Year of New Experiences

When veteran teachers say that your first year of teaching is full of new experiences, I certainly would never have imagined what I have experienced here!  
Teaching in an international school presents its own set of unique experiences.  While teachers in the states get frustrated when their students talk, I am overjoyed when mine talk, as long as it is in English.  It has also been an interesting experience trying to communicate with students who have very low levels of English.  You can take all of the practicums and student teaching semesters/classes that you want, but if they are solely in America, it doesn’t prepare you for how different it is to teach in an international setting.  In this situation—it’s practically a baptism by fire.  You learn as you go of what works, what doesn’t work, how to change your plans to describe what something means in English, etc.  
I have been lucky enough to arrive here during the year that they were building a new area specifically for Pre-K and Kinder classes.  We had the official opening on Friday, and I had quite an entertaining experience.  There were four of us standing around, and a Korean mom wanted to ask me a question.  However, she only spoke Korean.  Therefore, she asked her question to a mom that spoke Korean and Chinese.  That mom asked my TA who speaks Chinese and English.  My TA translated it for me.  This cycle kept going around until the question had been answered and understood by the mom.  I have seen situations like this done in the movies, but never been a part of one before…quite interesting!
During the next 3 weeks, I will also have a student teacher with me.  I was not expecting this, especially since this is my first year teaching.  The Pre-K teacher and I will be sharing her, but still….I didn’t think that I would get one this early!  I can’t help but think back to what I experienced during my semester of student teaching.  Hopefully I can be a good light to this young woman, and provide good examples not only of how to live, but how to teach.  I have to admit that it will be quite strange filling out an evaluation form…for a student teacher.  Wasn’t I just reviewing my eval with my cooperating teacher?? 
My next dilemma—How do you explain what “Valentine’s Day” means to a room full of 11 Asian Kindergarteners??? 

3 Planes + 2 Cars + 31 Hours = I'm back in China!

I am now back in China!  It's hard to believe that I am back in my own apartment, and getting ready for school to start again in a few days!  Thankfully, the fact that we had 5 weeks off,and I spent 4 of those at home in the states, meant that I was able to adequately enjoy my time off. 
During my time in the states, I enjoyed American food, time with family, and time doing absolutely nothing (quite relaxing!!)  I got to go to a teacher store, and stock up on teaching-related materials.  When it came time to pack for my return trip, I began to realize that I had purchased quite a bit of stuff to take back.  I hoped that it would all fit, and that it would be under the weight limit.  Thankfully, I have a packing expert in my mom!  We managed to get everything in the suitcases, and when we weighed them:  exactly 50 pounds.  Yay!
My trip back to China began about 3:30 in the morning on the 23rd.  Getting up that early wasn't easy...I only got about 3 hours of sleep, and I knew that I would have a looong trip ahead of me.  At the airport, I was still worried about the weight of my luggage.  Even though the weight at home was okay, I knew that the scales at the airport were more accurate.  When the lady at the ticket counter weighed my luggage, I waited with baited breath.  Final weight:  49.5 and 50.5.  When I saw that my suitcase was over 50 pounds, I was really worried, since 51-70 pounds is a $200 dollar charge.  Thankfully, she let it go, and I didn't have to pay anything!  Yay!
The flight from Norfolk to DC went well.  However, I knew that I only had an hour between flights...when we landed, we sat at the gate for 15 minutes.  I was getting quite anxious...didn't want to miss my flight.  We finally got off of the plane, and when I got inside the terminal, I had 40 minutes. After I found where I was supposed to go, I began following signs, however, after a few minutes, I realized I was going in the wrong direction.  Turned around, went up 2 escalators, down 2 escalators, across a moving sidewalk, up one more escalator, and down a really long hall, and finally got to my gate, with 5 minutes to spare.  I enjoyed watching 2 birds that were inside of the terminal.  They flew up and down the halls, chasing each other, making everyone laugh. 
After being put in a holding pattern on the flight from DC to San Francisco, I had 45 minutes to get to my next gate.  Once again, it was quite a ways away, but I made it.  There was a surprise waiting at the gate:  I looked at the screen, and saw a notification about the number of empty seats:  191.  Needless to say, I was quite shocked!  They began boarding, and first called for the first class passengers.  Nobody got up.  Business/frequent travelers./gold members/etc.  Nobody got up.  Zones 1-4.  Everyone else got up.  There were 2 lines opened, and I managed to be first in one of the lines.  Once on board, I realized that I was the 2nd passenger to get on the plane.  Quite fun! 
The flight was quite empty, which was so strange!  The flight attendants kept coming around with extra food and offering it to anyone that wanted it, since they had enough stuff for a full plane, and the plane was only half full. 
Once in Shanghai, everything went just fine, which was a relief.  All of my luggage came, and all was in 1 piece.  Customs went easily, and no issues!  One 2 hour car ride later, and I was finally back in my apartment. 
It is strange, having to get readjusted to the Chinese culture again, used to using a different language, etc.  However, it is going well so far.  I am just glad that I made it back safely, and didn't have any problems getting here like I did back in July!  Here's to hoping that doesn't happen again...

