Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tigers...Lots of Tigers...



The Tiger, the living symbol of strength and power, generally inspires fear and respect.

I have been absolutely fascinated by the idea of "Tiger Parents." I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I now live in Asia, but I am completely blown away by the values and work ethic instilled in the majority of the children here. How can it be SO very different from back home? What are they doing that Westerners aren't? Answer: They become Tigers.

A few days ago, I finished reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. I am still processing my thoughts on it...

Are Western parents too lax? Do they need a reality check? Do we, as a Western society, praise children when it isn't even deserved? Is Chua completely off her rocker? Are we missing something?!

All these thoughts...and I just don't know what to say!

Chua has been harshly criticized for her memoir, and to be honest there were parts that made me cringe. Specifically the part about a home-made birthday card. It was her birthday, and her husband, Jed, forget to make reservations at the restaurant she wanted. Things were off to a bad start...and they were just getting worse. They finally were sitting down having dinner, and Jed asked Chua's two daughters (9 and 12) to give mommy "their special presents". They both pulled out cards from under the table and Lulu, the littlest gave her card to Chua first. Chua took one glance at the almost bare card, made with red construction paper. It had a few flowers and I love you! Happy Birthday to the Best Mommy in the World! #1 Mommy! Chua looked at it and threw it back at Lulu. She simply said, "I don't want this." In fact, while drawing on a napkin with pen Chua said:

What if I gave you this for your birthday, Lulu. No - I get you magicians and giant slides that coast me hundreds of dollars. I get you huge ice cream cakes shaped like penguins, and I spend half my salary on stupid sticker and eraser party favors that everyone just throws away. I work so hard to give you good birthdays! I deserve better than this. So I REJECT this."

So you can see why I would cringe. How horrible! However...is there some element of truth to it? Even if there is, I would NEVER do something like that, but could she have a point? Why should she accept anything less than her daughters best - even if she is talking about a birthday card?

Her daughter later on wrote a letter to the NY Post, in which she explained she, herself, didn't feel rejected.

Everybody’s talking about the birthday cards we once made for you, which you rejected because they weren’t good enough. Funny how some people are convinced that Lulu and I are scarred for life. Maybe if I had poured my heart into it, I would have been upset. But let’s face it: The card was feeble, and I was busted. It took me 30 seconds; I didn’t even sharpen the pencil. That’s why, when you rejected it, I didn’t feel you were rejecting me. If I actually tried my best at something, you’d never throw it back in my face.

I would have handled the situation a little differently. Maybe a simple, "How long did it take you to make this?" would have sufficed. But, I suppose that would be just the kind of "lax" attitude Chua refers to when it comes to Western parenting? However, I think it is more along the lines of having a heart!

Clearly, I am not a parent. Any connection I have to this book is solely through teaching. However, I believe that when the time comes to have children, my teaching is going to impact my parenting dramatically...and vice versa. As a teacher in an urban school for 7 years, I have seen some of the worst parenting, but I have also seen some of the best parenting. However, when I look at children in the US as a whole...there is something different. Obviously, there is a huge cultural difference, and it is quite apparent.

I ask my students in Taiwan what they do over the weekend, and all of their answers include: study and cram school. (Cram school is additional schooling for kids. Almost ALL of them attend.) No one goes away for the weekend. No one hangs out with friends. They essentially have no childhood.

This past week, I finished up frequency adverbs with one of my classes, and as an assessment I had them write out a description of their daily routine using them. Literally, every single kid wrote the same thing. All they seem to do is eat, sleep, go to school, and study. It was frightening.

When I told them that my students from Boston would go to school from 9:30 - 3:30, they gasped...and I mean G-A-S-P-E-D! (I probably would t oo if I were going to school from 7am until 7 pm 6 days a week!)

But...then again: when I look at the hard facts, part of me wants to say, "Who needs a childhood!?"

These kids are able to do math problems in the 7th grade that I don't think I have ever seen in my life. Their writing in English is nearly perfect, and even in the basic classes the verb tenses are SURE to be correct. (I mean, in addition to my clas s they also have 1 hour of grammar everyday, so I should expect that). My advanced classes write better English than some of the students I taught in Boston and New York. These kids eat, sleep, breathe, and drink SCHOOL, and it is not JUST at my school. It is part of the Asian mentality.

