The Joys and Challenges of Teaching

Yesterday was another high point in my experiences thus far in China. My school hosted an English speaking contest for students of all majors. Naturally, several students from the English department participated, along with students from International Accounting.

Normally, I go to my school twice a week to teach my classes. When I am not teaching, I usually stay within the city's boundaries, either spending time at the main campus, or staying with Lily's parents (on the weekends).

As a result, the time I have with my students is very limited, unless I decide to go out of my way to make the 1 hour trip to my school even on non-teaching days. Not to mention, most of my students have busy schedules, so they would only be able to meet up with me during certain times of the day.

However, yesterday's English competition allowed me to spend the afternoon and late evening at school, where I was able to meet with my students outside of class. My school asked if I could be a judge in their competition; they said they'd provide transportation back to the main campus after the competition was over.

I took this opportunity to invite as many students as I could for dinner. A few of my students who regularly see me -- Anthony and Christina -- also helped to arrange our dinner. It was one of the greatest moments as a teacher -- to be able to develop a closer/stronger connection with my students. At the table, we ended up having 10 students show up for dinner! I was oozing with joy and excitement.

As most of you know, although I can be a selfish person at times, one of the greatest joys in life for me is to see others happy and in harmony. One of the best moments is when all of my friends can come together in harmony, when we all can enjoy each other's company. This has to be one of the best characteristics of China; most of my students know each other, and they are all very good friends with each other. So, I was able to invite several students from some of my 6 classes, and it was more like a reunion between friends :)

Although some of them were shy, most of them seemed happy to see me outside of my role as "teacher." You know, I am a down-to-Earth guy and I have repeatedly told them that this job is more than just teaching and giving grades. They too wish to develop a friendship with me, one that can lead to a greater relationship between the U.S. and China.

I want to leave an imprint on their lives, though this goal is quite ambitious. However, with a genuine smile and an outgoing/happy personality, I think I can make life a little different for my students. Some of them have already asked me about the future of my teaching and stay in China. They were happy to hear that I would be in China for another semester to teach :)

I never thought that it would become this way, but I too have developed a strong attachment for my students. I even began considering a contract extension, so that I could stay on board for another year...

I think this might be one of the hardest aspects of teaching. Each year, you are given a new set of students, some good and some bad. However, indifferent to your feelings and attachment to your students, you are forced to say "goodbye" each year to the ones you have taught and enjoyed.

For the moment, my students have sort of become my "family," a family that I don't want to see disunited. Cathy and Nadia, the other foreign teachers, have also developed this feeling for their students. The good moments seem to come and go too quickly. We all wish that we had more time with our students this year.

I'm not really sure what the future will be of my schedule, and I am not sure if I will be teaching the same students next year. However, this is something which I hope for with all of my heart. This I realized as we passed the food around the table; when I felt a stronger connection with my students...

I'll write more on the competition in my next blog.