teaching and text messages

For the past two weeks, our students' have each done a "micro-teaching" segment for eight minutes where they teach their classmates and practice using their oral English giving instructions and eliciting English-speaking activities.  In order to help dispel nervousness and butterflies, I began each class with a simple, inspirational mantra where they repeated me. It went: "I am the teacher! I am the teacher! I am the teacher! I am the teacher! (grabbing the desk) This is my desk! (holding up the box of chalk) This!....is my chalk! This is my classroom! (motioning to their classmates) These are my students! (pounding the desk) This!... is my kingdom! I am the Emperor! I AM THE TEACHER!"  (FUN FACT: We, ourselves (CTF), were trained to repeat the first part of this mantra ["I am the teacher!"] in August before setting off to teach in September)

The board reads: "1.  The relationship between Animals and human beings?
2.  If you are the Animals what you will say to the human beings?"

Many of our students will teach English one day to young children (hence the clips of children's songs posted at the bottom) and it had been my deep desire to help them to become better teachers during both weeks but Chinese culture is a bit different when it comes to asking questions or advice from a teacher.  Finally, after offering help the entire week in the wrong ways with statements like "I want to help you improve your teaching, so if you have questions I am here to help" and staying for a few minutes after class to no avail. On Friday, I feel like I finally figured out a way to communicate that I wanted to help them in a culturally understandable way with: "I am happy to help you improve your teaching (smiling). I will stay here for you, after class, and you can ask me questions. Again, I am very happy (smiling again) to help you improve your teaching." To my surprise, and great joy, almost 6 or 7 students stayed after for advice on Friday afternoon. I had opportunity to impart a little bit of my limited teaching wisdom to them about how to be mindful of time, their students' English production, not to be afraid to repeat instructions, writing questions on the board before asking the class, etc. Inspired, I sent out a text message to all of my students that stayed and asked questions after class to express my joy and encourage further question-asking. My team leader, with her expertise in Cultural Relations, gave me the inspiration for the wording of the text message. It went something like: "I am very happy when my students ask me questions. It is my honor to help you improve your oral English. I hope I can do a good job." Here are a few of the responses I received,  they really blessed my heart on Friday afternoon and I wanted to share them with you. 

(misspellings and odd punctuation-use included):

Connie:  "Thank you ,Mr.Drew !I also hope in you help I can improve my oral english.In my eyes,you are a good teacher !"

Lillian: "Thanks for you help!I think you are a good tearcher and friend.In fact I really want talk to you,I need your help and improve my oral English.But I aways afraid of making mistakes and I easily nevours.Any way thank you so much!"

"1.  Do you know your parents birthday?
2.  In your parents' eyes what are you interested in?"

Jackie: "Thank you, SIR . In my heart, you are a good teacher, We fell relax in your class. Sometimes, I am nervous to talk with you, because of my poor oral English or something else. Last, I think that you are cool with your hat."

Also, here is another text message I received just last night from a Chinese student who studies Russian at our school (I call her "Russian Anna" because we have several students named "Anna" in English) who I met at the "English Oral Storm" club the other night:

"Tomorrow is a day of yours ^o^ Happy Simpleton's Day^0^ to you !!! Do you have any good ideas to fool someone ?! Wish all the simpletons can be happy. Surely, you must be the happiest one ^0^ Did you know this day before you come to China ?!"

I hope you have been able to see a little bit of my joys that I experience on an every day basis here in China with my students. Below, I have included two brief clips of two examples of songs they sometimes used in their mini-lessons. Also, keep in Mind, this week is Passover week, and we will be sharing briefly about our Passover Lamb. I expounded more in detail about specific Requests for the Holy Week in an e-mail. If you don't receive my e-mail updates and would like to, please comment with your e-mail address or send me an e-mail and I'll be sure you are added.