Teaching, Kiwi Style — Nanyang, China
The printer and laminator have been busy this week. I have found it frustrating teaching 'whole class' lessons, knowing full well that the capable students are a bit bored, and that there are several students who are struggling to understand, and so they also switch off. This is especially evident in my Grade 2 class. So this week, I have sorted them into four groups, have a task board, and activities set up around the room.
And it is working. I can see the light in their eyes. We start with 'the saying for the day' - usually an idiom, and then break into groups. I work up at the blackboard with one group at a time, and we even have learning logs! All students have responded positively, and I can now teach the students at their level - the relief and excitement in the top and bottom end students is obvious. There is a huge range of abilities in this class, and so groups are essential.
This style of teaching is completely new to the students, as they are used to having a teacher stand on the rostrum, and speak to them, and write on the blackboard. It has taken a lot of encouragement just to get the students speaking in class, and moving around when asked. So I was thrilled to see them adjust to moving around independent activities so quickly. Of course, they are like any kids, and I still need to keep an eye on them at times, to make sure they are on task, but generally, they have been so far.
My Grade 1 class is smaller - only 11 students at the moment (students seem to disappear at times, though I am assured that Justin will come back at some stage). And so I teach whole class, and then take 3 students separately, as they need a bit of extra help. But they are responding well. This class has also been a lot more enthusiastic right from the start. The Grade 2 class just wanted to sleep in the past.
Oh - and names. Several of them didn't have English names, and wanted them. They asked us to name them. We struggled with this at first, but then Dave said - let's name them after the family. So in little old Nanyang, you will find a group of students that sound like the Whitlow/Kermode family - Lucy, Tom, Jack, Anton, Harry, Zoe, Melissa, Louis, Ann, Rose, James. If your name doesn't appear here, it's not because we don't love you - they just didn't like your name!
The English language can be difficult enough for people to understand, and then of course, you have crazy Kiwis in town, doing odd things. We have a bus that stops outside our apartment - the No. 24 bus. It is not on our map showing bus routes, so we have no idea where it goes to. So after class yesterday, we decided to hop on it, and see where it went. I sat next to a young man.
"Hello," he said. "Where are you from?" Note - it is very unusual to have someone speak English!
"New Zealand," I replied. "Where does this bus go to?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"I don't know. Where does this bus go to?"
"I'm sorry. I don't understand. Where do you want to go?"
And so it continued. He could not understand that I was taking the bus, with no idea where it was going. He eventually got it, but was worried for me - it seemed a very risky thing to do in his eyes.
The bus took us over the river - an area that we haven't explored yet - it looked a lot more industrial, and also had stores like Big Save Furniture. I found a pair of gumboots down a side street - people say that it will be snowing in 2-3 weeks time. The boots have a removable furry lining, and are blue with a fluffy rim, so I am very happy!