Welcome to our new video series Fun DIY for Bad AQI, where we’ll be sharing ideas for unique activities to entertain the kiddos, using stuff you already have lying around the house.

This week we are celebrating Children’s Book Week with a Strega Nona-themed project. Scan the QR code to watch the video and don’t forget to send us pics and videos of your own masterpiece!

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When I first moved to China as a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed educator, I was warned by other teachers that one of the most difficult parts of my job would be explaining the Western idea of early childhood education (ECE) to Chinese parents. Sure enough, a large part of my day is spent trying to explain, through a language barrier, how the controlled chaos in my classroom is actually a thoughtful and constructive learning environment.

That’s because the Chinese and Western philosophies of ECE are fundamentally different. Not better or worse. Just different. Entire papers could be written about this subject, but I think the easiest way to explain it is in four parts: the perceived goals of ECE in Eastern and Western systems, the methods used in the two systems to achieve those goals, and the pros and cons of each approach. For clarity, I am using the strictest interpretations of these philosophies. As with most things, there are varying degrees, and most educators on both sides gravitate towards the middle.

The Goals:

Eastern: Children should have specific, measurable tools like language, math, and writing skills, that will serve them as they move into upper education. The teacher’s job is to present the student with the correct answer; the student’s job is to learn it. Memorization and recitation are vitally important. Critical thinking will be learned in the upper grades after foundational knowledge has been absorbed.

Western: Children should be eager students who ask questions and seek answers. The teacher’s job is to set up learning situations and guide children through the process of learning. The child’s job is to actively engage in all activities, ask questions, and work to find the answers. While functional skills like language are taught and encouraged, they are secondary to fostering creative and critical thinking processes.

The Methods:

Eastern: The teacher is almighty and holds all knowledge and power as far as the students are concerned. Students are expected to sit, focus and absorb. In the strictest version of this philosophy, questions outside of clarification are frowned upon, and fun is considered frivolous and potentially even harmful to the learning process. Drills and flashcards are heavily featured and homework is mandatory. This is a product-oriented format so there are no acceptable alternative answers.

Western: The teacher is more of a benevolent learning guide in this scenario. They are in charge but should be open to many possible correct answers. Most lessons are play-based, and it is expected that all children will participate, with physical interaction and tactile stimulation considered just as important as watching and listening. Questions are actively encouraged, and teachers rarely present a correct answer. Instead, the focus is on the process of trying to figure something out through trial and error, in order to build the flexibility of thought that is needed for creative problem-solving. Students are rarely given homework at this age, and checklists of vocabulary words or flashcards are rarely seen. In many cases, they are flat-out discouraged. Binary learning will be a focus later in their educational career. For now, the objective is a child who loves the process of learning and who can discover solutions for themself.

The Pros:

Eastern: Children learn a lot of information very quickly. Parents and teachers know almost immediately if a child is learning the material and can course-correct if they are not. The ability to absorb and retain mass quantities of information can be helpful in a lot of fields of study – particularly the sciences and law. This is an ideal situation for children who need order and quiet to think. Hyper-structured environments allow some children to feel safe because they know what is expected at all times.

Western: This type of learning creates innovative thinkers who see multiple solutions to problems, and it prompts children to build self-confidence because they learn how to make mistakes and grow from them. It’s also very low-stress for most children, which is good for overall development. We also see a higher percentage of “lifelong learners” with this Western ECE philosophy because learning is seen as a joyful experience. It also provides a more productive environment for children who have alternative learning styles, as there are multiple ways to express knowledge.

The Cons:

Eastern: It teaches a binary way of thinking that can inhibit creativity in some. The need to achieve within a narrow set of parameters can contribute to a high-stress environment that gives way to emotional issues like anxiety disorders. Limited opportunities for self-expression can also have effects on more creative children, and those with learning conditions like dyslexia may fall behind or never get an opportunity to show their skill set in a way that is conducive to their knowledge base.

Western: This requires an immense amount of patience on the part of the teacher and can be frustrating for parents when measurable results don’t appear quickly. Having a poorly-trained teacher can ultimately result in the equivalent of all-day play, and some students who need a more structured class can become overwhelmed in his scenario. Because multiple solutions are encouraged, some children will have difficulty in situations where there is a black-and-white answer.

Mix it up!!!

I personally think the two methods have a lot to learn from each other. Handwriting and math shouldn’t be left until a child is in first or second grade. They are vital skills and should be introduced early. But there is a way to teach these and similar skills that allow for creative expression and won’t exclude those with different ways of absorbing information. The truth is that the greatest achievers in world history had minds that were creative enough to imagine something new and disciplined enough to bring it into reality. 

