This is the first time in Lanzhou University's 100 year history that a foreign teacher ever directed a play.
Insert gulp....
There is an old Chinese saying (there is ALWAYS an old Chinese saying) that in order to achieve greatness, there must be great struggle, or obstacles or something akin to that. After living here for over a year, I believe it and it does happen. Right before you embark on anything, there will be times when your heart’s like a squirrel’s and you think all the worst things will happen and rarely do they. I almost had a few anxiety attacks from snafus or sudden changes or abrupt switcheroos, but I gotta tell you something....
When I was watching last year's play, an adaptation of Tagore’s "Chitra", I envisioned myself standing on stage and feeling it - the energy, the love of my students, whatnot. As I stepped onto the stage Tuesday, it was a deja vu. Exactly how I thought it would be - perhaps even better. The auditorium was packed. Even some of my students from last year, who are now on a different campus, showed up - even bearing flowers for me.
Before the show, the custom is to show a short video of the rehearsals - I taught them the banana dance to get them energized and they loved it. Then the two hosts arrive on stage, welcoming the faculty from Lanzhou University as well as visiting faculty from other local universities (most PCV friends of mine, god love 'em). Then the Dean of the Foreign Language School comes up and delivers a speech.
Finally it was time for me to come out and say something. I expected the gasps and the "whoas" from my students, since I was wearing a skirt and makeup - both rarely seen in the classroom, but the fierceness of the outburst made me believe that my skirt was bunched up in my underwear or that boogers were covering my face.
While the show was going on, the left side of the stage showed the English text and the right side the Chinese version. It was a short one act - only 45 minutes, but the entire time I kept my guard or anxiety at a high level - always awaiting something.
When the cast came back from their curtain call, they all quickly shuffled to me and stood silently beside me, waiting for my reaction. I opened my arms and we all got into a big group hug - unorthodox for Chinese, not wanting to show affection. Many said afterwards that they wanted to perform it again and again!! Check out the pictures. picasaweb.google.com/macdirty/theodyssey
I now can sleep, but I am back to being bored. Back to learning Chinese, reading voraciously and walking around the track late at night. Last night, my site mate, Joe, Kathleen, and I were talking about what I plan on doing with my life (10 year plan crap). After many beers, we started fantasizing about putting on ANOTHER play, nay, MUSICAL next semester. It took me 6 months to put on the Odyssey, but we think wecould do it in 3. Don't know if it will happen, but it was fun talking about it.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Essay for Lanzhou University
What do you hope to accomplish from this class?
On the first day of class at Lanzhou University, I wrote the above statement on the board looking forward to learning how I can help my students.
One student answered: “I hope that we become good friends!”
My reply was: “Thank you, but I came here to China to teach. I know we can become friendly, but I came here to be your teacher, not your friend.”
As a high school teacher from the United States, this was what I learned – teachers and students cannot be friends. There must be a boundary; there must be a clear distinction made between the roles of teacher and student. I had made the mistake in the past and learned the only way to be a good teacher was to be friendly, but not their friends. I had to make sure the students knew I was there to teach and not to be their friend. It made the learning easier for both parties – student and teacher; child and adult.
The student who answered this question had a foreign teacher, another volunteer, last year. She told me later that the foreign teacher was a great friend but not that concerned with teaching. I resolved that I was going to blow their socks off from what they learned from me.
I love being a teacher. I love that I am in a position to constantly learn from my students and to guide, cajole and motivate them to be the best they can be. Through working with my students I learn how I am guided, cajoled and motivated as well to be the best teacher I can be. I love to be in a community of learners, never afraid to take risks, make mistakes and learn from each other.
I came to China because I believe in education and wanted to explore this profession in a new country, immerse myself in a new culture and to learn from a new group of learners. I brought with me my not only my resource books, my ideas for lessons and my passion to be in the classroom, but also my preconceived notions of what it means in the United States to be a teacher.
As I learned quite quickly while teaching in China, boundaries do exist, but they are very different. Living on campus with the students, something that few Chinese professors are able to do at Landa, I learned that the boundaries were cultural. Language, different life experiences, age, different world views and environmental comfort were some of the new boundaries I quickly noticed. But it was English, their zeal to learn it and my fervor to teach them, that brought my students and me together.
By relaxing my old view of boundary and becoming friends with my students, they became my teachers as well; showing me the way around campus, taking me on a climb up the mountain, introducing me to amazingly delicious foods in the various restaurants, and learning from them about their life experiences and world view.
It was overwhelming in the beginning, the dismantling of previous boundaries and constantly running my head against the new ones. But it was my relationships, my friendships with my students who held my hand as they weaved around the new walls that I became comfortable with life in Yuzhong and in China.
Now after a year, I am amazed at what we, my students and I have accomplished. I have never felt so empowered and so secure with my life in Yuzhong. The students know me, know that I care deeply about them and I know that that feeling is reciprocated. I look out for them as I weave them through the new boundaries for them as they learn English, Western Culture and Literature and they are my guides for my new walls.
