The First Class...

I had my first class today (Monday) at 8 AM... to be honest, I was a little nervous about standing in front of a classroom for an extended period of time for the first time... I got to class at about 7:45 and all of the students were already there... 

[Before I continue, an explanation of the Chinese college system needs to be given. In the US students pick their individual classes and semester by semester fulfill the requirements for graduation--- each individual course will have a different make-up of students. In China, each grade level is separated into 'classes' or fixed groups of students that will take every course together throughout their entire college career...]

So when I arrived at the classroom I was certainly the strangest face in the classroom and the ONLY one unfamiliar to them... Each class meets only once per week for two hours each meeting. (I teach 5 writing classes to 3rd years and 3 conversation classes to 1st years)

I did not want to start into hard material on the first day, so I thought that I would just do a small introduction about myself. I followed this by asking each student to:1, Tell me their Chinese and English Names, 2. something they thought made them unique  3. Why they chose to study English and 4. Each had to ask me a question about myself or anything really...

The English names were not as odd as I had been warned. In my first class the only two that are noteworthy are Cola and Flower (I am told that Flower changed her name from Smiley). The students had trouble coming up with something that made them unique; most just said their hobbies or stuff they like to do... One girl paused and asked if liking to eat made her special. I told her if enjoying food was special, then I was the most special person in the room! As for why students chose to study English all 45 students gave one of the following 4 answers 1. "I like it" 2. "It can get me a good job"  3. "My parents forced me to" OR 4. "because I don't like math."

The questions that were directed at me ranged from "What us your favorite color" to what do you think of the American economy" (i stayed away from that one, After all it is an English class..) to "How did you propose to your Fiance?" The whole process took up the better part of both 1 hour periods and left me with only about 20 minutes to explain the course... I made it through explaining weekly journal assignments before I ran out of time... I hope to manage my time a little better with my next class.