For starters, my company does something called Winter Course for two weeks in February. This means, while the rest of China is on holiday, we offer extra classes for our students. We do the same thing in the summer for six weeks. We carry on with our normal class hours, and just add nine or so hours to each teachers schedule. It doesn't seem like much, but on top of our original workload and planning it really is.
Winter Course was mostly a blur to me. I was in charge of Phonics 3: Reading Adventure. This meant I needed to ensure binders and materials were prepped. This consisted of printing hundreds of readers, ordering and stapling them. It was more tedious than stressful.
The course itself was nice because it's for the most part a group of students who aren't in your normal classes. It's always nice to engage with new students and meet some of the other teachers favorites. By the end of week two I was running on auto pilot and burned out. As a teacher, being burned out is a feeling I never want to feel again. It's not fair to my students. I felt like the world's worst teacher for those two weeks. you just don't have that extra prep time you're accustomed to.
Anyway, the courses ended and the parents seemed please.
I don't remember when these other events took place because Winter course was essentially the entirety of the weeks I taught in February.
Here are a few highlights I remember:
I share a class of five-year-old Small Stars with Hannah. This class comes for two hours every Sunday morning at 8:45 a.m. Now, put yourself in a five-year-olds shoes and imagine how pleased you would be with the situation. These students are extremely young and extremely difficult to grasp, yet alone, maintain their focus. Between myself, and the TA, Daniel (the BEST TA in all of Beijing, possibly China) we often wear out by the second hour. There is a special student in this class, whom all of the teachers are aware of. His name is Frank and he is absolutely precious, yet, a handful. Frank has a habit of wandering around the classroom, sitting at the teacher's chair, or sitting on the floor next to me and resting his head in my lap while I'm showing flashcards. Also, if I'm writing on the board, Frank will often just wrap his arms around my leg and become a growth on my leg. Because it is often too early, and because I find it flattering, we often just ignore Frank the best we can. However, on this particular Sunday, Frank was especially rambunctious. Recently, he'd been acting out, laying over in the chairs sleeping and to participating in activities. I was not in the mood to be forgiving toward Frank. For teachers you hate to be cruel, but if you don't make an example of one student, the entire class will run over you. Yes, I realize they're five, and to me, that is when they are smartest. Frank kept trying to open the door and leave. I picked him up and sat him in a chair in the back facing the wall. Eventually, he stands in the middle of the class, walks toward me and kicks me. I asked Daniel to take him to the PA or his parents, but that he couldn't stay in the classroom. Daniel was a bit hesitant (in Chinese culture, people lean more toward babying children, rather than disciplining). Anyway, Frank then bit me, so I picked him up myself, marched him to the front office, sat him in a chair and told the nearest PA to find his parent or Vivian (my PA). Later, Frank returned to class with Vivian, hugged my leg as usual and sat for the rest of the class. Of course I felt like Trunchbull, but my point was made. I can't be upset with Frank, because to an extent it's the parents fault. I realize my job depends on having these extra classes as I work for a language school and not a primary or private school, but these children are pushed so hard sometimes.
I teach a class with only two students. They are 14-year-old girls. Best friends, actually. It's always fun to teach them because basically we just chat. At this stage of the game, the focus with them is to improve their grammar and confidence. Neither have a confidence problem, but grammar can always improve. Both girls plan to attend American universities. Their names are Daisy and Sophia. Sophia is extremely outspoken and basically teaches for me and does al the talking for Daisy. Sophia's parents are both very successful business managers so they travel often. As it was Spring Festival, Sophia was gone for the month of February.
Planning a lesson for two is already difficult enough. We are incorporating Geography and cultural lessons into the nights I teach the girls (we are both benefiting from this I assure you). This night we were to discuss Japan. This was Sophia's choice however. So, Daisy and I talked about the States. She wanted to know about what state I came from. I showed her Louisiana on the map. Explained the differences in the north and south. I showed her food like crawfish, gumbo and jambalaya. I showed her pictures of Mardi Gras parades and we watched a clip of Swamp People (because why not?)
Anyway, my boss interrupted to give us permission to go to the coffee shop across the street and just chat. So we spent an hour having a coffee and I finally got to know Daisy a little more. Because Sophia usually does all the talking I didn't know much about Daisy other than she loves this singer named G.E.M. and The Vampire Diaries (like me). So we talked about the schools in the States she was interested in, about her family, her school, and of course, she caught me up on the latest episodes of The Vampire Diaries.
