Monday: My first day with Mr. Li at his school the Xiaogan Exemplary Experimental Primary school. We left the hotel about 7:20 in the morning to walk to the restaurant across the street. Breakfast was noddles with a beef sauce in a bowl almost like very thin spaghetti sauce on top. Mr. Li was kind enough to find me a couple cups of coffee:). His driver and car were waiting for us at breakfast. After breakfast the driver took us to school where we entered the gates of a beautiful city building which was the school. It had about 4 or 5 floors and had a central courtyard with a large playground of basketball courts and open space. The morning started with a flag raising ceremony and all the students gathered by class to listen to the morning announcements. Mr. Li, a student announcer, some vice principals, a few other students presented me to the staff and students. I was to make a short speech to the students. Being greeted by the large group of students and staff as we spoke from a second floor balcony was very unique. The students were very excited and the occasion was hard to describe. The presented me with a red handkerchief that the students typically wear as part of their uniforms. I presented Mr. Li with the photo book about Prospect Elementary as he showed it to the mass of students. I also presented the school with the artwork that several Prospect students donated to send to their school. As the students held up the artwork from the balcony the mass of students all Ohhh'ed together showing their appreciation of the work.
After the morning ceremonies, Mr. Li wanted to show me to friends in his other schools he had associations with. First, I was driven downtown to meet with the commissioner of all of Xiaogan schools. That would be like the superintendent of a system of 300,000 plus students. Pretty much like Cleveland. We visited for about ½ an hour and talked about similarities and differences in our education systems. He agreed that their large size of schools makes it difficult to really know any of the students. I have been giving out the pins of the little red school houses donated by the Oberlin Heritage Center along with a postcard we made of our students at the little red school house. The cards explains little red schoolhouses and Oberlin's little red schoolhouse. As I give them the card and pin, I explain that this is the way education started in America and we remember it today. I also told them that my school still feels like a little red schoolhouse of 242 students compared to their huge schools of 4,000 to 5,000 people. We know and have relationships with all of our students just the way education was meant to be.
After the commissioner's meeting I went to the best high school in Xiaogan. I was greet by the Dean and an assistant principal. We took photos and toured the outside portion of the school. It was 10:00 am and all students were gathered outside for exercises. They have two classes and then exercises and then two more classes before lunch. See the photos to see want 6,000 students exercising together looks like! Then upstairs to the meeting room for another discussion of American education versus Chinese education with their assistant principals.
We next visited a middle school where Mr. Li had been principal for 7 years. All the staff knew him and it was like home to him. More photos and a tour. I did get to meet some students in a couple of classes before we left. A few of them had some conversational English which they were learning in school. It appeared to be a bid deal to the students to have an American principal in class. They were afraid to ask questions or talk much because they are very respectful of teachers and principals. They are really not to be expected to be heard from and it was difficult for them when I asked them if they had any questions.
Lunch in a western style restaurant across from Mr. Li's school. After lunch we were to go back to the hotel and take a nap. The Chinese have 2 hours to go home in the middle of the day to eat and rest before afternoon classes. The afternoon at Mr. Li's school was a Monday weekly principal meeting. He had all of his assistant principals and his secretary in attendance as well as the heads of the various teaching departments. The meeting lasted for at least 90 minutes and just like Americans, they were not through all their discussion topics before they ran out of time and had to stop. More photos with the meeting staff and I presented all of them with the little red schoolhouse pins and again explained the story.
After work they exercise at many different places. Mr. Li and a few of his staff members play badminton after school 3 times a week. They invited me to play and taught me the game. It is very fast and not at all like we play in America during our picnics. I worked up a sweat in a couple of games. Very much like tennis and very fun. They took many photos, but I did not with my camera. I will get copies of the badminton from the school photographer. I did get in a run after badminton as I wanted to run back to the hotel. Mr. Li and the driver really did not want me to run in the streets and after much convincing that I would be fine they let me go. I did notice the driver and the school car following me to see if I would be alright. The Chinese were really doing their best to protect me. Shower and off to Dinner at Mr. Li's house. More of the traditional Chinese food. The only food item that I had not eaten before was the duck eggs. They were cooked with some vegetables and were quite sour almost like they were pickled. Back to the hotel to skype with another three classes at 9:30 pm China time. My Internet connection at the hotel is not very good and after about 15 minutes we were disconnected and could not continue the conversation. I'm sorry to the three classes that got cut off. I promise we will finish the discussion after I get back to Prospect. See you tomorrow.
No comments:
Post a Comment