I'm home!

As I write this, Christina is playing with the cat.  We are all listening to "9 Lessons and Carols" on the radio, live from Cambridge, England.  It's Christmas Eve, and I'm actually home!! 
The last day of school was quite interesting.  I had moved almost all of the stuff from my current class into my new classroom, so the room yesterday was quite empty.  We enjoyed some time with the kids coloring, handing out presents, and watching movies.  I had to bring my suitcases with me to school, because we were leaving as soon as the kids did, at 11:30. 
The ride to the airport went without a hitch.  Very uneventful, which was actually appreciated :)  I went to the airport with three other people, and we were all quite hungry when we got there.  We found a Burger King for lunch, and actually ran into 4 teachers from another school in our system in the same restaurant.  What are the odds that something like that would happen?? 
I was on the same flight as another teacher, so we parted ways with the other people from our city so we could go through security.  I put my stuff through the scanner thing, and wasn't ready for what would happen on the other side--the guy asked me if I had scissors in my bag.  I did, but I had made it through security in the US and Tokyo with them, no problem, since they were under the 4 inch limit.  Both of those places would measure the scissors, and then hand them back.  This time, however, the guy just took them away and didn't even measure them.  He then asked for my passport, and wrote some information in a little book.  I wonder if that has put me on some kind of watch list for Chinese security?? 
Got on the plane, and we were told that as soon as we were cleared for take-off, we would be on our way.  Then, about 15 mins later, the captain came back on saying that something was wrong with their computers and that they didn't have required information for take-off.  About 90 minutes and a visit from technicians later to reset circuit breakers, we were finally on our way.  Flight was mainly uneventful, except for periods where I wasn't feeling too well.   Thankfully those didn't last long! 
We landed in Chicago about 5:10, Chicago time.  My flight was supposed to start boarding in an hour...I was getting worried.  I hadn't gone through customs yet.  We taxied for about 15 minutes (thought we would NEVER stop!!)  Once I finally got off the plane and to the customs line, I basically knew I wouldn't be making the flight.  The customs line was humongous!  It took about 20 minutes to get from the back to the line for the agent.  I finally got through the agent, got the stamp, and high-taled it to get my check-in bag.  There was a lady helping us figure out where to go.  She saw that my flight was for 6:40, and told me that I had missed my flight.  (It was about 6:25 when I got to this point.)  I was so disappointed.  I didn't want to be stuck in the O'Hare Airport on Christmas Eve.  I got up to the counter to book another flight, and the lady told me that my flight was in Terminal 2, and actually had been delayed till 7:30.  I wanted to leap for joy!  I have never been happier to hear a delay notificiation in my life!  I made it to the right terminal, through security, and to the gate, only to find out that the flight was actually taking off at 8:00 now.  But I didn't care.  I was going to be on the flight, rocketing towards Norfolk!! 
The plane that we got on was TINY!!  One seat on the left, and 2 on the right.  When I was getting on, a guy made quite a funny comment about the size of the plane:  "It's like a pack of gum with wings."  This comment was so true!  I have never been on such a small plane!  Flight from Chicago to Norfolk was uneventful, except for quite a lot of turbulence. 
When I finally landed in Norfolk, I was so glad that I didn't have any gate checked items.  Practically everyone else did, so they had to wait for the suitcases to be brought to the gate.  I, however, had a backpack and a laptop case.  So I quickly made my way to the gate, through the terminal, and to where mom, dad, and Christina were waiting.  Everything in me wanted to run, but I thought against it.  It was SOOOO nice to be able to finally hug them again, and not look at them through a computer screen!! 
The ride home was so fun, yet so strange.  The thing that amazed me the most was how calm and quiet the traffic is here.  No constant horns honking.  No zooming in and out of traffic.  Everything here is so organized!  We made it home pretty late, and went to bed.  My bed is sooooo soft compared to the one in China!!  Bed in China:  brick covered in cloth.  Bed here:  laying on cotton! 
I am still trying to get ofer the idea that I am actually able to be home for the Christmas season!!  Can't wait for the 4 weeks I get at home!!  Yahoo!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!

