My experience in China was an eye opening one, to be sure!
I expected to teach in the most conventional way. Of course, I knew that usually in China the students are made to read or write information for the purpose of memorization. So I went into the situation expecting that I would be teaching in the same format.
Quite to the contrary, I realized! We were chosen to bring western culture and the creativity of America to the students, to engage them. We were to shake things up, rattle their cages, all the while getting them more comfortable speaking in English.
I learned the ups and downs of the teaching experience. The upside, as always, are the students. The downside in the situation in China was the language barrier. Many of the high school students knew English vocabulary, but hadn't had much experience utilizing it in conversation.
The real challenge was to engage the students with the giant sea of language dividing us. I only knew one way to break down the walls of misunderstanding: Compassion. Everyday I walked into the classroom I tried my best to exude an air of compassion, let the students know that I cared. It was hard and took time, but this strategy eventually paid off.
I built strong relationships with my students through playing games, telling them about American culture and reaching across boundaries to better understand their lives. We took many field trips to museums, the Great Wall of China, and other cultural sites around Beijing. All of this culminated in an experience of a lifetime. All of my students taught me so much!
The most important thing I took away from the experience is that teaching happens in more than just words, information or language. Teaching happens whenever a teacher cares.
I expected to teach in the most conventional way. Of course, I knew that usually in China the students are made to read or write information for the purpose of memorization. So I went into the situation expecting that I would be teaching in the same format.
Quite to the contrary, I realized! We were chosen to bring western culture and the creativity of America to the students, to engage them. We were to shake things up, rattle their cages, all the while getting them more comfortable speaking in English.
I learned the ups and downs of the teaching experience. The upside, as always, are the students. The downside in the situation in China was the language barrier. Many of the high school students knew English vocabulary, but hadn't had much experience utilizing it in conversation.
The real challenge was to engage the students with the giant sea of language dividing us. I only knew one way to break down the walls of misunderstanding: Compassion. Everyday I walked into the classroom I tried my best to exude an air of compassion, let the students know that I cared. It was hard and took time, but this strategy eventually paid off.
I built strong relationships with my students through playing games, telling them about American culture and reaching across boundaries to better understand their lives. We took many field trips to museums, the Great Wall of China, and other cultural sites around Beijing. All of this culminated in an experience of a lifetime. All of my students taught me so much!
The most important thing I took away from the experience is that teaching happens in more than just words, information or language. Teaching happens whenever a teacher cares.
Here are some images of my experience of teaching in China. (Slideshow)