We have a new Ayi and she is super awesome, but she drives me crazy because she never lets me do anything for myself. I realize this is her job and she is paid, but when I make a mess, I clean it myself. Anyway, in the women's bathroom there is a changing closet. One day I was trying to be sneaky to grab the mop, but of course, she was hiding out in the closet. I found her siting on a box just reading. Other teachers have said they've found her in there using the recycled worksheets to trace letters. I think that's awesome. :)
In my Trailblazer class, the students learned accepting and declining invitations to parties. They had to write out their own invitations then invite each other and practice accepting and declining. Helen, invited me to her movie marathon party. It was for the Twilight movies. On the line for additional information like what the party will be like she simply wrote, "lots of vampires." How could I decline such an offer? Ha! :)
My Monday night favorites are graduating in two months to an upper level where they sit in desks, not small chairs. Some kids struggle with the transition so my boss asked me to start seating them in big chairs. I was afraid they would freak when they saw desks and not small stools, but they didn't. I told them, "you're big kids now so you have to sit in the desks." However, I still use the small stool so they said, "Amie is small. We are big." I think they're happy with being bigger. Even though their little legs dangle and they fidget with the desktops the entire class, I almost tear up at the sight of them in big chairs. It seems pathetic but they really do grow up so fast.
Because it's winter holiday, my normal Monday first hour of nine five year olds only had four last week. All girls. We are learning body parts. Specifically how many in this lesson. The kids and I were especially hyper on this night. We held most of the class on the floor with my legs outstretched asking how many and them piling their legs on mine one by one and counting. I had ten legs, hands and arms by the end of class.
Oh, and they sang, "Let it Go," from Frozen to end class :)
One Sunday afternoon, I'm giving an orientation for a class transferring to a new curriculum. This is for parents, however, one of my students is with his mom. In the middle of the orientation he mouths to me, "bathroom, please." Reflexively, I answered, "quickly." I just giggled to myself because he was sitting by his mother but asked me.
In my Friday night class of young teens I have two very active students: Crazy Kevin and Victor. Between the two, there is never a dull moment. Last week, Victor introduced me to a new phrase, "Oh my Lady Gaga." I don't know where they get his things...
Since February is the month of Chinese New Year, (Spring Festival), a lot of families go out of town for the entire month to their home towns. That means in a lot of our classes maybe two or three students show up, but the closer to CNY it got, the more classes were just cancelled. Anyway, the kids hate it when there is only two or three (and so do the teachers.) Most activities are meant for 10 students or more so it throws things off a bit when it isn't a full class. I had three show up last Saturday. It was 4:00 and the end of the Winter Course so I'm equally unenthusiastic about class. I promised the students if they got through the book work and grammar points quickly that we would have fun. They cooperated and in return we spent the entire second hour making treasure maps. We had some off white construction paper, purple ink and a lighter. They were thrilled to use the lighters to burn their paper. However, I had to teach them all how to use the lighters, ha. I suppose it's a good thing they didn't know how to use a lighter. Anyway, each time one lit the lighter we all clapped. At the end I asked if they had fun. In unison they said, "so much." And the maps turned out awesome, too!
Lastly, In my Monday night favorite class, I have been focusing on their reading skills and trying to find fun ways to do so. This week I blew up 10 balloons and shoved sentences inside them. They had to pop the balloon and read the question or sentence. Watching them pop the balloons was a riot. They were scared to use the pin and whichever two weren't popping had their ears plugged running about the class. Also, I'm so pleased with their reading skills. I almost cried!
When I was saying goodbye to them on the last day of class before the holiday break. I said, "No, Teacher Amie next Monday." They said, "No Teacher Yasmin on Thursday." I asked them, "Are you sad?" Elaine said, "No Teacher Amie, yes." And that, readers, is why they are my favorites.
Planning a lesson for two is already difficult enough. We are incorporating Geography and cultural lessons into the nights I teach the girls (we are both benefiting from this I assure you). This night we were to discuss Japan. This was Sophia's choice however. So, Daisy and I talked about the States. She wanted to know about what state I came from. I showed her Louisiana on the map. Explained the differences in the north and south. I showed her food like crawfish, gumbo and jambalaya. I showed her pictures of Mardi Gras parades and we watched a clip of Swamp People (because why not?)
