Mid Autumn Festival

Wednesday 11^th September

For Mid Autumn festival at the end of this week we were given some gifts today, a huge mooncake and envelope with money.  The mooncake is huge, it looks like a Mayan tablet and is almost as heavy. This was like carrying a brick home. The one we cut up in school was full of nuts, thick pastry, delicious. I have no idea how I will dispose of this on my own, it is colossal.

We also received an envelope with 400rmb, approximately £45.  Not to be sneezed at, I’ve never been given cash money by a UK school as any sort of gift.  School keeps surprising me.

In the evening was our Wednesday RPG session, more Dungeons and Dragons... hopefully I will be able to paint some more figures soon.

Thursday 12^th September

Last school day of the week, a holiday on Friday.  I’ve been feeling pretty tired this week, a few too many late nights, some lessons were a struggle!  I have done my first practical lessons with some classes and found them to be generally very trustworthy with the equipment.  The nicest thing was when asking them to place equipment at the back of the room, they organised it into piles without any prompting from myself. I’m used to having to direct pupils to do everything and then chasing up equipment still left around the classroom.

I was surprised to find a huge knowledge gap surrounding practical equipment, while they can use the items they can’t name a great deal of it.  Conical flasks, spatulas, tripods, all terms most were not familiar with.  You do get some surprised some days as pupils seem to have great knowledge of some topics and very little on others.

In the evening again went over friends to now start the Lord of the Rings RPG, and then a big game of Magic.  Again, it’s a relief having people who share your interests here... Some others in work, I am concerned that they find it harder because they don’t have that.

Last piece of good news this week, the third Chemistry teacher will not be arriving after all. Somewhat suspected it was going this way given the numerous delays for reasons unclear. I’m already on a full timetable so will not pick up other classes or cover, but many others will.

National Teachers’ Day

Tuesday 10^th September

Today was National Teachers’ Day in China, there’s nothing quite like this in the UK.  It has to be said that despite some of the absurdities I’ve seen, there is a clear respect shown for teachers and the teaching profession which is rather lacking in the UK.  We don’t want to be seen as martyrs, but in the UK there seems to be a constant stream of criticism from politicians, the media, parents, that all adds to the pressure of the profession, all while having ‘long holidays’ thrown in your face,and I don’t find that evident here.

First thing some pupils came around our department giving out some flowers, which everyone appreciated. At break time we did the flag raising, postponed from Monday, and had the ceremony.  I admit feeling a bit frustrated that I was teaching every lesson today and lost my break for this, but it was nice seeing one of our Dept get an award, for something as it was not clear the basis they are awarded, and the flowers, pupils enjoyed taking part.  The flag raising was followed by a speech given by a Chinese member of staff and one of our dept, making it bilingual, and poems where read by pupils. Awards were given to numerous staff, and then a swarm of younger girls from the school ran out with bunches of flowers for us all, and an awkward hug!  Then we had to recite a pledge of alliegance to education/teaching, but it was led in Chinese and all the western staff quickly got lost despite having a translation given to us!

Lunchtime I popped home and got the flowers into water, hopefully they will last a few days.

After school I felt battered by teaching five 70 minute lessons.  I walked out to some new shops and bought a percolator, but cannot find any ground coffee, possibly Walmart have some.  Colleague going to another store offered to buy me a toaster that he had seen.  I’ve not seen a toaster anywhere since arriving, and while there is plenty of bread here there’s not much to do with it.  It’s a small, pretty cheap looking toaster, about what you’d get for £5 in Argos but it cost me nearly £15, and first use initially had a strong smell of burning plastic coming from it.  But at least I can have a round of toast in the morning...