When Tina Hu first learned English at her middle school in the city of Wanyuan reciting vocabulary and grammar rules, she didn’t imagine that she would one day teach the language to other children as a passion.

Tina grew up in Sichuan. During her childhood, English was taught very traditionally, without any focus on reading and writing, rather, the procedures centered around repeating and reciting. It was not until her time at Tsinghua University that she received the unexpected opportunity of studying abroad at the University of Toronto that Tina first started to realize, learning a language did not mean knowing it. In Canada, she found that a good test score was not much more important than a good habit of reading the newspaper.

Tina began exploring English education with her own child. Because of the many years she had spent in an English-speaking environment and having an honest passion for the language, Tina created an efficient yet kid-friendly plan. Soon, this schedule that was tailor designed for her own kid’s learning interested a group of other families in the community, and what resulted was Tina’s first reading club for younger children.

Ever since then, Tina has been constantly refining her understanding of English learning pathways, using her experiences as a manager at an international high-tech company as an inspiration for her passion.

Now, if you ask her about her general thoughts on English learning, she will say, “Learning English is like learning to drive: one way to do it is to practice, again and again, in a driving school; another way—a better way to do it—it to travel the world”. With this perspective, Tina’s reading club has included almost 40 kids in the past 9 years. The club is an environment for the kids to grow a reading habit, and to enjoy the English learning process.

I asked Tina about what advice she had for young children, especially during this summer when the school will not be around to keep the kids’ progress in check.

Q: If you were to simplify your idea of an English learning process, what steps would there be?

A: The first phase, for someone who’s not a native speaker, it’s best to start by knowing the sound of English, and listening to things like TV programs, English songs, podcasts, etc. Phonics, which is the bridge between sound and printed words, is the second step. After that there is leveled reading, such as the system Reading A-To-Z. Only after all of this do we have independent reading.

Q: What do you think is the most important factor for continued improvement in English?

A: We normally break down English learning into reading, listening, writing, and speaking. The first two are inputs, and the last two are outputs, which are what we are looking for in the end. But to be able to output, we first need input. I think reading and listening are vital to improving your English.

Q: What are the benefits of reading and listening?

A: Can you move without having any muscles? It’s the same here. At the most fundamental level, I think reading—which is the capability of processing text—is the most basic skill that enables students to do anything else—analyze, critically think, etc. I think of language as the “open sesame” moment. Also, we always say that your body or your soul, one of them has to be on the road, and reading books or listening to text are both like traveling. On top of this, having been an employee at a high-tech company for 20 years, I can see that the lack of diversified and deep reading has become a barrier in both the creativity and empathy of young engineers, and I believe that this isn’t a singular phenomenon.

Q: Why is it important for young children to maintain healthy reading/listening habits during the summer?

A: The summer holiday is when kids have a lot of time to focus on reading. If they can immerse themselves in reading regularly during the holiday, at the end of the summer when they return, they’ve made memories, and they’ve also gained familiarity and fluency in English. Also, out of all the time slots present in a year I think this holiday is one of the best times. People say it takes 21 days to build a habit, so I believe that the summer is the most convenient time ever under such a rule!

Q: What are a few tips you can give to families to help their kids with English this summer?

A: Number one, find books that kids like to read. Like, books they actually want to read. The summer is for fun, and building a reading habit should be fun. Number two, practice reading aloud. Reading aloud is pretty much a forgotten art, but doing it habitually over a long time produces amazing fluency in reading. Number three, talk about books that kids are reading with them. Kids like to discuss, and the conversation will make them think deeper, as well as intrigue them. At last, for the parents—I know this is hard but—forget about scores and grades. At least for the summer, reading and listening don’t need to be test-oriented.

To get in contact with Tina, add her on WeChat: tritonbj.

Images: Tina Hu

I couldn’t believe the response to the original “They Said What?” post! While a few people accused me of making these stories up, more school administrators reached out with their own jaw-dropping HR moments. Here are some of my favorites. All are true (we aren’t creative enough to make these up!) and the names and locations have been changed to protect the ridiculous.

Smooth Operator: “I was finishing up an interview with a young teacher and asked, ‘What other questions do you have about our program?’ He leaned over, put his hand on my knee, and asked, ‘What’s your policy on interoffice dating?'”