Anyway, my boss interrupted to give us permission to go to the coffee shop across the street and just chat. So we spent an hour having a coffee and I finally got to know Daisy a little more. Because Sophia usually does all the talking I didn't know much about Daisy other than she loves this singer named G.E.M. and The Vampire Diaries (like me). So we talked about the schools in the States she was interested in, about her family, her school, and of course, she caught me up on the latest episodes of The Vampire Diaries.
We have a new Ayi and she is super awesome, but she drives me crazy because she never lets me do anything for myself. I realize this is her job and she is paid, but when I make a mess, I clean it myself. Anyway, in the women's bathroom there is a changing closet. One day I was trying to be sneaky to grab the mop, but of course, she was hiding out in the closet. I found her siting on a box just reading. Other teachers have said they've found her in there using the recycled worksheets to trace letters. I think that's awesome. :)
In my Trailblazer class, the students learned accepting and declining invitations to parties. They had to write out their own invitations then invite each other and practice accepting and declining. Helen, invited me to her movie marathon party. It was for the Twilight movies. On the line for additional information like what the party will be like she simply wrote, "lots of vampires." How could I decline such an offer? Ha! :)
My Monday night favorites are graduating in two months to an upper level where they sit in desks, not small chairs. Some kids struggle with the transition so my boss asked me to start seating them in big chairs. I was afraid they would freak when they saw desks and not small stools, but they didn't. I told them, "you're big kids now so you have to sit in the desks." However, I still use the small stool so they said, "Amie is small. We are big." I think they're happy with being bigger. Even though their little legs dangle and they fidget with the desktops the entire class, I almost tear up at the sight of them in big chairs. It seems pathetic but they really do grow up so fast.
Because it's winter holiday, my normal Monday first hour of nine five year olds only had four last week. All girls. We are learning body parts. Specifically how many in this lesson. The kids and I were especially hyper on this night. We held most of the class on the floor with my legs outstretched asking how many and them piling their legs on mine one by one and counting. I had ten legs, hands and arms by the end of class.
Oh, and they sang, "Let it Go," from Frozen to end class :)
One Sunday afternoon, I'm giving an orientation for a class transferring to a new curriculum. This is for parents, however, one of my students is with his mom. In the middle of the orientation he mouths to me, "bathroom, please." Reflexively, I answered, "quickly." I just giggled to myself because he was sitting by his mother but asked me.
In my Friday night class of young teens I have two very active students: Crazy Kevin and Victor. Between the two, there is never a dull moment. Last week, Victor introduced me to a new phrase, "Oh my Lady Gaga." I don't know where they get his things...
Since February is the month of Chinese New Year, (Spring Festival), a lot of families go out of town for the entire month to their home towns. That means in a lot of our classes maybe two or three students show up, but the closer to CNY it got, the more classes were just cancelled. Anyway, the kids hate it when there is only two or three (and so do the teachers.) Most activities are meant for 10 students or more so it throws things off a bit when it isn't a full class. I had three show up last Saturday. It was 4:00 and the end of the Winter Course so I'm equally unenthusiastic about class. I promised the students if they got through the book work and grammar points quickly that we would have fun. They cooperated and in return we spent the entire second hour making treasure maps. We had some off white construction paper, purple ink and a lighter. They were thrilled to use the lighters to burn their paper. However, I had to teach them all how to use the lighters, ha. I suppose it's a good thing they didn't know how to use a lighter. Anyway, each time one lit the lighter we all clapped. At the end I asked if they had fun. In unison they said, "so much." And the maps turned out awesome, too!
Lastly, In my Monday night favorite class, I have been focusing on their reading skills and trying to find fun ways to do so. This week I blew up 10 balloons and shoved sentences inside them. They had to pop the balloon and read the question or sentence. Watching them pop the balloons was a riot. They were scared to use the pin and whichever two weren't popping had their ears plugged running about the class. Also, I'm so pleased with their reading skills. I almost cried!
When I was saying goodbye to them on the last day of class before the holiday break. I said, "No, Teacher Amie next Monday." They said, "No Teacher Yasmin on Thursday." I asked them, "Are you sad?" Elaine said, "No Teacher Amie, yes." And that, readers, is why they are my favorites.
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