halls. Molly, my TA,
led me to a classroom and I was basically told to “do my thing.” Luckily, the
lesson I was supposed to teach was one of the ones I’d done during training. It
was a lot of fun. The kids were responsive and happy. They were also a touch
older so they already knew some English. All in all I couldn’t be more pleased
with my first lesson.
After my lesson Molly took me to a
noodle shop so I could have breakfast. More rice noodles. We decided to eat
back at the school since it was cooler. Our “teachers lounge” was an abandoned
class room with crayon scrawl covering every wall. If I hadn’t known it was a
kindergarten it would have looked like a lunatics cell. And in grand fashion of
things that only I find funny there was an abacus hanging on the back of the
door in front of a Bat Signal. Imagining the world’s greatest detective foiling
the Joker with an abacus set a bemused smile on my face throughout breakfast.
My next few lessons all went
basically the same. Happy kids, lots of games, lots of shrieking. Every class
had a few kids who picked it up really quick and were the most eager. There
were also the kids who were bored shitless. In my second class there was this
one kid who didn’t move the whole time. He just sat there staring at me with
these red, sad, “I’ve been crying and my life is still miserable” eyes. I
couldn’t decide if I wanted to stop class and cheer him up or just make him
turn around. It was heart breaking and a bit creepy all at once. Seriously, at
no point was he not peering into my soul. I hope you’re happier now little
Chinese kid.
The youngest kids, my very last
lesson at the first school, were a bit more difficult. Not really for control
reasons, they just don’t know any English at all. Getting them involved was
difficult but eventually they warmed up. They lost interest pretty fast but
whatever. They’re three. That’s a good enough excuse.
The second school was a bit more
challenging. My assistant, Linda, had never been to this school before. We
found it easily enough and went up to meet the headmistress. It was a fruitless
effort for me but Linda seemed to get something out of it. I just stood there,
sweating in the doorway.
Suddenly
their meeting finished and Linda showed me to my first room. I was setting up
my materials when Linda came and told me that this class has already studied
all three of the books I’ve been trained with. I had to improvise a lesson. We
just did Greetings and Goodbyes. The kids seemed entertained enough. Though now
I know to have a few back up lessons at the ready. Just in case.
The next
two lessons went like the morning’s and then I had to teach a baby class. Basically
a room full of Chinese two year olds who can’t even speak Chinese yet. I found
out I was teaching this age group when I was at my first school and I’d been
scrambling to come up with a “lesson plan” since then. I just resolved to teach
them “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” I got nothing. Hardest audience I’ve
ever performed for. They just sat and basically whimpered at me. A few kids got
up and did the motions but no one looked happy.
All in all,
I’m very pleased with my lessons. I am, however, very weary of my company’s
organizational skills. The first school: the headmistress wasn’t there that day
to meet us. There was a fire drill that threw off our whole schedule. None of
the teachers were expecting us so we were basically barging in. The second
school: the baby class I wasn’t trained for and the class that was above my
training level. I’m really going to need my head on a swivel I think. I hope
it’ll smooth out once I’m back in Beijing and have a bit of a routine
established. Provided I’m allowed to establish one. We’ll just have to see.
At least
the kids are cute.
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