Ya’ Gotta’ Eat: “A candidate showed up for the interview with a bag of McDonald’s and asked me to wait while they ate.”

Lost in Translation: “When hiring local teachers for an international English immersion preschool, I always make sure candidates understand before arriving that the first half of the interview will be conducted completely in English, with the second half using an interpreter if needed.

A candidate arrived, did not smile, and barely shook my hand. I said hello and asked the first question. She looked at the interpreter and told her. ‘I am not prepared to have this conversation in English, you may interpret for me.’

I assumed it was nerves and thought maybe we could start with something easy and work into the English portion. I asked her to sing a children’s song in any language she chose, and she told the interpreter ‘No, I don’t like music.’

Things did not get better. After five very awkward minutes, I decided to ask one more question and end the interview.

‘So, what is your favorite subject to teach?’ With no intended irony, she looked directly at me for the first time and said, ‘English.'”

Power Dressing: “During the lockdown, I had a video interview and the candidate came on the screen shirtless, in a dark room, with what I am pretty sure were pillows propping him up. I ended that call pretty quickly.”

Ride or Die: “I had a video interview and the candidate answered the call on his moving bike. He was confused when I suggested we reschedule.”

Brutally Honest: “Because so often a good candidate on paper lacks a spark in the classroom, I have potential teachers do a mini class with our students as their final round interview. It can be nerve-racking, but it’s also an opportunity to really shine and set yourself apart from other candidates.

A particularly nervous young teacher stood in front of our 4’s class, and opened the lesson with ‘Do you all like teapots?’ When she received no answer, she began to sing ‘I’m a Little Teapot’… off-key…really off-key…

One of my more precocious students turned around, looked at me, and announced, ‘Oh no!'”

Your turn. Tell me your best worst interview story!

KEEP READING: They Said What?! A Primer For What Not to Say at a Teacher Interview

Images: Unsplash

So. You packed a bag, told your parents not to worry, and set off to teach in China with dreams of returning triumphantly clutching a passport full of stamps! Then the world decided to shut down for an undisclosed period and your long-anticipated summer break full of once-in-a-lifetime adventures needed to be postponed

Luckily, there are plenty of things to do within China (it’s kind of a big place). But if you weren’t planning on spending the whole summer just hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge and eating your weight in dumplings, then those eight weeks of vacation could also be a good opportunity to get some professional development in, punch up your resume, and learn a few new teaching skills. Not only will a new certification make you more employable after your time in China is over, but it will also help make you a better educator for your existing students.

The question becomes where to invest your time and hard-earned money. There are lots of options, but not all of them are worth the resources. So I thought I would do a little research into a few of the more popular options, and break down what is (or isn’t) valuable about them. As always, everything here is my opinion and should be treated as such. Today, I’m going to focus on TEFL/TESOL. There is a lot of confusion about this certification and a lot of scammers out there. Here’s what I found out.

The Basics:

TEFL/TESOL are basically interchangeable terms. The only minor difference is that TEFL will focus on teaching English in a non-English speaking country while TESOL is aimed at teaching students who do not speak English but are living in a country where English is the primary language.

Most employers will accept either certification, as long as you have a minimum of 120 hours of coursework. If you already have the 120-hour certificate then you can consider an additional certification in a specialized field like business English, early childhood/young learners, or online teaching skills.

Some programs do offer classes in brick and mortar schools but most certificates are awarded through online institutions.

Time Commitment: 

Online courses allow you to work at your own pace. The average time to complete the 120-hour course seems to be about eight weeks, give or take, but It’s really up to you how intensely you want to study.

Cost:

The 120-hour program should run between USD 200 and USD 500, with most of the specialized certifications running between USD 100 and USD 200. The website TEFL.org often runs discounts of up to 50%, so good timing could save you some cash. As always, be careful of classes that are cheaper than the average. Accreditation matters!

Why You Should: 

This is a great option for anyone who has a love of teaching and solid real-world experience, but who needs an official credential on their resume. I know plenty of great teachers who have a degree in something other than education. They love to teach the discipline they are trained in and have spent years honing their classroom skills in the crucible that is a real-life school, but they can’t apply for the most prestigious institutions or are locked out of some countries’ education systems completely because they got a degree in something other than education.