And then I find myself snapping out of it.

There is one thing that is completely missing from the kids I see here in Taiwan. To me, that one thing is the most important thing I have learned in my life. It is the thing I use everyday. It challenges me to push myself in ways I never thought I would go. My creativity is something I am grateful for, and couldn't live without.

My parents were not lax at all. But they weren't crazy either! I probably got less of the strictness because I was the second child, but my mom was one tough cookie!! My dad wasn't necessarily strict, but he wasn't a pushover either.

My brother, Tim, and I had to earn our television time with test scores, and it was limited to an hour during the week. We also had to earn our social ti me. Ok, so before you say that my parents were Tiger-esque, hear me out.

Tim was WAY smarter than I was. He is currently a Top Gun fighter pilot, so you can take a guess of what his grades were like throughout his life. He wouldn't have to study and would get A's. I never understood it. I would study for hours and would barely get a B. Two times my mom made Tim tutor me in Physics, and both times he left my room yelling, "How do you NOT get it?!" (Thank goodness he didn't end up as the teacher!)

So, my mom decided that in order to earn our TV time, we had to earn a certain grade. If we wanted to "go out" we had to earn it. Of course when she said this my face dropped, because I knew that I would never earn TV or a night out with my B's and C's. But, she made it to suit us both. Tim had to get A's to go out...and I had to get B's. She told us she valued the hard work, and those were the grades she knew we would get if we worked hard.

In my mind it was a little Tiger, and a little empathetic, which Chua would have initially described as lax.

Chua sort of changes a bit...she doesn't have this huge epiphany, but she says she was humbled by her 13 year old daughter. She also says that the book doesn't say raising your kids the Chinese way is right. She says it is about a story about how she knew best, and after years of doing what she did, she finally stepped back and listened to her daughter crying out to her. Did she back down? No...but she "opened up" and thought about things.

I am a teacher and I think I am good at my job because I am constantly REFLECTING. I talk about my craft with other teachers. I listen to constructive criticism when I receive it. I always challenge myself to do more...it is never-ending; But I love it.

I don't know what parenting is like, but I think it may be a bit like teaching. If I think I know everything...and have the my way or the highway th ought...I am toast! But if I engage in conversations with others and evaluate my whys and hows, I have no doubt I will become a good parent.

Isn't that what this book is all about? It brings a very personal and uncomfortable topic to everyone's minds. How are you parenting? Kudos to Chua for that!

And so...although I will not throw back and reject home-made birthday cards, or forbid my children to be in school plays and attend sleepovers, but I will definitely be somewhere in the middle.

If you have a chance, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom is a quick and interesting read. It will really make you think about your childhood, and how you raise your children!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Passports please!!

I got a passport when I was in college. I wanted to go and visit my friend who was lucky enough to be studying abroad in Florence, so I needed one. I had no idea where that passport would eventually take me...


Florence: that was where it all started...the travel bug officially bit me, and left a big impression. Now...I live in another country!

Ok, why am I writing about a passport? Well, today was the first day of my English Passport group. Let me start by explaining what it is: The kids get these passports, which by the way look pretty legit. There are two groups that visit with me. One group are 8th graders from my advanced class, and the other group are 10th graders from my advanced class. These kids have had their passports since 7th grade, and none of them have ever lost it. They know better! They would lose all of their stamps, and would have to start over.

Like these kids, I also always worry about losing my passport. Obviously for the reason that it would be really annoying to replace, but also because it is like a scrapbook of my travels. I would have to start all over. I would lose my visas and stamps from many countries like India, Cambodia, Thailand, Austraila...I mean that would be devastating. You see, I am proud of those, just like these kids are proud of their passports.

The English Passport club is as informal as it gets at Erh Shin Junior Senior High School, which means it is not super informal, but we are allowed to just sit and chat with the kids. At the end of the session, which is 30 minutes long, we stamp their passport and they are on their way. It is a great way for me to learn about each student individually, and the collective culture of Taiwan. It is also a great way for them to build their English speaking and listening skills and gain some confidence. Let's just say that this may be my favorite part of teaching here so far.

