English Club

Once a month we have English Club for both the Junior and Senior Students. Yesterday was our Junior (7th-9th grade) Club, and we had almost 20 kids show up. It was a Halloween theme, so we played games related to that and had Halloween snacks too. Here are some pictures from the event.

In one of the games we played, each team was allowed to pick a foreign teacher and dress him or her up like a monster. This is Nate with his group.

Obviously my team didn't win the monster award. Don't make fun.

Viki and Chris being monster-like

Jess with some of our students

Viki and some Junior 3 students

This is me with Robin, Tony, and Andrew. Robin and Tony are in my class on Tuesdays.

Morning Exercises

Each morning at around 9:30, the students at my school gather on the athletic fields for their morning exercises. They do these synchronized movements to music and counting. It looks kind of cool when they are all doing it together. Have a look.

Oh, and FYI, my apartment is in the building in the first picture. 

First Day

This morning I taught my first two classes of Junior 2 students. That's right, I'm a real teacher now. Things went pretty well for the most part; the students in my first class even clapped when I was done. (Maybe they were just glad it was over...haha.)

It was such a joy to get to finally start teaching today. I have so much to learn with this being an English teacher thing, but I think it's going to be a great opportunity. I have office hours every Friday, and already one of my students named Adam told me that he is going to try and come because he wants to practice his English. I'm just really excited to get to know the students better and try and learn at least some of their names (I have about 300 altogether).

And honestly, would it even be the first day of school if there was no first day of school picture? No, it would not. Here you go, Mom. :-)

I'm Here!

On Wednesday afternoon, my 5 teammates and I rolled into Beijing Capital International Airport after a smooth 13.5 hour flight. We were greeted there by Nate and Jess, our other teammates who have been awaiting our arrival, along with some other ERAP members from the other schools. It was a wonderful reunion to finally be all together.

The past day and a half has been quite full, and I wish I had the time to tell you all about how great it's been. Sorry that I've got no pictures to prove any of this yet, but they will be on their way. I'm now pretty much moved into my apartment, which is such a nice feeling. I'll post some shots of this as well once we get everything just right.

Already I'm so amazed at what a warm welcome we've received, both from the other teammates as well as from Chinese officials here at Shi Yi (my school). Tonight the school officials took our team out to dinner at a nearby restaurant, and it was such a joy to get to know them. I wish you could have tasted all 20 different dishes that we had before us. It was a feast!

So much more I could say, but it's very late and tomorrow is another day of running around. Talk to you later!

Slow Boat to China

Let me just say that this phrase has never meant so much to me. :-) As most of you know, I have been planning for quite some time to be an English teacher in Beijing, China for the 2008-2009 school year. Back in February I was accepted to the program which affords me this opportunity, and at that point I began expecting to leave at the end of the summer for China.

Initially, I was supposed to leave America on August 21. After a number of unexpected delays, I will now be leaving on October 21. The past two months has shown me a great deal about patience, waiting, and learning to operate on a timetable much bigger than my own. Looking back, I can honestly say I am so thankful for this "in limbo" period, where I have learned to take comfort in knowing that I am not in control.

So here I am, frantically packing and preparing 8th grade English lessons, and all the while hoping that you will check this blog out once in a while over the next 9 months. I'll miss all of you here in the Eastern Hemisphere, and I hope that this website will give you a glimpse into the life I'll be living while you are sleeping.