Why You Shouldn’t: 

If you already have an education degree and are a native English speaker, then getting a TEFL or a TESOL certificate won’t widen your opportunities much. You would be better off looking into either an advanced degree like a master’s program, or a certification in a specific skill like arts integration, STEAM, eco-education, or administration.

What Scams to Watch Out For: 

Check the Accrediting Body(s). Certification does not fall under an accrediting body, the issuing institution does. For anyone offering a certification that should be accepted worldwide, they should have multiple accreditors. They should also have at least one accreditation from a country where English is the predominant language (US/UK/Canada etc.…). And just because they say they are accredited doesn’t mean they are. Check the website of the other institution, or send an email requesting verification. In other words, if a person or organization claims BAC certification, go to the BAC website and see for yourself.

Third-Party Review: If you can’t find multiple third-party reviews, written in English, from a site like Glassdoor or Indeed, the company doesn’t have a long enough track record to be reputable.

Pay for Play: If an institution offers you a job on the condition that you get certified through a specific company, be cautious. Any employer acting in good faith should accept your credentials from any reputable organization, not just the one they own or take a kickback from. Think about it this way: if you went to an interview and they said, “We really can only hire you if you get a degree from the University of Underwater Basket Weaving,” but you already have a degree from Harvard, wouldn’t you think twice?

KEEP READING: WATCH | Tell Me All Your Secrets!

Images: Unsplash

Educators in certain quarters all over the world these days stand accused of shirking their pedagogical duties. They stand accused of either choosing teaching not as a passion but just as a way to earn money, and for that reason, the once high standing of a teacher in society has sharply declined. But this is not the case all over the world. In countries like Finland, teaching is possibly one of the most important and indeed most coveted if not competitive positions a person could strive for. Teachers are vested with the responsibility of designing their curriculum which means no one way of teaching and learning is the same from school to school. Finland as a nation continues to be a leader in areas of science and mathematics, places where most of the western world continues to lag. Yet another world leader in these two fields is China. Steeped in Confucius learning traditions, China in recent years has gone to great lengths to provide its young generation with the best global mind for their edification.

So what is it that allows one to make it to this elite team of chosen educators here in China? Meet Mr. Randal Eplin, the Head of AISB-Hope International, one of Beijing’s premier international schools. As someone who admittedly has a passion for pedagogy, this US native has spent his six years in Beijing’s educational scene traveling the path less traveled by others, and by so doing created an educational niche not only for himself but for AISB-Hope International. “What might differentiate me from other Heads of School is that I am ready for the process to be a bit messy to meet the needs of a student, since I have encountered it before,” Eplin says of himself. And while this might come off as a brag, he more than has the goods to back it up.  “When we have students who need support to access our mainstream curriculum, I see it as an opportunity to investigate how we can stretch and grow as an educational institution and community in our inclusivity,” Eplin explains, adding, “During my time working in international schools, we admitted students that other schools might not accept. It’s not always easy. It takes additional resources, diligent work, and a dedication to both serve, solve, and meet the needs of students.”

Admittedly, such radical decisions have not always gone down well. But the process soon bears out. Even his decision to be an educator was not set in stone, as he left the education sector to find greener pastures elsewhere, but ultimately returned to his first love and in so doing, continued and expanded his advocacy work for students. As Eplin puts it, “I also realized that as I was serving students year after year, how important it was for me to advocate for students to be able to make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and then move forward successfully. One could assume, with this as my philosophy, that I firmly believe in giving students second, third, fourth, and fifth chances. Although I have been criticized for that, I believe that both young people and adults have the potential to change and grow.” Eplin, who is currently at the tail end of an eight-year-long EdD at the University of Liverpool, continues to cement himself firmly in the world of specialized pedagogy. “The title of my thesis is Experiences of Students with Dyslexia in Higher Education in England. I believe it provides insight into what I am passionate about as an educator and educational leader. I have been afforded the opportunity to work with students of various special needs throughout my career. Some of these include dyslexia, gifted and talented, ADD, and Asperger’s. It has been and remains to be a huge passion to work with students who are a little bit outside of the box and need attention and care to thrive. “