Today I met with three of my 8th graders: Lily, Sam, and David. We sat for half an hour in my office and just talked. I told them how excited I am to learn about their country, and I was interested to hear what made them proud about being Taiwanese. I fell in love with their answers.

Lily is 14 and she has a younger brother. She says he bugs her sometimes, but not too much. It was quite funny because when I used the word "bugs" she looked quite confused. When I further explained it, she laughed and replied, "Yes he bugs me sometimes, but it's ok!" She told me her mom usually brings home dinner, because she didn't have time to cook for their whole family. (Take out is very common in Taiwan.) She said she loved Taiwan because the people here are kind and friendly. She went on to explain that if she is ever confused or needs help with anything, she knows that someone would be more then willing to help her. She really trusts everyone in Taiwan, and I could tell she had reason to. I was amazed, and I shared my experiences that illustrated her exact thoughts. I talked with all three of the students about how many times people in Taiwan have apologized to me for them not being able to speak English! I told them how this amazed me, because I should be the one apologizing! After all, I am in their country!

This is when Sam chimed in. He said, "Yes but everyone needs to know English. It is the international language." Right on Sam, but I guess at least a reasonable attempt on my end is deserved! You know, I often hear stories about how people perceive Americans as getting annoyed when they travel and some people can't understand them. I mean...come on! Respect the country you are in and at least try to speak the language. Even if it is a bad attempt (trust me, mine are horrible). I refuse to ever be that American!

Sam is also 14 and he spoke the best English out of the 3. He told me a little about himself. He is an only child. He is an exceptionally bright and hardworking student. He attends CRAM school (which is additional school) on Saturdays for 6 hours! He explained why he liked this better than attending during the week - because it was too much work on school nights to go to school, after school, and still get homework and studying done. Umm...yea, I think he is right! He doesn't seem to mind CRAM school, and said that grades are very important to him and his family. Well, clearly...it shows!

Then there was David. David said his favorite part of Taiwan are the night markets. When David started talking about the night markets, his face lit up. Then, the three of them explained the importance that food holds in Taiwanese culture. They described how food is used, just like many cultures, to bring people together to celebrate important holidays, but also to interact on a daily basis. Many families eat take out and often will sit at little tables right outside the stand they buy food from. I realized how many times I often walk down my street and people are barbecuing right in front of their house on a little makeshift grill with turned upside tubs to sit on. THAT is Taipei, and I love it!

When the bell rang, they handed their passports to me. I wrote different little comments in each one...but in all three I wrote: Thank you! I am so lucky to have the opportunity to teach a language to amazingly driven and focused students...and in return to learn an unbelievable amount about their culture, values, and themselves.

Teaching IS learning!!

That's it for today!

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

This is why I blog...even if it is for myself!

When I was little, I played soccer pretty much all the time. I loved it! Every fall weekend I have memories of my family and I driving in the family van and staying at hotels for tournaments out of state. I loved playing on my team growing up, because we were good! I trusted my teammates, and quickly learned how much we needed each other if we wanted to keep winning! That was something I was taught from a very early age. But I also learned to appreciate smaller things. I may never have showed it, but there are memories from soccer that I still think about - ones that may not have seemed very important to me at the time.

ONE of the things I remember very vividly about growing up and traveling every weekend for soccer, were the patches I collected from each team we played. For some reason I may never be able to explain, they were really special to me. After every game at tournaments, teams would line up with patches and when we shook hands, we would trade them. I could look at the patches and know exactly who we beat, and by how much. We used to meet up with other players and "trade" the patches, too. I guess this is what kids did during tournament breaks before having cell phones to text their friends or update their status on Facebook.

I loved trading patches, but there were two types I would never trade: 1) Teams that we almost lost to or 2) Teams that we did lose to. Those were the patches that reminded me of why I worked so hard. I collected patches from the age of 10 probably until 14 when it didn't become cool anymore. I had a jacket and my mom sewed them all over it and I used to wear it around with my Umbro shorts and sambas. Hey...it was the 90's.

So, why am I telling this story?

