Day 1 I have 3 grade 7 classes and 1 grade 8 class-- grade 7 is new to the school and probably new to seeing a foreigner. I would get mixed responses from a little girl stopping dead in her tracks then realizing its just a person or children frantically waving at me.
I walk in my grade 7 class and I say "Good Morning class" and they say "Good Morning" really loud and start waving at me. A translator explains my rules and expectations and I proceed to guide them in choosing their English names, my kids have names like Nasir, Eugene, Alejandro (which is funny for a Chinese boy to have a Spanish name- but he chose it), Noelle, Andrew, Frankie, Janelle, Renee, Kingston, Andre, Melanie, Melissa, Heidi, Romeo, Cole, etc! They are super cute and really relate to me.
I saw one of the head teachers (the lady who picked me up from the airport) and she asked me about my day...
Alice: How was your first class?
Rose: They are very polite and smart
Alice: That is great that they were good
Rose: I love them, they were great
Alice: They were great because you are great. You are very sweet and energetic that's why they love you. I asked them about you already!
Rose: aww Alice thank you but its really the students.
I thought her words were very kind and that she attributed their behavior to me - BUT I hope I'm not at fault when they are not great LOL..when they are good it is because of me; when they aren't its because of them LOL- thats my view and I'm sticking to it.
Some of the grade 8 students are so cute and confident in their English that you think they are being facetious. Ramzey was alking while I was speaking so I said:
Me: Ramzey, do I need to move you to another seat
Ramzey: yes
Me: are you going to behave and act sweet for me?
Ramzey: no
Me: Oh, you don't understand?
Ramzey: I don't remember
He really just didn't understand me, he doesn't know enough English to be rude to me or so I think lol.
At the end of the day, we had opening ceremony. Thestudents seemed to be half sleep as I used to be whenever my preparatory/high school principal would give a speech. I gave a speech to 3500 children and 20 faculty/staff to welcome them, wish them a great school year and inform them that I am happy to be in China. I thought I would reap the karma from my behavior but the children applauded loudly and gave me a warm welcome. After the ceremony ended, the children scattered and waved at the foreign teachers as we left.
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