Before coming to China, I did not think of myself as becoming involved in higher education, or the field of education in general. However, three weeks in and over a dozen TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) sessions thus far, I have begun to realize the role of an educator, amongst other roles, is what I have taken on. Through the instruction of current Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff, I have been learning different methods and how best to teach English at the tertiary (university) level here in China. We began with learning different methods of teaching, the components that go into a lesson, and overall how to plan for a semester. Three weeks may seem short; however, a lot can be packed into twenty-one days. Now, going into weeks four and five, all of us trainees will begin what has been titled “Practicum.” Each of us has been put into either pairs or groups of three to teach groups of approximately twenty students, ranging all the way from high school to graduate students. Classes will be Monday through Friday, ninety minutes of instruction each day, with a ten-minute class break at the midway point. The first and last day of classes will be co-taught, while the remaining eight days of instruction are split depending on how each group decides.
For my group, we have decided to focus our two weeks on the theme of “Career Readiness” and I will be teaching independently on three of the eight days where there is a sole teacher. The process of lesson planning I have found is both enjoyable and exhausting. It is enjoyable because I can create something from scratch, inserting activities, language skills, and content throughout the lesson. However, it is also exhausting because I need to be able to come up with back-up plans and plan for different scenarios, not currently knowing what level of English my students will be coming in at. Even though it can be exhausting, overall it is fun. Creating a lesson plan beforehand helps set clear guidelines for me to follow when I am in the classroom and I can execute my plan, pivoting when needed. Executing a plan, as much as I enjoy the planning process, has always been my favorite step to do when putting on an event. I cannot wait to begin teaching and getting to know my students. Fingers crossed!
Outside of the trainings and preparing to teach for two weeks, at the end of week two we moved out of the hotel and divided into four separate training sites at different universities/ centers. At each respective site we were then paired with a host family who we will be living with for the next six weeks. The host family experience has been great because I have been able to speak Mandarin more often, eat authentic family type dishes, and live as I will be living come August/ September at site. Moreover, I have enjoyed seeing a new part of Chengdu as my training site is further from the center of city. Everyday I walk from my host family’s apartment to the university where we train, and it has been great seeing the everyday lives of locals in the morning and early evenings. There is also a lake nearby where I run during the evenings or go for walks with my host parents.
As I continue to take on the identity of an educator and learn more about Chinese language and culture, I also grow in strength to the identity of who I was before coming to China. Being further away from home and the familiarity of life that I had in the United States, I have begun to find an appreciation for everything I once had in my daily life. I will continue to reflect on this point in further writings, but until then wish me luck as I take on my first day of Practicum and assume the role of a university teacher.
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