Despite this glass-half-full attitude towards learning, Eplin’s time in Beijing has not been without its challenges. Like all schools in Beijing, AISB-Hope International was also affected by lockdowns occasioned by Covid-19, complicating moving plans already underway. “Before the pandemic, the plan was in motion to find and move the school to a new location. Then, in the middle of my first year as head of school, we ended up on lock-down and were forced to move to online learning. Despite moving to online learning and managing through a pandemic, we still needed to find a new campus, manage a construction project, and then move,” reveals Eplin. This ability to be resilient and continue, according to Eplin, has been in no small part due to AISB-Hope International’s incredible parent and staff bodies. As Eplin explains, “The AISB-Hope community is a very compassionate, loving community. I truly enjoy the parent community that provides support for both myself and our teachers. Our PASS (Parents Assisting Students and Staff) parents are always trying to find ways that they can support me as a Head of School and support the education of their children. They understand that things are not perfect and they chip in to make things better as a school. They received me very well a year and a half ago as the new Head of School and they continue to help me deliver a top-notch education for our students.”

And it is this sort of support needed to make Eplin’s vision for AISB-Hope International’s future not just an idea but a reality. “I want to promote the AP Capstone Program that was adopted over the summer during the pandemic. This program requires students to take a course entitled AP Seminar in grade 10 and AP Research in grade 11. After that, they would take four additional AP classes during grades 9-12. To earn the AP Capstone diploma, the student has to pass with a score of 3 or higher in all six classes. With many students having begun this course in September of this school year, it is evident that the level of rigor at our school continues to rise.” This is far from all that the AP Capstone program has to offer. Eplin continues to say, “Another aspect that I find inviting about the AP Capstone Program is that it includes an interdisciplinary approach which could, in some aspects, be compared to the IB Diploma. The level of critical thinking and analysis expands deep within the AP Seminar and AP Research courses. As a former IB Diploma coordinator and having worked in IB schools, the AP Capstone Program provides a different approach while achieving a very similar result. It creates students who are strong critical thinkers and can approach the world with an analytical lens. This is something we highly value and so the school will eventually require all students to take these two classes.”

In the competitive world of international schooling in Beijing where parents are encouraged to be as astute as possible in selecting a school that will not only deliver desired results but is a perfect fit for their child, AISB-Hope International, under the leadership of Eplin, continues to provide a much-needed contrast and reassurance for parents and great support for students of all abilities. With someone as dedicated to the world of pedagogy as Eplin is, parents and students are ensured of success.

KEEP READING: New Environment for Learning: AISB- Hope International Opens Their Dream Campus

Images: courtesy of AISB-HOPE International, Uni You

The face of your typical international teacher in Beijing for a long time was mainly thought to be white, from North America or Europe. But in the recent past, the demographic of those seeking employment as teachers in Beijing and the greater China has continued to change. That has brought a culture shock of sorts for those in the education world, for parents, students, and the educators themselves. Your average international teacher now might still be from North America, Europe, or Australia, but even from these countries, their inherent cultural and racial diversity has made its way to China. Teachers of African descent, be they North American, European, or African are on the rise, and continue to steadily increase due to changing perceptions of ‘Black’ people as a whole. With that change however, comes some resistance in the way of prevailing stereotypes, racial insensitivity, or lack of awareness about what is acceptable and unacceptable when it comes to interacting with people from other races.

Preston*, an African American teacher has experienced some extent of this in his time as an English teacher living and working in Beijing. But recently, he faced what could be one of the most daunting experiences of his life as a person of color living and working in Beijing.

How long have you been teaching in China?

Three years and four months is how long I’ve been in Beijing. It was in my home city where I attended a networking event of inspiring young professionals. A group of artists, financiers, academics, and entrepreneurs mingling in one room. This group presented their best selves and I, an editor’s assistant at the time, spoke to everyone in the room. I found they all shared a few experiences in common. The most profound one was the experience of studying and working abroad. This was an experience I did not share with my peers. The idea of living abroad made me restless, so I succumbed to the idea. I researched a company to work with in Beijing. Within three weeks, I was on a plane to Beijing.

What are some of the highlights of your experiences teaching in China/ Beijing?

A highlight of working in Beijing is watching the slow progression of my students using the English language to communicate to each other and to me.

What form of culture shock, if any, do you continue to suffer from as a result of working as a teacher in Beijing?

