I hope everyone is having a great 2011 so far! As many of you are coming off of holiday breaks, I am just about to begin mine. This is our last week of school until February 21st. I gave my final exams (oral, listening, and written) last week and whipped through the grading of 136 exams and calculating final grades so most of my work for the semester is done and yes, it is a good feeling. Although we are still “teaching” this week I expect to have some of my classes taken from me as the students are busy preparing for finals in other subjects. I am planning for whatever lessons I do get to teach this week to be a fun time of reflection for my students and me. I have put together a slideshow of pictures from this semester and I want them to reflect on the things they learned in our class, what they have liked about it, and what they want to learn about next semester. I will also be giving out awards to the students who got a 100% on the final exam and an A in my class which hopefully will serve as a reward for these students and as motivation for the others who did not do so well.
Looking back over the semester, I know I have grown an immeasurable amount as a teacher and a person. The first couple of months were not easy and I often questioned if I could really handle the differences in educational systems and cultures. Now, not a day goes by that I don’t give him thanks for this amazing opportunity to be living, working, and serving in another country. I know it is not something to take for granted that I get to be surrounded by some the most beautiful children in the world (troublesome at times, yes) and do my best to live out each day focused on how I can pour into their lives and the lives of my co-teachers. I am sure next semester will have challenges, but overall it is going to be so nice to come back from the break knowing my students, knowing the curriculum, and having a better understanding of how the school runs and how to communicate most effectively with Chinese co-teachers. I anticipate that having a stronger grip on the teaching side of things will allow me to be even more focused on relationships and I look forward to seeing his faithfulness continuing as he has already opened many doors. One fun goal I have for next semester is to get more involved in the dance department and maybe assist in some dance classes that my 4th grade girls attend. I’m not going to lie, as “the foreigners” we already get a lot of attention and our High School Musical performance, “We’re All in This Together” that we did for the school last week pretty much made me feel like a pop star! I miss dancing so it will be a way for me to live out that passion and spend more time with my students.
There are a lot of exciting things going on during the break and it will be nice to take a mental break, but I will definitely miss not seeing my students for over a month, so I will be spending as much time as I can getting extra hugs and time with them this week. My parents will be arriving on January 21st and we will spend 10 days in Beijing and then 5 days in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year! I can’t wait to see my family and for them to experience China. I am also excited to get to see how the biggest Chinese holiday is celebrated, especially since it will be the year of the rabbit and I am a rabbit according to the Chinese calendar. My parents and I will depart each other in Hong Kong, as they will head back to The States and I, along with 700 other teachers from my organization, will be travelling to Thailand for a mid-year conference. I can’t wait for the warmth and nature of Thailand (city life in Beijing is fun, but I haven’t seen much green or trees in several months now) fellowship, and time of refreshment!