I've been thinking. I haven't written in a couple of days, and truth be told I think it is because right now, I feel just a little lost. Ok, maybe a lot. I guess I have been avoiding writing because I didn't want to admit it to myself -- or to anyone who is reading my blog. No one wants to move to another country and feel at any point like they are lost; but unfortunately I have learned, when you move alone...and know no one...and don't speak the language...that is how you are going to feel. I have been thinking a lot about challenges the past few days...working towards something, and somewhere I was lucky enough to fall back to the story of the patches. It was then I realized this:

It is difficult not being surrounded by people who know you, and understand the work you are putting into something. If we don't hear someone say something supportive or feel someone patting our back every now and then...we feel a little lost. I loved those patches when I was a kid because it was something that showed my passion to everyone, especially myself. It made me realize my journey, instead of focusing on one game or one tournament. I used to look at individual patches and remember either great things I did or things I got yelled at by my coach for doing. It reminded me of the process. So I thought, 'Isn't that why I am here?'

Today, I realized that although I may not have soccer patches to remind me of my journey, I still am on one! This is 2011, and I am blogging, tweeting, and posting pictures...THOSE are my patches! In 1992 my patches showed a journey of scoring goals and winning state championships, but now I am taking on the world!

I have celebrated my first Moon Festival with some of my new Taiwanese friends; I am teaching children who have never met an American before; I am stepping out of my comfort zone at least 5 times a day; I am eating chicken hearts, and cow ears, and ducks blood...all because I know I only live once, and the only way to live is to experience. Who would have thought that getting the right garbage bag would include 7 trips to the store, 5 attempts of "garbage bag" in Chinese, 1 failure that forced the garbage man to yell at me in Chinese -- which of course put me in tears, and 1 unforgettable moment when that same man that yelled, smiled at me because I finally figured it out -- all on my own! Forget a patch...that is trophy worthy!

There are things I have yet to figure out, like How will I get the majority of my students to talk in class? Where will I find sheets that are comfortable? How long IS it going to take my clothes to dry? What kind of iced tea do I like (they are all in Chinese!)

So, I am proud to show off some of my "patches", and to say that I have promised myself to continue blogging, even if it is a tough day!

Some great experiences:

1) Falling in front of 55 students in my first class on my first day.
2) Pulling the fire alarm on my second day. (I thought I was flushing the toilet)
3) Eating what I thought was ToFu only to have my colleague tell me it was ducks blood.
4) Walking past Stinky ToFu thinking..."never will I eat that." but knowing I probably will.
5) Making new friends that don't speak a lot of English, but working through it to share our languages with each other.
6) Explaining the word envy to my advanced class, and asking the students to use it. The response: "Miss Miller I envy you because you are a beautiful person." (how sweet)
7) Eating an amazing dumpling everywhere I turn.
8) Sitting in the movie theatre for 10 minutes only to be told that I am in the wrong seat AND the wrong movie. (yes, they have assigned seats here...FYI)
9) Sitting on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ShiDa nightmarket while eating dinner, enjoying wine, and reading a book.
10) Going for a morning run along the river to kick my day off.
11) Attending English Meditation Class with other people who speak English.
12) Enjoying Vietnamese Pho with a new friend from San Diego who is also teaching in Taiwan.

oh and many many more to come. I haven't even been here for three weeks! Stay tuned!!!

Some photo memories:My school and students, which are both amazing! :)



One of the drawings my students made for the word cruel during Pictionary. I love it!!!



I met him on the way to the market!

Celebrating Moon Festival at a BBQ with my new friends...and trying chicken heart for the first time!

Dumplings, duck, beef noodle soup...and the Dragon Lady (Dragon Fruit Cocktail).

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

How many times do you breathe in one minute?

Yesterday I went to my first Chan Meditation Class. I think I have found just what I need.

I was walking home the second day I was in Taipei. I must have had Help me! I am lost! written all over my face because these two wonderful girls came up to me with a flyer. They asked me if I was interested in hearing more about an English Chan Meditation Class that was starting up in a week. I said...YES!! I would love to! Basically this group is put together by a group of volunteers, and they made it as a way for people who speak English to get together and learn a little about meditation.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I did know that after my day yesterday...I needed a way to relax. Maybe meditation was it? It also couldn't hurt to make a few new friends that know English...so I went.