6 1/2 days and Counting

In a week, I will be on a plane, heading for American soil.  It's hard to believe that it's this time already. 
Tonight was our Christmas Jubilee.  Our students have worked long and hard to put this play on, and all of the staff was worried about how it would turn out.  It was quite an interesting beginning, when welcomes and instructions took really long.  Welcomes and introductions were given by the adults in English, then Chinese, then Korean.  Then the high school students came on, and gave instructions for how to behave during the concert.  Those were given in English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.  Quite a fun time, and certainly not something you would see in the states.   
Thankfully, our play went well, and it seemed like everyone enjoyed it.  After everything was over, our principal went on stage and said several thank you’s.  He began handing out bouquets of flowers to people that had helped with the play.  I was quite surprised when I heard “Miss McKee” being said.  I was not expecting anything for the relatively small part I played in helping, compared to everyone else.  I was very appreciative, though J  I had ridden my bike to school that morning, so I knew the ride home was going to be quite interesting.  I managed to get from school to our apartment very carefully.  The flowers didn’t fit nicely in my bike basket, so I had to carry them.  I was somehow able to steer my bike using one hand and two fingers on my other hand.  Thankfully since I was going back at 8:30 at night, there wasn’t much traffic on the roads, or else it would have been MUCH more difficult…
Continuing to look back at my time here, I realize that I have also grown more confident.  I used to second guess myself a lot.  “Can I really do it…”  “Did I do that right?” etc., or want someone else to do it for me.  Now, since I’m on my own, I have to do things for myself.  I’m enjoying this newfound sense of independence and confidence.  When I first got here, I wasn’t a fan of going to the store because I would get stared at, and constantly hear “Wai guo ren” (Pronounced “why gwo ren”, means:  foreigner) everywhere.  Now, it’s just a part of living here, and I could care less.  I just go in, get what I need, and don’t really pay attention to the stares I’m getting.  It is fun, though, to return stares with a smile and wave.  They don’t know what to do when I respond to their gazes J 
In the next few days, I will, once again, get suitcases down, and begin the “fun” process of packing.  The one thing that makes packing easier—knowing your final destination and knowing that when you finish packing, you are heading for somewhere fun.  As much as I detest packing, I know that it’s kinda necessary if I want to have stuff to take home J 
Countdown:    4 ½ days of school left.
                       6 ½ days in China.

Different Perspectives

When we are kids, we want time to go by faster so that we can be a grown-up.  We don't take the time to enjoy life, instead we rush through it.  However, as the years go by, our perspective on life changes.  Instead of wanting life to speed up, everyone wants it to sloooowwww ddoooowwwnnnnn.
I have noticed recently that I feel the same way.  I am finding it hard to believe that I will be back home in VA, 3 weeks from tomorrow.  It seems like just yesterday I was leaving Norfolk on my way to China. Now, I'm leaving China...going back to Virginia for a month.  Have I really been here for about 4 1/2 months?? 
Looking back on my time here so far, there are many ways that I have changed, or am changing.  I am truly blessed to work with amazing people.  This is my first full year of teaching, and I wasn’t sure what to expect, especially being in an International School setting.  During my college years, I had some difficult times relating to practicums and Student Teaching.  There were times that I wanted to give up the education major all together.  However, something (or Someone) told me to keep at it, don’t give up.  I endured some not fun experiences, and finally managed to persevere, and make it to graduation.  However, I still harbored many negative feelings about my abilities in the classroom.  Since coming here, I have discovered that all my feelings due to experiences in college are thankfully not how things are going here.  There have been several times when I have received compliments on how I am teaching…from my principal, other teachers, and the Pre-K teacher that works with me a lot.  I have found myself gladly leaving behind the thoughts, feelings, and memories of experiences from college, and happily embracing the world of knowing that I am capable of not only teaching, but doing a good job.  I like this new world, and I sure am looking forward to all the experiences that are yet to come :)

Decorating Time!!

