Wednesday, 10-15-2008
9:00 AM- Wake Up and check email- At about 9:15, Mom calls in on Skype. I am still a little groggy so I really don't remember what we talked about at all. Afterwards I get a shower and have breakfast, today it's a couple boiled eggs and some crackers.
11:00 AM- Leave for work- I walk out of my building and grab bus 307. The trip from the apartment to my work takes about 10 minutes this morning.
Atherton International Apartments
11:10 AM- Arrive in Zhongguancun- I stop off at a newsstand to buy a China Daily, the national English newspaper. It is full of good news only as it is government run. Now its time to head into the building. I work in The Gate: City Mall. This looks like any shopping mall in America. The first five floors are the mall; above the mall are offices, we are on the 12th floor.
Zhongguancun Street
11:20 AM- Say hello to the front desk ladies and all the smiling teachers. After this I sit down at a computer, check my work email, and begin planning my lessons for the day. Today I am teaching a class on learning styles. I am going to have four activities, one for each of the learning styles. Throughout the class the students will try out an activity in each learning style and at the end of class write feedback about which they liked best. If there is time we will go to the computer lab and take a learning styles inventory.
The Front Desk Ladies Keep The School Running
Melissa, Nadine, Summer, and Lloyd Hard At Work
12:40 PM- My first class of the day- This is the learning styles class. After some opening discussion of the concept of learning styles, the students rotate through four stations and experience the three learning styles in the discussion as well as a traditional classroom pen and paper vocabulary activity.
Tactile Learners Build A Model Of A Famous Chinese Landmark
Aural Learners Tell Stories To Each Other And Summarize
Before class ends, I give the students some instructions and tips for incorporating their learning style into personal study habits.
1:40 PM- Office Hour- Basically I use this time to prep for classes, visit with students, and take care of business. If there is not much to do, I will work on this blog or check out some stuff on the internet.
2:40 PM- CPD, Center Professional Development- This is our weekly staff meeting. Sometimes we have a guest speaker, other times it is more of a business type meeting. Today three teachers: Ed, Jean, and Nancy, are presenting short presentations on topics they have been researching. My time to do this will come soon.
2:40 PM- CPD, Center Professional Development- This is our weekly staff meeting. Sometimes we have a guest speaker, other times it is more of a business type meeting. Today three teachers: Ed, Jean, and Nancy, are presenting short presentations on topics they have been researching. My time to do this will come soon.
3:40 PM- LUNCH- I head downstairs to Mr. G's Kitchen, a Yunnan style Chinese fast food place.
Today it will be beef with mushrooms and peppers over rice.
4:40 PM- Placement Testing Duty- During this hour, I have to make myself available to the sales and admission staff should a new student come in desiring placement in an English program. It requires me to interview them and gauge their English level based on EF's placement scale. After this I communicate with the sales staff so they can give feedback. I am on the party planning committee and we meet briefly to discuss plans for a Halloween event. It must be slow day in sales because no new students come by.
5:40 PM- The Evening Rush- After offices close, the bulk of our students arrive. I have three classes tonight. I will teach the learning styles lesson again; I am looking forward to it as it went well this morning. I think it is one of the best lessons I have EVER taught. Its amazing how far a little creativity can go. After that I have two face to face classes; these are small classes of 2-4 students. Our topic today is Dimensions and Specifications, ugh, I have to teach a geometry lesson! We will primarily be discussing whatever the students want to talk about though. Face To Face is sometimes a lesson, mostly a discussion and conversation practice, and sometimes a counseling session.
4:40 PM- Placement Testing Duty- During this hour, I have to make myself available to the sales and admission staff should a new student come in desiring placement in an English program. It requires me to interview them and gauge their English level based on EF's placement scale. After this I communicate with the sales staff so they can give feedback. I am on the party planning committee and we meet briefly to discuss plans for a Halloween event. It must be slow day in sales because no new students come by.
5:40 PM- The Evening Rush- After offices close, the bulk of our students arrive. I have three classes tonight. I will teach the learning styles lesson again; I am looking forward to it as it went well this morning. I think it is one of the best lessons I have EVER taught. Its amazing how far a little creativity can go. After that I have two face to face classes; these are small classes of 2-4 students. Our topic today is Dimensions and Specifications, ugh, I have to teach a geometry lesson! We will primarily be discussing whatever the students want to talk about though. Face To Face is sometimes a lesson, mostly a discussion and conversation practice, and sometimes a counseling session.
The first face to face was really good. These were high level students that I usually meet with every Wednesday night so we have a good rapport going.
My second face to face was good, although the students were not very talkative. This can be very difficult in a class where conversation is the main goal.
As I walk to the subway I frequently pass by this guy performing his songs for spare change. I try to toss him a yuan or two because I really do enjoy hearing him even if I can't understand a word.
After work, I will take the subway home, stop off to pick up my laundry at the dry cleaners (it is so nice having someone do that for me for so little money!), and then retire at home for the night. After a bowl of Chef Boyardee and the latest episode of The Daily Show with John Stewart from Itunes, it is time to go to bed so I can get up and do it all over again!
Good Night!
Good Night!
1 comment:
hope you are so happy for everyday in Beijing
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