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September 1, 2000
Friday 8:30 PM
Today I finally got my math assignment. I am lecturing from 10:00-11:40 AM on Wednesdays to a class of 90 in a very modern lecture hall. I will be discussing education, the math curriculum, and the use of technology for teaching mathematics. Having 90 students in the class really limits what I can do in terms of demonstrating various teaching techniques, and
I'm afraid the class will be pretty traditional lecture, but that is what the students expect anyway.
I'll need to be really creative to keep from becoming a talking head.
I don't know my English schedule yet, but I do know I am lecturing to two classes for two hours a week. I will be talking about American culture. The classes here seem to all consist of a two-hour block of time once a week. The math teacher I talked with today said that they have to teach at least two classes in the fall and at least one in the spring. But she said they could teach two in the spring. Upon questioning by me, she said that some teachers teach 14 and 20 hours a week. The other two Americans here are teaching 16 hours a week. One of them was originally asked to teach 20 hours and refused.
In addition to the three classes I am giving a public lecture every other week on various topics about the United States. I seem to have complete latitude. My first lecture is called "American Ways." This is dangerous, of course, because there is no such thing. But I will make it clear that I am talking about the dominant American culture; that is white, middle class, and Christian. I will mention slavery, racism, and immigration during this lecture, and let them know that I plan a complete lecture on those topics later. I also will lecture on the educational system in the US, the political system, and on geography. The lecture hall has a computer hook up, so
I'm hoping to find some good pictures of the US from the web.
I attended the Science and Mathematics Colleges opening meeting. You
haven't experience a boring meeting until you try one in a language you
don't understand! I did understand "St. Louis" and "Margaret Johnson" when I was introduced so I did stand up on que. When I entered the lecture hall, the one where
I'll be giving my math lectures, two women faculty came right up to me and introduced themselves in English and sat by me. Made me feel right at home. During the meeting the faculty pretty much ignored the speaker, and eventually I noticed a woman at the end of my row with a wad of 100 yuan bills in her hand. Then I saw that the row of faculty behind me was putting money in their pockets. A sheet of paper started down the row and I asked the woman by me what was happening. She said that if you attend the meeting and sign the paper you get 200 yuan. I, of course, signed the paper. My name looking really out of place among the Chinese characters. 200 yuan is a lot of money. Just tonight three of us ate a really good meal for 18 yuan and one of my 4 star hotels for my trip cost 150 yuan a night.
A few minutes after we had our money, the women who's befriended me asked if
I'd like to leave. I said, "of course," and we left the meeting together. We talked for a while and I told them about my need for a computer desk in my room. One of the women said she would have some students carry one over to me. Well, sure enough, an hour later two students arrived with my desk. It is a long walk, and uphill, so it was no small chore for them.
Tonight I got a phone call from Mr. Wu, one of my friends from my trip last summer.
He's a Grace connection. I've been wondering why no one had called me all week. He said
he's been trying, had finally called the University, and discovered my phone number had been changed. Well, no one told me, and
I've handed out dozens of business cards to new contacts with the wrong phone number on them. I now need to call lots of people and tell them the new phone number, and
I'll be lucky if I get an English speaker on the phone when I reach someone. The idea of answering machines
doesn't seem to have caught on here. Either I get a person or no answer.
September 6, 2000
First Day of Class
I taught my first class today. 90 students in a large lecture hall. The topic was the educational system in the United States, and I used PowerPoint for the presentation. When I arrived the hall was locked. The building is undergoing renovation for new computer rooms, and the hall I walked down had men building cabinets and a large pile of mixed concrete on the floor. A student peered into the room in the crack between the doors, saw someone at the technology desk for the room, and knocked on the door. He came to the door, I introduced myself, and he let me in.
I had handouts for the first day. A syllabus and a business card. As I was placing a set at
everyone's desk some students began to help me with the distribution. After the material was out I began to communicate with the technician about my presentation. He was surprised I did not have a lap top, and I needed to show him how to run the slide show for my presentation. I am getting pretty good at using sign language to explain what I want, and we had a lot of laughs as I convinced him to only hit the mouse button once until I ask him to do it again. He had a good time playing with the presentation, and I had to make him stop showing the students the information I wanted to present to them later.
Meanwhile, students were streaming into the room. Suddenly he got up, went to the front of the room, and began talking loudly and chasing the students out of the room. I was very confused by his actions until I realized that he was having them go to the back of the room and put plastic booties over their shoes. This room is carpeted, and I assume they are doing it to protect the carpet.
Another man entered the room and began to talk. He talked for a long time, and at least part of what he said was an introduction. Then he motioned at me, and joined the technician behind the computer consoles. My first class in China had begun. Of course, a large part of my first presentation was introducing myself, talking about STLCC, the exchange program, and English as a foreign language. I weave information about the differences between Chinese and United States culture into the fabric of the information.
The student's English skills are certainly mixed. I am not sure that many of them understood much of what I said. I could get no
response from them during class about my pace. I am talking so slow, for me, but I am sure it is too fast for some of them.
After class, several students came to talk with me. They said my pace was OK, but that they had difficulty taking notes and listening. So, I have decided I really need to furnish handouts from my slide show to help them, both with their understanding and their notes.
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