Yesterday I taught my first freshmen english speaking class! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was taking my first Chinese class as a freshmen. I remember how nervous I was, so I can't imagine how nervous my students were! Especially since I only used English!
They have all been taking English for over 7 years, except they really don't understand much, which was a surprise to me.
I had them fill out information cards that said, "One thing I want to work on this year is:______" "Two topics I want to learn about this semester are______" And they had a very hard time understanding those two phrases. After a lot of explaining, they finally got it!
The Dean of the English department here felt it necessary to tell one girl in my English class that I majored in Chinese, so that girl told the rest of the class and they all asked me if I would speak Chinese to explain things. I told them no, unless they all gave me blank stares. I was so annoyed that the Dean told them I majored in Chinese. I just really don't want them to fall back on the fact that they know I can explain something in English. I want them to challenge themselves!
I had an entire powerpoint set up for class, get to the class and there is NO projector, which took me by complete surprise considering the other 3 classes I teach in the same building all have a projector in the classroom. So with 10 minutes till class started, I had to completely scramble to figure out how to do my class without a projector. So I decided the chalkboard was my only option.... NO CHALK. Ran down the hall to find chalk... NO ERASER... asked a student to have one of their tissues as an eraser (they all laughed so hard...)
Anyway, long story, sort of short, class went great! I love my freshmen, they are all still so innocent and sweet. They thought I was married but then told me I looked 16 and didn't believe me when I told them I was 22. Why they thought I was married but only 16, I will never know...
After class I worked on my lessons for today. My public speaking class that I've had for the past 2 weeks is doing their family speeches today. I am so excited to hear them all! After that class is over I have an hour break and then start my first night class from 7-9:30. Should be interesting! I've planned a lot of different games that involve them talking a lot, so hopefully it goes well.
Last night I was asked to be a judge for the speech contest on the main campus (which is the campus I teach on and live on). I am the only foreign teacher on this campus so I was the only foreign teacher judge, which therefore meant, I was the "Question Master". So after each speech (there were 17), I had to ask the student a question. Which seems sort of easy.... but it was so hard considering I couldn't understand or follow half of them! Then at the break I was the entertainment. I did tongue twisters with them, which was actually extremely funny.
Two of my students got 3rd place, one got 2nd place and one got a ticket to the next round! I'm a proud teacher... hopefully my last two lessons on public speaking helped them last night! Another surprise for the day... I got paid 300RMB which is $45 for the 3 hours I was at the speech contest!
All together it was a successful Monday. Now I hope the family speeches go well and my night class flies by.....
They have all been taking English for over 7 years, except they really don't understand much, which was a surprise to me.
I had them fill out information cards that said, "One thing I want to work on this year is:______" "Two topics I want to learn about this semester are______" And they had a very hard time understanding those two phrases. After a lot of explaining, they finally got it!
The Dean of the English department here felt it necessary to tell one girl in my English class that I majored in Chinese, so that girl told the rest of the class and they all asked me if I would speak Chinese to explain things. I told them no, unless they all gave me blank stares. I was so annoyed that the Dean told them I majored in Chinese. I just really don't want them to fall back on the fact that they know I can explain something in English. I want them to challenge themselves!
I had an entire powerpoint set up for class, get to the class and there is NO projector, which took me by complete surprise considering the other 3 classes I teach in the same building all have a projector in the classroom. So with 10 minutes till class started, I had to completely scramble to figure out how to do my class without a projector. So I decided the chalkboard was my only option.... NO CHALK. Ran down the hall to find chalk... NO ERASER... asked a student to have one of their tissues as an eraser (they all laughed so hard...)
Anyway, long story, sort of short, class went great! I love my freshmen, they are all still so innocent and sweet. They thought I was married but then told me I looked 16 and didn't believe me when I told them I was 22. Why they thought I was married but only 16, I will never know...
After class I worked on my lessons for today. My public speaking class that I've had for the past 2 weeks is doing their family speeches today. I am so excited to hear them all! After that class is over I have an hour break and then start my first night class from 7-9:30. Should be interesting! I've planned a lot of different games that involve them talking a lot, so hopefully it goes well.
Last night I was asked to be a judge for the speech contest on the main campus (which is the campus I teach on and live on). I am the only foreign teacher on this campus so I was the only foreign teacher judge, which therefore meant, I was the "Question Master". So after each speech (there were 17), I had to ask the student a question. Which seems sort of easy.... but it was so hard considering I couldn't understand or follow half of them! Then at the break I was the entertainment. I did tongue twisters with them, which was actually extremely funny.
Two of my students got 3rd place, one got 2nd place and one got a ticket to the next round! I'm a proud teacher... hopefully my last two lessons on public speaking helped them last night! Another surprise for the day... I got paid 300RMB which is $45 for the 3 hours I was at the speech contest!
All together it was a successful Monday. Now I hope the family speeches go well and my night class flies by.....
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