My school.

     I am currently teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at XiLi Elementary School.  My students are primarily the children of working class parents.  It is my understanding that the children may get to school as early as 7:00 am, and are fed a hot breakfast at school.  Breakfast looks a lot like lunch and dinner.

     I have to admit, it is hard to stare at steamed veggies for breakfast.  I do enjoy the salt roasted quail eggs, but they are hard to peel and not quite worth the effort.  The children are fed in their classrooms.  I did not take any pictures of the classrooms because I did not ask permission to do so.  I will also take a pictures of my fellow teachers when we are all 4 of us in the office at the same time.  We share the office with our two English speaking Chinese teachers who act as our liaison.

     So, my school is about a 15-20 minute walk from my apartment.  When I am running a bit late, I walk to the corner (about 3 blocks) and catch the bus.  The number 66 bus takes me to school in one direction and to the Window of the World Metro stop/shopping mall, in the other direction.  The following pictures are a glimpse at my walk.  The first is the street my school is on.  Next, is the gate I had mentioned in a previous post.  I walk into the courtyard and up to the left.  Our office is on the 3rd floor, and overlooks the school gate.

     The children have a hard time remembering to knock before coming in, and there is one little boy with glasses who must have a massive crush on one of the other teachers because he is constantly poking his head in.  We each have a desk and computer with internet access, but in order to get google, gmail, facebook, etc., you have to have VPN and I wouldn't think to put it on a school computer.  We have a balcony that overlooks the school gate and has a large umbrella for shade.

     It is an outdoor style campus with corridors and overheads connecting the wings and rooms.  If there was a method to their madness in numbering the rooms, I am clueless as to what it might have been.  I get lost going to my classes more often then not.  The kids know to look out for me wandering about and pull me into the correct classroom.

     I teach 14 classes per week that are 40 minutes in length.  I see 10 different classes once a week each, and 2 classes I see twice a week.  Some classes are better behaved than others, but they are ALL wayyyyyyyy more well behaved when the Chinese teachers are present.  I have office hours of 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Mon., Tues., Thurs., and Friday.  On Wednesdays, I belong to City College (the folks that hired me) for training in their downtown offices.  Training is usually at 2:00 pm.  No comment as to the "value" of said training.  I consider it a chance to hit the stores that are not local to me, AND they have an actual coffee shop next door.  Nuff said.

     I almost forgot the best part of my new job and office.