Outdoor Market & School Tour

Sunday, August 31. Up and out early this morning to go to outdoor fruit and vegetable market where they also sell meat, fish, ginger, the biggest sticks of cinnamon I've ever seen - much larger than a big stalk of celery - and a thousand other things. These little markets and the little shops on the streets leading to them are fascinating. We make a few purchases (carrots, garlic, granulated chicken bouillion for me), get some dumplings for breakfast, buy a plant as a gift for Mr. Zhang and high-tail it back on our bikes to the school gate where we are supposed to meet Mr. Zhang at 9 o'clock.

Fortunately, we are there before he arrives. Another English teacher, Tyler (his English name), is with him, and he is a very pleasant and personable young man (later we find out he is 24 and this is his second year teaching at the school).We have a tour of some of the school buildings: the administration building where the library is located - and the ping pong room; the Junior School classroom building; and the Senior School classroom building. We also see the Primary School building and some of the dormitories (but not inside). All students (with a few exceptions, such as the 1st and 2nd graders) are required to board at the school. Most of them are local but some come from farther away.

Due to some reorganizing, I am now teaching Senior 1 classes. There are only 7 class meetings each week, and I will have only about 310 students in total. Tiffany is now teaching Junior 2 and David is teaching Junior 1. Each of them will teach 14 classes each week. Each of us will also do an English Corner for our section. I will fill up the extra time in my schedule with a combination of the following: teacher training, Senior thesis advising, acting as resource to Primary School (but with no teaching responsibility), and anything else they need. I am very happy with this.

Lesson planning this afternoon. I have two classes on Monday. It's a little daunting to face a roomful of Chinese students for the first time, especially when you have no real idea what their command of English really is. However, I'm going to assume that Senior 1 classes are fairly good. I'm excited to finally meet my very own students!