A culture shock experience that I continue to deal with on a daily basis is the invasion of personal space. My coworkers, neighbors, students will get close to me to discreetly smell me, touch me, or take a photo/video of me. For example, last week these events happened in a two-hour time span where a coworker walked into my classroom during my lesson to record me without my permission. After that class, another employee grabbed my arm and said “very strong”. He didn’t verbally greet me beforehand so I was shocked that this [would]happen. Immediately after that incident, I walked into the classroom that I was to deliver a lesson in. I am writing on the chalkboard and I feel something crawling on my hand. I look down to see a student rubbing his fingers on the back of my palm. I turn around to see five students hovering around that student. I asked the students “what are they doing?” with a nervous laugh, then one student replies with a smile “Chocolate”. I was uncomfortable so I yelled for them to sit down in their seats so I could finish setting up the prepared lesson of the day.

Are there times when you have experienced culturally insensitive attitudes or behaviors from your students? What are some examples?

I have experienced racist attitudes from my students. The most recent interaction is being on the receiving end of expletives from some students and being licked by other students.

Tell us about the picture with the “slaves”.

The incident with the photo of “African prisoners abused by Europeans on a ship” was brought to me by my grade 6 students as I walked into the class to begin the lesson. The students pointed at the picture then pointed at me and said: “you, this is you”. My external response was to continue setting up for the lesson of the day. My internal reaction was one of curiosity. I continued with the lesson. When the class was over, the students returned to me after class with the book of the photo. I chose not to engage.

At first, what was your reaction to your students showing you this image?

My initial reaction to the scenario was curiosity. I am still curious to understand why the students did what they did. Since the incident, my coworker and I have questioned the students about it and the students never gave me a clear answer.

What would you advise other teachers of color/ foreign teachers who might have a similar experience to you while teaching in Beijing/China?

My advice to other expats of color in the education field is to always stay curious about the actions of your students; to do one’s due diligence in researching the culture, not only the history of the past but of current events including the media the youth is consuming. We are allowed to have authentic reactions to these situations. Do the groundwork to understand and continue to influence the environment we choose to live in.

Photos: janinesjourneys.com, Center for American Progress, The Guardian

From a plaque on her wall in her tastefully decorated office on the Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijjing) campus, Ms. Rachel George reads to me the key reason why she is here doing what she does. “‘We believe that each child is unique with innate talents and with gifts which should be nurtured to their fullest potential.’ As soon as I saw that this was a part of the school guiding ethos, I knew that this was where I needed to be. And I have never looked back.”

Ms. George with some of her students

George, a Texas native, has been in China for the last two years and as she puts it, her spirit is at absolute peace in this massive city, in no small part due to how she found her current position and eventually moved here. Hearing her story, it is easy to say that someone or something beyond her had a plan for her to be in Beijing. “It’s small things, like for instance, my best friend adopted a child from China of whom I am the godmother. I also had a weird problem with my car where it would display commands in Chinese. Just small things that were linked to China in one way or another made me realize that this was the place I was meant to be.”

“Everyone is so free here”, she muses at the general atmosphere she has come to enjoy in China. “Walking down the street, you hear people singing. They all have a sense of joie de vivre. Old people are active, they are out walking, and playing with their birds and no one has time to be ‘old’ here.”

Her overwhelmingly positive experiences living here in Beijing are a long way from her upbringing in South West Louisiana, where she was born and raised before eventually relocating to Texas. “I remember getting on the bus and the girls at the back of the bus wearing KKK hoods. I believe I was in fifth grade at the time.” It is harsh realities like these that went into the makings of what would be an international counselor to children from all walks of life at YCIS Beijing.

Ms Rachel George

George is not new to the world of teaching, having over 16 years of experience teaching and working as a guidance counselor back in the States, working with children from disadvantaged backgrounds, whose parents had passed away or were missing in their lives for one reason or the other. However, this is markedly different from the students who she works with at present, who one might say are from more affluent or well-to-do families.

It is undeniable that the pressures to succeed have been amped up particularly for the current generation of parents and children. Academic excellence, especially in Mainland China, is of particular importance to families who work hard to afford their children the best education and extracurricular activities that money can buy. Unfortunately this sometimes comes at the cost of social, psychological and emotional development. ‘We push these kids towards success and perhaps they go to very good colleges, maybe even in the States. But do they have the social skills to navigate the world? Can they be on their own?’