When we first walked in we just got to talk with other people there. It was amazing how many different people were there! I thought it would be all Westerners, but there were people from India, Nepal, Switzerland, Italy...I mean on and on! There were also a bunch of Taiwanese people who spoke English and were looking to meet people and have a forum to practice it!

Then we met our instructor. She told us about Chan, and it's purpose. She said that we use it to discover who we are and to find our inner wisdom. Religion and culture doesn't matter when practicing Chan. She went on to explain that we must achieve the purity and beauty of the lotus flower.

The divine lotus flower...I have seen it in India, Thailand, Vietnam...sprouting from the dirtiest water you could imagine. Yet, it is still so beautiful! Because the lotus rises from unclean water to blossom as a pure, uncontaminated flower, it is a symbol of purity in many cultures and has significant spiritual meaning.
So, it makes sense that the position we sit in during meditation is called the Lotus position. Then it is broken down into Easy Lotus, Half Lotus, and Full Lotus. Clearly I had to start at the Easy Lotus, which is just sitting Indian Style.

Once we were in Lotus position, our instructor timed us for a minute, and she told us to just breathe normally. As I sat there breathing I felt like I was breathing really slow...only to find out that I counted 32 breaths! TOO MUCH!

Basically, the first thing we learned was how to belly breathe. Belly breathing is slow, soft, deep, breathing. The goal is to actually see and feel the breath move up through your nose, down your lungs and into them as your stomach expands. So the thought behind this goes a little something like this:
Sea turtles live forever. Well, not really forever, but for a REALLY long time. They only take like 5 breaths every 3 minutes! Our instructor told us that we should aim to take less than 20 breaths a minute. If we take more than that, our breaths are too shallow, and as a result we may be short-tempered! (Clearly she hit the nail on the head with that one...and my 32 breaths!) Anyway, after she taught us belly breathing, she re-tested us, and I took 10 breaths. Not bad! It felt good, but was hard to concentrate on the lotus position, the breathing...and the pain that I was feeling in my legs and back!

You see we must concentrate on our breathing so the chi can flow through our bodies. If we are feeling any discomfort, it is because there is a blockage in our chi. So, I need to keep working until that discomfort is gone!

Our instructor told us the discomfort is normal, and with practice it will go away. SO...I have fully committed myself to practicing Chan Meditation. It started tonight when I got home. Right now I can stand only about 10 minutes of it, but I will get to at least 30 - that is my goal. I will also be able to sit Full Lotus before I leave! SO...Day 2 of meditation down, and I think I love it!

As I start to get settled in my daily routine, I am seeing opportunities where I can build in my running, my Chinese, and maybe a little meditation!

Monday, September 5, 2011

I moved to Taiwan to be...an EDUTAINER?

It seems that is how it is going to be!

I get an email saying that feedback from the students for our first two classes was generally good. However, the dean talked to the 7th graders, and he said -- and I quote "The students would like an easier, more lively, more fun environment for learning." Hmmm...don't we all!

Really?? So at first I got mad. Then I got defensive... So I had two classes and they weren't anything fun to write home about (well for the kids at least).

But...I swear I am a fun teacher!

In my defensive phase, these are the excuses I came up with:
1) Umm...I have 55 kids in one classroom.
2) They barely speak English and I don't speak any Chinese.
3) The school MAKES me teach from a certain book.
4) I can't be creative with only 50 minutes when 20 minutes of that is lost in translation!
and the list just goes on...

I let this sit in my mind for about 6 hours, and then I realized I have a choice. I can stay defensive and not use this feedback constructively OR I can go back to the drawing board and re-evaluate my teaching in the ESL classroom.

And so...here I am at 11 pm figuring out my next move (or attempting to). I did not move my life half way across the globe to stand in front of a class and have them think I was boring. I did not come here to take the easy way out. I came here to grow as both a person and an educator. I came here to challenge myself...so that is what I am going to do.

I did some research and read a lot about having to be an EDUTAINER when teaching in Asia.
Like my students, many kids already have an English class where they learn proper grammar and punctuation. Then, they also have an ESL class...which is usually taught by a native speaker.

