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August 30, 2000
So, the two teachers from HNU and I had a lovely time at dinner. A delicious fish soup with strips of potatoes and onions a very light seasoning. A great chicken, noodle, and vegetable stir-fry, and a plate of
salted cabbage. And, most importantly, we talked about teaching at HNU and at FP. It was my first chance to talk to teachers here, and it has really helped my perspective.
The faculty here will not know their teaching schedule until Friday, when classes start on Monday. Most faculty do not have computers furnished by the college, if they have computer they are in their homes. So, many of the frustrations I have been feeling are due to the way the system works here. I
haven't been able to get the information I want because the information is not yet available.
They shared the following insights about teaching in China. Chinese students like American teachers. They like the body language we use and the informality of our manner. Traditional Chinese teachers stand in front of a class and read a lecture for two hours. Chinese students will let you know if they
don't like what you are doing in the classroom. Students, if
they've in a class they don't want to take, or with a teacher they
don't like, will read books or have conversations and ignore the teacher. Chinese teachers also ignore that student behavior. They asked me what I would do, and I said I
wouldn't allow it in my class.
She said that since Chinese students have no control over what they take, teachers tend to be sympathetic to their attitudes. Chinese teachers also do not give homework. Students often complain about not knowing what to do to learn the material. They also said that I should teach the way I want. One of the reasons they want foreign teachers here is so they can learn from our different approaches and techniques.
Today, August 30, I got a tour of the campus. The students are beginning to move in.
They are everywhere. Excited, energetic, young. They are dragging suitcases down the street, having their possessions pedaled in on tricycle trucks, arriving on packed busses.
It's thrilling to see.
There are about 10,000 students here. 800 of them are majoring in English. There are about 1200 faculty. All faculty live on campus in 3 and 4 story apartment buildings. Everyone who works here lives here, as far as I can tell. So, just a few more days and I begin the true adventure. Teaching students from a very different culture.
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