So...I can tell that things have been very busy.  I just realized that it has been a while since my last update..I'm sorry!!!
Things in the classroom have been pretty much the same since last update. 
Last weekend, however, we got a really nice present--the administration treated all of the foreign staff to a weekend retreat in Suzhou!!  It was so much fun :-)  We left after school on Friday, spent the night in a nice hotel, and got to spend all day Saturday shopping!!  I got really giddy when we went into a foreign import store, and I found something I had been craving since July--Cooler Ranch Doritos!!  I completly ignored the price, and just bought them.  A piece of advice I was given when I first came here--"If there is something you have been craving, don't look at the price and just get it."  I have done that several times...and so totally worth it!!  I know that they are pricey, so I make it last.  I actually made the small bag of chips last for an entire week, which is a big deal for me :-) 
Yesterday was our Thanksgiving dinner at school. I have had Turkey day meals at our fellowship back home with international students, but it's not the same...it's still in the states.  Our dinner last night was a whole new experience--being in a school, in China, and sharing an American tradition with fellow Americans, as well as Chinese, Indians, Pakistani, Australian, British, and other nationalities.  It was a very special experience.  I really enjoyed seeing all of these cultures coming together, sharing what we are all thankful for, and knowing that Dad has placed all of us here at this time in this place for a reason.  He sure does have a plan in store for all of us, even though it might not seem like it at the time! 
Now that Thanksgiving is over, let the Christmas decorating begin!!!  A group of us went to Stuff Mart today.  You have to be in the right mood before going to this store.  It is a group of about 5 buildings, each with 3 floors, PACKED with little shops.  They don't have set prices, and will usually tell you a really hiked up price.  You have to haggle for what is OK, and be prepared to walk away if they won't budge.  We all went today with the intent to get Christmas decorations.  I wasn't sure what we would find, and I was very pleasantly surprised :-)  There was a lot of cool stuff!!  After almost 2 hours there, my roomie and I found a tree, lights, ornaments, and a wreath for our apartment.  I also picked up other decorations for my classroom:  a small tree for my desk, lights (regular and presents), snowflakes for my window, and other decorations :D  As I sit typing this, I am grinning because we were able to find a tree, lights, and our apartment is ready for Christmas!!  I am probably going to go back to Stuff Mart again before the holidays, and end up with more decorations...
I can't believe that I will be home in less than a month...didn't I just get here??? 

Conferences and other Ramblings

4 months...seriously?!?!  4 months?  Has it been that long?  I can't believe that next week will mean I have been here for 4 months...time sure does fly!!
Last week we had Parent Teacher Conferences.  When I was Student Teaching, I sat in on some conferences.  When I was long-term subbing, I conducted a few conferences.  Therefore, I went in to these conferences with an idea of how to handle them.  However, there are differences between conferences in the states, and conferences here...Parents here are VERY concerned about how their children are doing.  I had one Korean mom that didn't believe me when I kept saying that her daughter was doing very well.  (She is!  She is one of the top students in my class.)  The mom kept saying, "Don't be nice.  How is she really doing??"
Something that made a few of the conferences last longer--I had to go through translators.  The parents of my 3 Korean kids all needed translators, so I would have to say something, stop and wait awkwardly while the translator relayed it and listened to the response, and then reply...you get the picture.  Kinda strange. 
Conferences were really good though.  I got to talk to the moms a lot more, and find out how their child is while at home--and there were a few that were surprising differences.  The biggest one:  one of my girls is very talkative and energetic in class, but her mom said that at home, she is painfully shy.  I couldn't believe the difference in her! 
The weather is finally turning colder!  I was getting tired of the warm weather...I wanted to be able to pull out my winter earrings...long sleeves...cold clothing...etc.  Yay!  Keep getting colder!
While in the store this evening, I heard something quite unexpected over the loudspeakers--Christmas songs!  I heard "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," and one more I can't remember.  You expect to hear things like that in the states.  Wasn't expecting it here in China...
I hope that all is going well back in the states!!  Can't believe that I will be back there in about a month and a half...seems like I just left!!!