Insecurities

When we first got to China and began teaching there were a couple of things that got on my nerves about the students. When you ask them a question, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE volunteers information. I mean, NO ONE! I have never used the phrase "It's like pulling teeth" more appropriately than while teaching in a Chinese classroom. When you ask a student a question individually in front of the class, he/she will stand up. Pause. Look at his/her friends, and stammer.

I then say, "Do you understand the question? Should I speak slowly?"
"No." Ok...so I wait while he/she continues to look around at his/her friends for the answer. I don't want your friend's answers, I want yours!! So, this was something that was very frustrating. While there are some students who have gotten use to my Western teaching style (that it is different than their Chinese teachers), there are still some who can not break through.

At the beginning, I was looking through my Western glasses, and I saw this as an insecurity. While some of the students may have some feelings of insecurity, most of it is just cultural. I understood that at the beginning, but understanding it and accepting it are two different things. I don't have any pictures for you to look at, just my thoughts and words.

Through being here for almost a school year now, I have just come to accept that they are not use to the Western teaching style, and it is something that they will be okay with after some time. It's pretty exhausting to teach most days, because you are literally having to pull teeth.

For example: There are two boys, Wood and Magic in my Tuesday night class. I normally give the students 5 or 10 minutes to think about a question I have asked them, and then go around the room and they all talk about their answer to the question that has been asked. Well, these two boys especially, have no interest in English or doing what I say. They have cop-out answers and seem extremely insecure about their English. At the beginning of the semester, I went easy on them because of this. But I've recently decided they are just lazy. I give them plenty of time to do what I ask. (They are even allowed to use their cell phones for an English dictionary.) So, now I have decided to have no sympathy on them because they just don't try. What I was mistaking as insecurity, was simply laziness.

I'm writing this blog post as a reminder to me of something I learned while I was here about the culture and teaching. Who knows, next year may be completely different...but He is the one who helps me through! Don't forget to think about me in China! Thanks for reading and I love you all!!