During my teacher ed program, my instructors always joked about awkward silences that occur in classrooms when teachers don't get a response from students. I think that no teacher has experienced truly awkward silence unless he or she has taught a class of Chinese students in China. Kids here refuse to voluntarily answer questions, resulting in me having to call on students randomly (which I absolutely hate doing). Here, every class, I'm begging for responses. Hopefully things get better once the kids are used to it. I also eliminated my rule of hand-raising since they never do anyway. When I ask them to do it, they'd rather not talk. It's surprising that things like this slip in the Chinese education system although it is overall so much stricter than the Western way of things.
Today is my second day of teaching, and I would not use the word "great" or even "good" to describe it. I am so under-preprared because of last-minute teaching assignments, and I am still struggling to get the kids talking when i want them to, and shutting up when I'm talking. Hopefully, next week, things will be running smoother and will flow better.
I want to upload pictures, but the school internet is too ridiculously slow. Sorry!
aww, hedy, i wish i can switch assignments with you! i am teaching tiny little grade 7s lol
ReplyDeletedon't worry about under-prepared...i was only one day ahead of my students when i was doing my practicum anyway :P
Teaching Oral English in Hong Kong is difficult too. In some of my classes here, kids in form 3 just star at me. I have to almost beg them to nod or give me some non-verbal response.
ReplyDeleteHope things in Wuhan are well!