Pretty soon all those boundaries are the size of the net that separate me from my weekly badminton buddy. We recognize each other and respect each other, knowing what they are learning and what they have accomplished. I know that my students are my friends. I know that teaching in China has and still is a wonderful experience that I will treasure the rest of my days. I hope to continually learn from them and deserve their friendship.
My socks are blown off by my students. Boundaries are relative and can be, when needed, dismantled.
On the first day of class at Lanzhou University, I wrote the above statement on the board looking forward to learning how I can help my students.
One student answered: “I hope that we become good friends!”
My reply was: “Thank you, but I came here to China to teach. I know we can become friendly, but I came here to be your teacher, not your friend.”
As a high school teacher from the United States, this was what I learned – teachers and students cannot be friends. There must be a boundary; there must be a clear distinction made between the roles of teacher and student. I had made the mistake in the past and learned the only way to be a good teacher was to be friendly, but not their friends. I had to make sure the students knew I was there to teach and not to be their friend. It made the learning easier for both parties – student and teacher; child and adult.
The student who answered this question had a foreign teacher, another volunteer, last year. She told me later that the foreign teacher was a great friend but not that concerned with teaching. I resolved that I was going to blow their socks off from what they learned from me.
I love being a teacher. I love that I am in a position to constantly learn from my students and to guide, cajole and motivate them to be the best they can be. Through working with my students I learn how I am guided, cajoled and motivated as well to be the best teacher I can be. I love to be in a community of learners, never afraid to take risks, make mistakes and learn from each other.
I came to China because I believe in education and wanted to explore this profession in a new country, immerse myself in a new culture and to learn from a new group of learners. I brought with me my not only my resource books, my ideas for lessons and my passion to be in the classroom, but also my preconceived notions of what it means in the United States to be a teacher.
As I learned quite quickly while teaching in China, boundaries do exist, but they are very different. Living on campus with the students, something that few Chinese professors are able to do at Landa, I learned that the boundaries were cultural. Language, different life experiences, age, different world views and environmental comfort were some of the new boundaries I quickly noticed. But it was English, their zeal to learn it and my fervor to teach them, that brought my students and me together.
By relaxing my old view of boundary and becoming friends with my students, they became my teachers as well; showing me the way around campus, taking me on a climb up the mountain, introducing me to amazingly delicious foods in the various restaurants, and learning from them about their life experiences and world view.
It was overwhelming in the beginning, the dismantling of previous boundaries and constantly running my head against the new ones. But it was my relationships, my friendships with my students who held my hand as they weaved around the new walls that I became comfortable with life in Yuzhong and in China.
Now after a year, I am amazed at what we, my students and I have accomplished. I have never felt so empowered and so secure with my life in Yuzhong. The students know me, know that I care deeply about them and I know that that feeling is reciprocated. I look out for them as I weave them through the new boundaries for them as they learn English, Western Culture and Literature and they are my guides for my new walls.
Pretty soon all those boundaries are the size of the net that separate me from my weekly badminton buddy. We recognize each other and respect each other, knowing what they are learning and what they have accomplished. I know that my students are my friends. I know that teaching in China has and still is a wonderful experience that I will treasure the rest of my days. I hope to continually learn from them and deserve their friendship.
My socks are blown off by my students. Boundaries are relative and can be, when needed, dismantled.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
EARTHQUAKE!!
On Monday (5/12) afternoon around 2:30, aftershocks of one of the largest earthquakes (7.9) to hit China in over 30 years were felt here in Lanzhou (a 22 hour train ride away from the epicenter). It happened around 60 miles north of Chengdu in the Sichuan province.
I have felt little tremors in Denver before and one medium earthquakein Guatemala years ago, but this was the largest one I have ever felt. I was at home, doing Pilates and stopped to take a drink because I was feeling dizzy. Then I realized the building was moving (rather swaying) and not me.
The shocks continued for about 2 - 3 minutes. I just sat down and rode it - like a roller coaster. I should've left the building instead. Most students were in class at the time and many of them told me that some students, as they were exiting the teaching building were pushing their way out. Phones are not working. Outside of Lanzhou, texting works and the internet is up.
I had some students call me late at night, worried that it would happen again, scared to go back inside. Overwhelming what is going on down south nearer the epicenter. Peace Corps has spoken to every volunteer and everyone is all right. Grateful to be all right but scared shitless about the people trapped in rubble.
Send good thoughts.
I have felt little tremors in Denver before and one medium earthquakein Guatemala years ago, but this was the largest one I have ever felt. I was at home, doing Pilates and stopped to take a drink because I was feeling dizzy. Then I realized the building was moving (rather swaying) and not me.
The shocks continued for about 2 - 3 minutes. I just sat down and rode it - like a roller coaster. I should've left the building instead. Most students were in class at the time and many of them told me that some students, as they were exiting the teaching building were pushing their way out. Phones are not working. Outside of Lanzhou, texting works and the internet is up.
I had some students call me late at night, worried that it would happen again, scared to go back inside. Overwhelming what is going on down south nearer the epicenter. Peace Corps has spoken to every volunteer and everyone is all right. Grateful to be all right but scared shitless about the people trapped in rubble.
Send good thoughts.
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