As an American stepping in to a mostly Chinese setting, George also had to come to grips with the emotional dynamics of Chinese, and the larger East Asian, society. Silence and stoicism are virtues, and a legacy of this part of the world, something that children also pick up from their parents, meaning they are either unable or unwilling to verbalize personal problems as and when they arise. “Most kids don’t want to disappoint, so the idea of sharing their concerns with their parents is unthinkable.” George strives to find techniques with which to have these sensitive conversations with parents, while making the link between academic success and emotional health. “Younger parents are more progressive. They will take research I present to them and read it at home.”

This is not to say that the opposite is true of Western students and their parents. As George points out, there is no such thing as a collective Western way of thinking. All of her students from different countries are different, and she has had to learn to speak their language and understand them with their cultural backgrounds in mind.

George notes that well-meaning parents might tend to not only push their children towards academic excellence but also often shelter them from any real struggle. Their opportunities to learn from their mistakes are taken away. “I encourage parents to let their kids struggle, because it builds character.” It might be as a result of their own struggles while growing up, but the innate response it would seem, for most parents, is to clear as smooth a path for their children as they possibly can. But this, rather than giving their children an edge, detracts from their development and self-actualization. George advises parents to foster a sense of “I can do it myself” in their children. “The children are much protected and I appreciate this. There is a lot of love in that sort of protection and it always comes from a good place. But you have to let your child struggle.”

It is undoubtedly important for anyone in her position to appreciate and understand that each child is the very best that their parents have to offer and are eager to work to ensure that their children are the very best version of themselves that they can be.

Recalling her own childhood, she notes one marked difference in the student-teacher dynamic, with teachers occupying the role of authority figures, not striving to form connections with their students. But George notes the importance of fostering trust between students and teachers. Teachers must not only interact with their students, but try to know the individual. As she herself got into the teaching profession, she realized the importance of building trust with her students. Given that most the students that she worked with at the time were from disadvantaged backgrounds, it was imperative that a connection be fostered. These connections would be relied upon by the student, who required her to provide them with some much needed guidance in their lives, especially in the face of missing parents and authority figures in their lives. George strives to empower other teachers to have the skills needed to meet their students’ emotional needs, part of what she envisions in her Beijing future. “Five years from now, my ultimate desire would be to keep doing what I do: workshops, talking to educators on how to work emotional learning and to empower kids to be the best they can be; empowering teachers to be counselors; equipping teachers with the skills to teach hearts as well as minds.”

Ms. George in action 

One would wonder how someone who spends so much of her day giving to others emotionally is able to remain grounded on a day-to-day basis. Admittedly, George’s job is a 24-hour one, with constant interactions with students and faculty at school during school hours, and liaising with parents even when not at work. But she has set herself a few “self-care” ground rules to survive the vicissitudes of being an emotional healer of sorts. As a personal rule, she doesn’t check her emails after 5pm. She has also had to set some boundaries between her and those she works to help by making clear what she can and cannot assist with. She is an admitted overachiever and as a consequence, tends to push herself a lot more than she should. Coming from a setting where she was in charge of eight other counselors who could share the burden of work, at YCIS Beijing she works valiantly as a one-woman army. But that also means at the end of the day, she doesn’t have anyone with whom she can ethically share case details with, or debrief. This however doesn’t stop her from taking it in her stride as she doles out parenting advice and looks to the future.

I grew up at a time in my country where corporal punishment in schools was not only a thing, but was part of the system of best practices for child rearing. We were often subjected to harsh punishments of caning, a smack here and there, or protracted periods of kneeling. Don’t get me wrong, despite how horrible all this sounds, our teachers never did this just to get their jollies off. Whenever punishment was doled out, it was often well deserved. From tardiness to not doing one’s homework, almost all offenses warranted swift and – depending on the teacher in question – severe punishment. I understood why they did it. Quite frankly after hearing my own mother’s stories about how she and those in her age group would be punished for the same petty offenses, I wondered why our teachers weren’t all the more vicious.