At first I think: They get the English already...so why am I here?

I am here to add depth to that knowledge. You can imagine the difference of learning just the mechanics of the language versus learning the language through speaking, writing, listening, and reading activities. Cultural exchange...or something.

EDUTAINMENT. It is 50% education and 50% entertainment. Apparently, this is what I have to do. So, I will be teaching, singing, acting out, playing games...and use trial and error to see what works best for my students. Out of my comfort zone? Yes...but isn't that what I came here for?

I am currently searching the web and compiling all games that can be used at the end of class into a printout. Then I will have this printed book as a resource both to use and to share. If anyone has anything to share, please do!! I would be grateful!

I try and read blogs of other teacher's experiences when teaching in Asia. It helps me to process my thoughts and doubts, and be confident in other things I do. It motivates me to know that I am not the only one to make these mistakes and that I can learn from others - I just can't give up. I read on another teacher's blog the following:

You can't just fly to Asia and expect to be the best teacher right away. There will be a learning curve but the school that hires you will understand and they will do their best to help you improve and learn.

My school has done their job by providing me with feedback that I can use constructively. Now...I have to do my part, and that is to challenge myself to make my classes more engaging and fun. I have to be creative while still hitting the curriculum (which is something I have always struggled with at home...)

A good teacher is prepared for every class, and knows the material themselves. I am not interested in being a good teacher. I want to be great!

And so...my journey continues.


Sunday, September 4, 2011

Sunday is my new Saturday

I absolutely LOVE Sundays now. I always had mixed feelings about them. I always liked them because they were relaxing. I have these memories of my mom cooking pot roast and the smells filling up the house...maybe a fire going in the fireplace. It was just always a cozy day. BUT...then there always came Sunday night: back to school...and later in life, back to work. Having off every Monday definitely makes that go away! :)

And if my Sunday's are anything like today...they will be filled with markets, dumplings, tasty snacks, 7-11's, and bike-rides right before sunset. What more could I ask for?

I started off my day sleeping in. I know, I know...BUT I stayed out rather late on Friday night (or really Saturday morning) so I needed to really catch up on my sleep! When I got up, I ventured over to the shops near me. It is a great place to find cheap and tasty food. For lunch, I had dumplings (again). Yea, at some point I am going to relax with the dumplings, but I just LOVE them!!

I went to a restaurant that I had gone to before. At most places, they give you a little sheet of paper with Chinese menu and the prices. Some places also have pictures with English words, but some don't. Anyway, I have been trying to memorize what dumpling was, but I couldn't, and I had to ask for the menu. I know how to say dumpling (come on -- that is an important word!!) but I cannot yet read it.

After that I walked around and just had a look at all the things near me. I live about a 4 minute walk from Shida Night Market...which is awesome. During the day most of the stores and shops are open, but every night I have been there: it is PACKED. There are food stalls, sit down restaurants...clothing shops. Pretty much anything you want. I love that I live near there because it is very convenient. Especially the food. You see, most of the one bedroom apartments in Taipei do not have kitchens. It is much easier and cheaper to eat at a market or something. So, every night I venture out and find something to eat - which when you don't know Chinese, is scary, but that is why I can say more foods in Chinese than anything else!!

I then came home to get my bike and decided to scope out a place for me to start my running. I knew there was a park somewhere close to me -- so I followed the map and found it. I rode for about an hour and a half/two hours...and fell in love with this place. It is right along the river and I am so excited that it is so close!!


This bike path went through like 10 parks. And coolest part of everything: there were jumping fish catching some serious air in the river alongside the path! I was blown away by these fish. They just kept jumping!!! High...and all over the place!!

On my way back...


After this, I came home and planned for a little bit. Then I went out and grabbed some dinner. On my way to dinner I snagged a pretty cool picture!


Tomorrow I am attending my first Meditation Class. I will post about it after!!

For now...I am going to continue enjoying my "new Saturday"...

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Can Someone Tell Me What's Going On!?

Today I spent the day trying to figure out what was happening...

