I remembered last Friday, Luke asked us to upload our essay on the blog and shared with others in the camp. Maybe this is a memorial for my learning experience. So I'd like to share it with more friends. It's a little bit strange for foreign teachers about some Chines expression like : a key high school, a contract teacher ... ect. Maybe they are just Chinese features. But I have fun with talking with our American trainers.
Jobs for living or For Fun
By Sunny Susan
In 1993, I graduated from a normal university. I was so lucky to be a teacher in one key high school in my hometown. I was so happy to support myself in the economy and live not far away from my parents.
I worked in the key high school for ten years. During the ten years, I taught lots of students and also had good relationships with some students. Nevertheless, I always felt pressure from society and students’ parents—like most of the teachers. I seldom found fun in my career. I always heard the words: One who works in one career will hate the career. Many people around me worked just for a living, not for fun. But I still worked hard and lived my life like others did.
In 2004, I came to Zhuhai because of my husband’s job transport. My husband’s career worked out very well, but mine didn’t. I had to look for a job. I just worked as a contract teacher in one middle school in Zhuhai and earned only one third of a formal teacher’s income. In the coming three years, I suffered a lot from the failure to pass recruitment exams for teachers in Zhuhai. In 2008, I passed the teacher’s recruitment exam. I became a formal teacher again in one primary school in Zhuhai. I didn’t really like to be a formal teacher in primary school, but I cherished my current job very much because I didn’t need to worry about hunting for jobs in the coming year. Like many Chinese, I felt lucky to find stable work again. Still I didn’t find the fun in teaching, especially teaching students in low grades.
However, I switched my opinion about jobs after I participated in the training program of the summer camp in Doumen. I see our American trainers’ passion and efforts to make their work go very well. As a trainee, I feel fun and I am motivated by their lessons, free talk, and casual talk at lunchtime. I feel they have a good team and always make their work practical. Each member involves himself/herself in his/her job. Each of them has his own characteristics. No one only wants to stand out. They always have good schedules each day. So they work efficiently. They look like a happy family and do their job very well. Their attitude to their work gives me a very deep impression. Of course all of my American teachers are friendly and helpful.
I come to realize that I can do my work like them in the future. I can make my students enjoy my lessons like I enjoy my American trainers’ lessons and free talk. I will try out different games and methods to prepare for my lessons. I’d like to have a spoken English lesson at least once a week as Valerie suggests. I’ll like to share my treasure teaching objects with my colleagues like Susie’s and Valerie’s treasure suitcases, which contain lots of useful teaching objects. I’ll try to write some English songs with popular music, which students are familiar with. I think songs or stories can make my lessons attractive and interesting. I’ll create more activities for my students to use their multiple intelligences in class and make sure all the students in different levels to participate in my classroom activities. I’ll let them draw, sing, speak and do TPR in the lesson. Next term, I would like to set up an English corner for the students to pratice their spoken English like the free talk in this camp. This training program in the summer camp of Doumen gives me much inspiration. It makes Chinese English teachers more creative and lets us think over what we should do before our lesson. I believe if I keep doing as I mentione above later, I’ll find more fun in my work not just pressure, tiredness or complaint.
I believe if one likes her job, she will find more fun and enjoy her job. For the students, they will be motivated and influenced by the teacher’s optimistic attitude. For me , I believe if one is open-minded and keeps learning in her life, her life will not be busy, but fun.