For most of us, there was really no recourse to the daily floggings in school. Our teachers never did this unprovoked and our parents knew it. So on the off chance that some crybaby went home to report said teacher for a flogging meted on them, they were liable to get a second dose from their own parent, and possibly a third dose from the teacher under the watchful eye of their parent just for wasting both adults’ time. Sounds downright cruel, does it not? And most of us thought the exact same thing. As we came of age, we all swore we would all have our children’s backs, as it were, against the mean ol’ teacher. But long before any of us had any need or chance to do this, corporal punishment was abolished and outlawed. Educators were encouraged to find other ways to “reeducate” wayward pupils. Legends of rogue teachers still cracking a stick over some student’s poor buttocks still abound, but it is very much the exception not the rule.

Needless to say this was great news to all of us. Our children would spared the cruelty we endured under these so-called educators. In our adulthood however, we had forgotten one key aspect. We were all rotten children who constantly tried our teachers by pushing the bounds of their patience and sanity. We were all in government schools that were overcrowded, with teachers expected to corral large numbers of students at any given time. Our teachers were overworked, underpaid, and constantly disrespected. This is a trend that hasn’t abated. In the US for instance, certain states are hemorrhaging teachers from state-run schools at such an alarming rate that they are turning to recruiting agencies to provide affected schools with mostly Filipino teachers.

And while some of us are still quite sore about our childhood floggings, we might need to also own up to the fact that we weren’t innocent, and neither are our children. Much like ourselves, they are handfuls to manage. We are often quick to jump to our kids’ defense but what if we took a moment to think from the teacher’s perspective? What might we discover about ourselves and our children?

Grades Aren’t Everything But…

Even though schools back home are quite competitive, they have nothing on schools here in China. The push for excellence from a very early age means that kids are ran rugged by demanding parents. It is very easy to fall into this trap with your kid. Don’t get me wrong: aiming for excellent grades is perfectly fine. But elementary grades will not factor much in whether or not your kid will make it into Harvard. On the other hand, there are those kids who have the ability to achieve excellent grades but simply choose not to. Sometimes it is not so much a case of the system working against your child as it is that your child isn’t applying themselves as best as they could. The trick is being able to spot the difference.

Parent First, Best Friend Second

A lot of us growing up thought of how wonderful it would be to have our moms and dads be more like our older siblings, or better yet, our friends. Though it is great to have an open and honest relationship with your child, encouraging communication and sharing, it might be pushing it slightly if you also burden your child with your problems as you would your best friend. Boundaries have to be set. So does an understanding of action and consequence. For instance, if your child fails to do something required by the school, do not make excuses for them. He is not your buddy Steve with whom you have a pact to call pretending to be the doctor when you don’t show up to work for the tenth consecutive day. Your child might not learn to respect adults and authority if they pick up cues from you that it is okay to flaunt rules if it works to your advantage.

It’s Their Homework. Don’t Complain About It

I hated homework growing up. I didn’t understand the point of it. Plot twist: it was to prepare me for instances when I would work from home. At times the role of homework is not to exercise your child’s mental faculties, but to inculcate a sense of responsibility in them. It encourages the child to do what is expected of them, something that will follow them throughout their lives as adults and employees. Often times parents feel the need to complain about the difficulty or the easiness of their children’s homework. And at times they are tempted to help. To a trained eye however, it is very obvious when it is the parent not the teacher who has done the homework. Yes, Karen! It’s very unlikely that your child, no matter however gifted, will use the word concomitant to describe anything in their uncomplicated pre-corporate lives.

Kids Can Be Handfuls and Sometimes They Lie

This might sound like a massive indictment by some parents of their children. But take a moment and think of the number of times your homework was “eaten by the dog” or some fantastical event or other prevented you from getting to school on time. It is a parent’s natural reaction is to defend their child in the face of an accusation of lying (though I must say, while growing up, my mother’s automatic reaction was to always take the teacher’s side), it is important to remember that kids, just like adults, are out to preserve their hides. So if it suits them, your little angel might tell a little off-white lie or two. In the same breath, just because your child is an absolute joy at home, doesn’t mean that they are the way in school. Your child might be the classroom equivalent of a hurricane, causing unimaginable disruptions. Should the teacher raise this concern with you, it will serve no one to argue the merits of your child’s case, but rather partner with the teacher to best figure out a solution to the problem.

