Getting Into The Rhythm

I have been in Hefei just over two months now and I am still getting into the rhythm of things.  My schedule has become pretty consistent since the new teachers arrived in early October, and thankfully my schedule became marginally lighter.  

I quite enjoy my new school and my classes, so much so that I wouldn't want to switch any of them if I had the opportunity presented to me.  Usually there is always one class that you despise, but more often than not I enjoy all my students even when they aren't on their best behavior.  I have a 28 hour contract so I only get two days off every week, which does kind of suck, especially if I want to travel anywhere.  I'm the busiest foreigner in Hefei and I have the most classes on my schedule.  Sometimes it's nice being popular, but sometimes it's not!

My days off are Monday and Tuesday and this is when I get to catch up on sleep, go grocery shopping, do laundry, play with my cats and perhaps if time allows go somewhere nearby.  Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings I teach at a local public elementary school where I teach grades 4 and 5.  These students are all very lovely children, they are kind and are happy when I come to school.  Their good attitudes make teaching so early in the morning seem less like a chore and more like a gift.  With these students I am reminded daily that I love being a foreign English teacher. For Halloween I had the students create Halloween themed posters and the best drawings would receive a chocolate bar. So here are some of the best:

 

 

On Wednesday afternoon I teach at another elementary school, but this class is grade 2.  This is an English school so the students are taught English and Chinese simultaneously.  They also use technology to teach the lessons. The technology isn't very good and most of the lessons are too advanced for grade 2 to rally be doing, but I can do nothing about that.  Grade 2 children are usually quite rambunctious and noisy so I am often beat after this class.  I asked these kids to draw for Halloween as well.  Only one student turned in a picture:






On Thursday afternoon I usually have a promotional class.  I work at Aston 1 school, but I often do promotions for Aston 3 school which is kind of frustrating because I am doing all the work to get students that I won't ever be teaching.  I have done so many promo's and demo classes that teaching these things have become like second nature to me.  Most times the kids just are interested because you are a foreigner not because you speak English, so you are the new toy in a way.  I enjoy working with all the Chinese teachers from the schools because they always seem really interested in me and getting to know me.

On Friday afternoon I have, what Aston calls, Office Hours.  Usually Office Hours consist of three hours that you spend in the office either doing lesson planning (the usual) or having workshops (these are used to help teaching skills and sharing games).  Then in the evening I have one class that lasts 30 minutes.  This class is called a VIP Class because the parent pays extra money (a lot of money) to have their child taught alone.  

When I first heard I had this class I was quite nervous and I was told the mother preferred that her son had a male teacher over a female teacher (usually it's the opposite). I was excited because I thought, well if she hates me then I don't have to teach the class and if she likes me that means I am a good teacher.  I was also told that during our first class the mother and her English professor sister would observe me.  That news made me quite nervous.  After the class I was told that I did great and that she wanted me to teach her son.  The class recently finished it's grade and the boy (Mark) and his mother resigned for another VIP class with me, but now they want me to teach for a whole hour.  



Saturday and Sunday are the busy days.  Starting at 8am and going till 5:45pm.  Last week I got really sick on Friday night.  I couldn't hold anything down, so I knew I had gotten my first case of major food poisoning (honestly I was surprised it took this long to happen).  For foreigners, Friday night is the worst time to get sick because it's the beginning of the long weekend, which is our main work days.  I ended up going to the hospital Saturday morning and I spent most of the day with IV's in me.  I rested up on Sunday because I knew I wouldn't be able to teach let alone make to school without losing it.  When you miss classes and no one fills in, the FT will have to at some point try to make up those classes missed since the student paid for Foreigner Time not just Chinese Time.  Missing the classes and not making them up also means you lose a lot of money, which comes back to haunt you when you get your next pay check.

I recently went to a big hospital to see about getting some really important medicine that I haven't really had enough of for about 8 months.  The consultation doctor I saw spoke very good English, but she was also like 9 months pregnant and about to pop.  

They wanted to keep me in the hospital to regulate my insulin down quickly, but I told them I wasn't comfortable with that because A) I don't like hospitals in America and I certainly won't like them in China, B) Hardly anyone speaks English, C) I have to WORK! D) I have no one to stay with me and finally E) I don't speak Chinese, so if I needed help how the hell would I communicate with anyone.  It's true that foreigners get preferential treatment, but still hospitals make me so stressed.  I convinced them I could regulate it by myself, and honestly I have done it two times before when money or my location became a problem for me to get my medicine.  I spent so much money on medicine and supplies that day, it was quite depressing.  I am required to go back to the hospital once every month to check my levels and order me new insulin to use.

Now it has been a week since my illness and I am a thousand times better.  Most people don't get excited going into work and I don't get excited going there, but once I arrive I am happy because I know I am good at what I do.  I don't get any complaints I usually just get compliments from parents, students and my fellow teachers, which is totally awesome to hear.  

My cats Aerrie and Tiffa have both been very helpful during my illness and were quite happy to follow my lead of being lazy and just sleeping and resting during my sick days.  They are such great and funny cats.






Fall is moving in quickly here in Hefei, but luckily it is going to be a much milder winter than in Xianyang, my old city.  The leaves are starting to change and the air is becoming colder with every day that passes.  I actually enjoy winter more so than the heat of summer, sometimes I wish we could have the beauty of summer with the temperature of winter.  What a lovely thought!