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It’s the end of the school year and that means I suddenly have tons of parents asking me what the end of year gift policy is. There are all the regular questions: Are they allowed/expected? Should they be individual or a class gift? Is cash OK? But being an expat adds an extra logistical and cultural layer to things. Here are my gift giving do’s and don’ts for parents and a few personal stories of some of my favorite teacher gifts to help inspire you.

Don’t: Give overly personal items. While a gift certificate for plastic surgery or a gym membership might seem  generous. It could also come across as a comment on your teacher’s appearance. And things like perfume or lotions are thoughtful but if you don’t know a teacher’s preferences or allergies it might go to waste. For heavens sake please do NOT give lingerie (yes that happened once…oh the stories I could tell but that is another blog).

Do: Add appropriate personal touches. Hopefully you have had a few personal exchanges with your child’s teacher at this point. Think about what you know about them. If they mentioned they love to travel at parent night a new travel journal is a very thoughtful gift and shows you were paying attention.

Parent Gift Win: I once had a parent who asked me a month into the school year “how do you do this every day?!” I half-jokingly quipped back “Coffee in the morning, alcohol at night.”  At the end of the year she gave me a Starbucks gift card and bottle of wine with a note that said, “First week next year is on me!”

Don’t: Give large heavy items. We are expats too and we move a lot!!! While mugs with your child’s face on them or a new book are thoughtful and will probably make us smile they are one more thing for us to pack and ship home at the end of our contract.

Do: think about cultural experiences. Expat teachers are generally a pretty adventurous bunch. We left most of our belongings in a storage shed somewhere, packed our lives into whatever would fit into a checked bag and came here to teach, in part, because we wanted to have a cultural experience. So, what are some cool Beijing things they might not have tried yet. Cooking class at The Hutong or Black Sesame Kitchen? What about tickets to the Peking Opera or Acrobatic Show?  Think about the things you love doing that are unique to Beijing, there is a good chance they will love discovering them too.

Parent Gift Win: I was chatting with a parent at my school and I mentioned that I had enjoyed going to the Maliandao tea market here in Beijing and I was looking forward to learning more about tea while I was here. A few weeks later she brought me a box of tea from her home town in Yunnan. I was touched!

Do let your child choose. No don’t on this one. The teacher has had infinitely more time with your child then they have spent with you and your little one may have insight on the perfect gift. I can tell you first hand the things I know my students picked out are the ones that mean the most. Case in point…

Child Gift Win: When I was moving from DC to New York I had to say good bye to some very special children. One little boy I worked with was incredibly intelligent but had been struggling with behavior issues. He had made immense progress because his mom had been very open to collaborating with me. We had two rules for ourselves. 1) give him specific choices not orders and 2) ask him ‘why’ when he was being stubborn about something we didn’t understand. On my last day he handed me a box with two small ceramic birds in it

His mom told me “I want you to know, he chose these and when I was only going to buy one he was on the edge of a melt down. I remembered what you said and asked ‘why is it important we get two birds for Ms. Julie?’ He looked right at me and said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world ‘because there loooove birds’”

Needless to say I cried really hard. Those birds are currently in storage back in New York but I will never get rid of them. They are a reminder of why I do what I do.

Don’t: get into a contest with other parents over who can spend the most, Any decent teacher is not keeping score of who gifts what and the price tag. If you can’t afford to gift anything at all don’t.

Do: give honest thought to what will show genuine appreciation for the teacher’s efforts. A truly personal card from you or your child about how they have affected you will mean everything. I have stacks of hand drawn cards from students and kind words from parents, stained with my tears, that mean more to me than almost any other gift I have ever received.

A note on group gifts: If the class parents are organizing a group gift I strongly encourage that it is an anonymous donation not a set price per student. You don’t know what a family’s financial situation is and a teacher never ever wants to think that a family had to choose between purchasing something a child needed and not losing face.

Don’t:  give cash. This one will be controversial. I know many teachers will get upset with me for it but I am firmly opposed to cash gifts to teachers. Teachers are professionals who are compensated for there work (yes I know, they are under compensated, that’s also another post). Taking cash from a parent feels a little too much like taking a tip for services rendered. I do understand that Hong Bao are a part of Chinese culture however, so teachers should accept graciously if a local parent insists.

Do: Give options. If you choose to give something with a monetary value I suggest a gift card that offers teachers an option to pamper themselves. A spa treatment or a meal at a fancier restaurant isn’t something we are always able to treat ourselves too on a teacher’s salary and those small luxuries are appreciated.

A final word to my fellow educators. There is only one Do and one Don’t for us.

Don’t: expect anything at all. These are gifts, they are not an entitlement.

Do: accept all gifts with grace and genuine appreciation. Even if you don’t love it someone put time, money and effort into it.

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