You never really understand just how hard it is going to be living in a country when you don't know the language. I definitely knew it wouldn't be easy, and at times would even be a little uncomfortable. I don't think I realized just how much of the time here I would feel that way. I think the only play I don't feel uncomfortable is in my apartment!! But, eventually as I learn more Chinese and I get a little more settled in my new home, I am sure that feeling will lessen.

I went to the Chang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall. First, I went to the memorial. It's all white and has a bit of an octagonal shape, which is meant to go along with the number 8 (which in Asia is often associated with good fortune and abundance.)

One of the coolest things about it are the stairs on the side. Each side has 89 stairs that lead up to the monument. The 89 steps symbolize the age of Chang Kai-Shek when he died.

Inside the hall is a huge bronze monument of Chang Kai-Shek, and right above him are the Chinese characters for Ethics, Democracy, and Science. There are also inscriptions that read: The purpose of life is to improve the general life of humanity and The meaning of life is to create and sustain subsequent lives in the universe. (Looked that up -- obviously I did not read it when I was there).
So, back to me "figuring" things out. At one point, everyone started gathering around these two soldiers. I thought for a minute to ask someone what is going on, but being consumed by my inability to even try Chinese (as if I know it) I decided not to ask. Maybe I can read it somewhere, I thought. Negative...all the signs were in Chinese only. So...I just waited.

Then, I saw that they were doing some type of hourly relieving of the guards. The soldiers marched in and slowly relieved the other ones who stood there for an hour...not moving at all. They were like stone. The soldiers marched off the podiums they were standing on, and marched over to the large statue of Chang Kai-Shek and saluted him. Then the new ones marched over the the podiums and took over.

It was definitely an interesting thing to watch. The soldiers did not move at all, and were so precise with their marching. It was quite amazing.

After this, I walked out to the balcony of the monument hall, and boom...check out this view!

I could hear that there was music playing, and a bunch of people gathered...so I was curious to find out what was going on. There were quite a few things going on. First, I stopped at a biking and skating convention of some sort. I wish I knew exactly what it was, but...I can't. It was kind of cool seeing these guys do some stunts though. So I sat on the steps and watched the competition!

After about an hour of watching this competition, I headed over to the other side of this space, and there were all these little food booths. Again...I have no idea why, or if they are just there every weekend, but it was pretty cool. I did pass stinky tofu...and I almost passed out. I don't know how anyone can eat that!!


I ended up getting some seafood and a fresh lemon drink...all for around 100 NTD, which is about $3. So, I sat on the steps and had my lunch! Quite a nice day!! :)

Nice view, isn't it!?


So, even though I didn't know exactly what was going on today...it sure didn't stop me from enjoying it! Even if I am a little homesick!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Being a Flexible Teacher...Learning to "Just Go With It"


Most people that know me in a professional capacity know that I do not like last minute changes in my schedule. I mean, who does? I have always said that my planning and organizing in the classroom is both a positive and a negative thing. One of the things I have reflected on in the past is my ability to go with the flow in the classroom. That doesn't mean I will ever be unprepared, but maybe just improvise a little more. This is essential when dealing with kids, because let's face it: we never know what they are going to do!!

Today, I had a true test with the idea of flexibility...and I have to say, I think I did well!

My Friday started as usual. In my grade 7 class we learned about pizza and different vocabulary that focused around that. We had fun saying PEET-ZAH over and over again!


In grade 10, we talked about envy and taking things for granted. The kids came up with some really great things. I was feeling pretty good because 1) it was Friday (and I have three day weekends EVERY week!) 2) it was lunchtime and I was hungry and 3) it was sunny and warm! I get to lunch, and my phone rings. It was the English consultant company that I work with. Well, I communicate with my school through them, since no one at the school can speak English. She explains to me that today the schedule has changed. They need me to go to the brand new elementary school to teach a lesson so that the teachers can see an "experienced" teacher working with 1st graders. Ummm....I am a middle school teacher!! FIRST GRADE!??