Teachers Have Families and Lives Too

Just like you, teachers have families and lives of their own. A life doesn’t always have to involve children of their own. Or even a spouse. Much like you, when a teacher steps out of the school compound, they’re off duty, meaning they might not be available to help your child with their homework over the phone, or able to respond to emails or texts sent after hours. And in the same way you appreciate your private time not being encroached upon by work demands, your child’s teacher would appreciate the same courtesy.

Photos: educationcentral.co.nz, ricemedia.co,  corpun.com, gradepowerlearning.com,The Morning Call ,ThoughtCo, Good Housekeeping,  Test Environment

LIH Olivia’s Place has announced its 2019 autumn semester “Twilight Series” for teachers. The program aims to help kids to reach their full potential through giving teachers the right kind of coaching and guidance. Each session on their series of learning outcome-focused workshops works towards fostering a productive exchange of ideas between professionals in Education.

The ‘Twilight Series’ covers speech and language development, social and emotional challenges, learning difficulties, and support for children with special needs. Each attendant will receive a certificate for his or her participation.

Highlights of the series

• Creating a communication friendly environment in schools
• Say “No” to bullying: creating a friendly environment for our schools
• Normal posture and postural disorders
• ADHD and behavior management techniques
• Emotional regulation for children and adolescents

The five-week program is an exciting and informative opportunity for teaching professionals. Teachers will learn how to support students with speech, language, and communications needs within the classroom. Participants will also be taught the skills needed to deal with bullying in order to combat the long-lasting psychological impairments that can be caused in students who suffer from mental or physical abuse at the hands of their peers in school.

From being aware that students may be wearing inappropriate shoes and backpacks, to monitoring the overuse of technology, and being able to recognize students who may be suffering from Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are all part of the comprehensive series on offer. Learn these and more and fast track your way to a better overall understanding of what it is to be a teacher in the 21^st century. RSVP via WeChat: Yvonne.xu@lih-oliviasplace.com or scan the QR code attached for more information.

Adults. Aug 30 – Dec 13 (once a month). 2 – 4pm. Eliot’s Corner, B203, F/2, Building 8, SK Work No. 18, Jiuxianqiao East Road, Chaoyang District. (1770 224 8323).

Photos: Courtesy of LIH Olivia’s Place

Beijing authorities are conducting a review of the city’s private kindergartens, with many being forced to reduce their fees and bring their curricula and practices into line with publicly-run facilities, or be taken over by local government. However beijingkids has seen no evidence to support speculation that this is the first stage of a clampdown on all privately-owned schools.

The clampdown appears to be a long-term result of the city’s building boom of the mid-2000s. Developers were required to include space for kindergartens in all new developments, to meet the city’s daycare needs of having favcilities like child care Werrington. However most developers sold or leased the space to other suppliers. Many of these companies took advantage of the shortage of kindergarten places, and the high value placed on education in Chinese culture, to charge extravagant, if not extortionate, fees. The new rules require them to be run as public facilities, and not for profit.

Currently over 60 percent of Beijing kindergartens are privately owned, and accommodate just over half of preschoolers. (Class sizes are usually smaller in private facilties.) The government’s target is that by 2020 80 percent of kindergartens will be run publicly or as non-profits. However, according to Zhangxing, a researcher from Zero Power Intelligence Group, this is not the end for the private preschool sector. Once the 80 percent goal has been reached, there will still be a substantial number of private kindergartens. The option will still be open to parents to pay more for “elite” facilities (which may include foreign teachers); the purpose of the clampdown seems to be to make sure low-cost local options are also available.

As foreign teachers are usually paid more, the reduced fees may result in some kindergartens no longer being able to employ them. However the government is only currently taking action against kindergartens which are part of residential compounds. Recent tightening of regulations on the qualifications of foreign teachers, and the curriculum taught at Chinese-owned private schools, have led to some speculation on social media that this is the beginning of a more general restriction on private education. However beijingkids has at this point seen no evidence to support this, or to suggest there is any cause for alarm for teachers and parents in the international community.

(Featured image is a stock photograph. No criticism is intended of the practices of the kindergarten depicted.)

Photo: Ariel Ophelia via Creative Commons