Teaching 7th Grade....in China

We woke at eight in the morning, an hour later than usual, and made our way downstairs to the breakfast hall. A long line at the grill formed quickly as the news of bacon spread throughout the group. After our meal, we met in our lesson groups: English, outdoor games, indoor games and dance to prepare for a day of teaching at the school. We completed the finishing touches on our lesson planes and stepped outside to practice Journey's Don't Stop Believing--as we would be performing it later for the school.

We walked though the drizzle of rain to the school. As we made our way up the stairs and past the classrooms the children screamed in excitement while clapping their hands. To begin our day, we helped the Chinese students make name tags. I enjoyed seeing the decoration used to decorate the name tags.

After our first lesson, we were beckoned into the courtyard and informed that there would be a school inspection and the students would have to clean. We joined the students, mopping and sweeping classroom floors, bathroom trenches, and stairwells. After a thorough cleaning, we made our way back to the hotel for lunch.

At the end of the day, we were surprised by the Chinese students. They performed for use. I enjoyed seeing the dance and listening to the song. Their singing was by far way more amazing than ours! Closing the ending ceremony, we were thanked by the head of the school. Leaving the school was sad, because I feel as if this is a once in a life time experience. However, I look forward to doing more volunteering!

Though we did not have an American dinner, it was GREAT!!! My favorite part was the candle from the birthday cake. The candle is too cool for words. As the fire touched the candle, the flower in which the candles were placed into, began to sing and spread its petals. Cool right? Also, the cake was yummy! Too much fun for one day.

When we returned to the hotel, there we chad a party with a lot of yummy snacks. At the party, we played a variety of card games. Though I did not win any of the card games, I enjoyed playing with others and seeing them win.

Becky T.