I froze....I started to hyperventilate. It was 12:30 and they wanted me to go at 1. I had no plans, not to mention that I have no experience with 1st graders!! I thought for a moment. I stopped and took a breath and realized that THIS is why I am here. I am here to experience as much as I can. I am here to challenge myself and see how I handle being thrown into these situations. I am here because I WANT to be. Yes, I could have complained, but instead I took 15 minutes to throw together a lesson on syllables, and 15 minutes to make manipulatives for it.

Ok, so I hitch a ride to this new school, which Er Shin just opened for the elementary kids. I get there, and this building is amazing. It is BRAND new. I walk in and see these mini-people and they are SUCH cuties. Oh my goodness were they adorable!! I set up my lesson and started teaching.

I had them read a poem about transportation, and I focused on words like train, plane, bus, and trolley. I then circled these words and clapped them out. I asked the kids what was different between the four words, and they realized that trolley had two claps, and the others only had one. YES!! I said...and so our activity started.

I set up three boxes on a table in front of the classroom. I wrote a sign on each: 1, 2, and 3. I gave each kid a little slip of paper and told them that was for them to earn stamps, and if they participated, they would get a stamp. I had big flash cards of pictures on them: like bus, sun, umbrella, balloon, etc. I held the first few cards up, and then asked them how many claps each picture had. This hit not only the new concept of syllables, but reviewed their English vocabulary. Then, I handed out the cards to some of the kids who were sitting quietly and raising their hands, and they were able to come up and place the card in the right box indicating how many syllables it had. Each kid that did that got a stamp!

They rocked it!! Not to say this was all a perfect lesson...I definitely would have done some things differently, but I was VERY proud of myself for not freaking out and losing it in a panic. Sometimes, it is good to pat ourselves on the back!

I think sometimes teachers need to trust their ability to come up with an idea and execute it effectively. However, with that being said I definitely believe in preparing for each lesson for each class. There is no one lesson that works for every class.

So, I guess I am happy to say that I have already started working on something that I have always wanted to work on since I started teaching: my teaching improvisation/flexibility!

I have survived my first week teaching in Taiwan...and I have to say I LOVE it!

That's all for now!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Faceplant!

I always used to say that nap time needed to be re-instituted into the school schedule. I would have killed for a nap during the day for the past 7 years while I was teaching. Finally, my chance has come.

At Er Shin, there is a nap time from 12:30 - 1:00. If you walk around the campus, you will see every classroom full of students with their heads resting on their desks. No one is talking...no one is up...it is amazing. If you continue on towards the offices, you will see the same thing. It is kind of eerie looking actually. It looks like someone set off a chemical in the air and everyone just fainted at their desks! I call this time at the school "Faceplanting", because literally everyone just stops what they are doing and -- down they go...

A nap is very common in mainland China and Taiwan, after a midday meal. It is called wujiao (午覺). Wujiao is a time when all lights are out and one is not allowed to do anything other than rest or sleep...or as I call it - faceplant.


This is the guy who works in the photo copy room. His job is to make photo copies. (For 5,000 students!) He is taking a mid-day faceplant!

It actually made me think more about the schedules these kids have to adhere to. It is a lot for them, so I think they absolutely deserve a little siesta. These kids start classes bright and early at 7am. They have 50 minute periods, and 10 minute breaks. Even if they have a double block, there is a 10 minute break from the new hour until 10 minutes past. So, for example: I have my 7th grade class from 9:10-10:00. They have a break from 10:00 - 10:10. Then they will have Math from 10:10-11:00 --- a break from 11:00 to 11:10 with another period of Math from 11:10 to 12:00.

During the breaks, the kids can go to the store located on campus to get snacks or drinks. They can also take a quick walk through one of the gardens, OR they can take a nap. You would not believe how many kids take naps every 50 minutes. Truth be told, I would, too. They have such a long day. Could you imagine going to school and sitting in a classroom from 7am to 7pm? (Actually, I teach an advanced English class on Friday nights from 7-9...so sometimes their schedule is past 7! In addition to that, most of the kids go to English Cram schools, where they receive additional instruction in English...AND they usually go to school on Saturdays, with a small number attending on Sundays as well.

So, in a culture where there is an extremely rigourous schedule and a lot of stress placed on academic achievement, I think these kids deserve their chance to nap! Who knows...maybe I will even be faceplanting from 12:30 to 1:00!