Children Speakin' Chino & China

I was thinking about my job the other day because, you know, it's what I do for 8+ hrs a day and I realized I probably haven't written much about my job this year on my blog. It's good for me to think about it, regardless of whether you like reading about it. :) #sorrynotsorry.

Here are my thoughts/things I've learned Yr 2 so far:

• I genuinely enjoy my job 95% of the time!
• Kids are really fun to be around - it's very rewarding to help them grow in knowledge & confidence.
• One of the main things that I like about my job is that I get to develop a relationship with each student and see them grow.
• I started being consistent and strict with implementing the "No English in the Classroom" rule. Sounds daunting at first, and exhausting to implement, but I have been surprised yet again how easy it is if you are consistent. Kids can do anything, it's really just a matter of training and helping them develop a habit. And adults are the same.
• I probably mentioned this last year, but I can't stress enough how much I'm still trying to implement it and how true it is: positive reinforcement is the best discipline strategy and motivator. 1000% more effective & makes you and kids feel better.
• I am too quick to give a consequence when it really should be a teaching moment. If kids are acting up, they often need to be taught(retaught)/trained on expectations, not given a consequence.
• Still exhausted a lot of the time, but I'm doing slightly better at leaving work at work and not letting it affect me emotionally if they are rowdy/loud/chatty. They're seven, for heaven's sake!

This is a video of some kids in my class who finished their assignments and were having an impromptu conversation in Chinese about what they were reading in a Chinese book. Sometimes I wish I could video-tape them all day so that people can see what I see! It's pretty amazing. I've always been fascinated with language, so it's really cool to watch kids learn a language and start fighting in Chinese, playing in Chinese, and loving Chinese.

Some things I still find incredibly challenging about my job:

• Training myself to only speak Chinese all the time - and be okay with when they don't get what I'm saying. So hard to do.
• How to motivate kids and provide positive incentives while not encouraging a feeling of entitlement in them. How to help them develop intrinsic motivations.
• How to cope with the fact that my Chinese curriculum changes every year - and not to be exhausted with the thought of throwing away all the materials I have developed over the past 2 yrs (My most recent emotional breakdown happened when I realized I would have new curriculum next yr).
• Differentiating instruction- hands-down biggest challenge of teaching and something I am not good at - reaching and challenging both the highest kids and the lowest kids at the same time.

 I'm going to China
 June 18.

 

It hasn't quite hit me, and won't until it's happening. But, I did open the 50-pg handbook the other day...and promptly shut it. Talk about overwhelming. It will be "an experience", to say the least. I feel totally and completely intimidated by it all, and a little bit excited somewhere deep down in my mind. I went to dinner with a friend who did a similar program, and she said that the best thing to do to prepare is to be okay with feeling completely inadequate. YIKES. I guess I'll have to feel okay with that, whether I want to be or not!