This One Is For Liz

Summer has arrived in Beijing! Everyday the sun shines (even through the smog!), the cherry trees blossom bright pink and then turn to green within a few hours...a place that once looked like black and white Pleasantville now looks like the height of a great renaissance! It's a wonderful time to live in Beijing! Supposedly the weather is magical for a few weeks, and then the epic sandstorms hit and we are covered in dust and dirt for about a month, and then the heat wave washes over us and we claw our way toward the airport to get the heck outta China. Supposedly...

This is the first time I have ever taught classes everyday through the winter season and then transitioned into Spring, and I have to admit; it feels like a rebirth in the classroom. Students shed layers, and wear the coolest converse shoes and brighter clothes, we laugh more, and listen to music in class while we work, there is less complaints about quizzes and late assignments, I give them more independence and raise my expectations to which they meet without hesitation--it's just the greatest feeling for everyone. We have midterm exams next week and the their Canadian High School diploma mock-exam the week after, so everyone is wound tightly in periods 1, and 4 (at least this is what I have observed-the one after lunch is a killer because their brains are buzzing from cramming too much information into their brains while sipping litres of prune juice and eating dried fish snacks). This is why I was not surprised at what happened first period today-my class 11-4 was working really well, finishing a written assignment before the weekend, I noticed a bit of quiet commotion at the back of the room and so asked what was going on. "An insect."

"Gross," I responded, "I want to see-what kind?" They couldn't think of the name, but it didn't matter, I took one look and panicked-it looked like a cockroach to me! Naturally I lifted my leg dramatically and they screamed, 'Nooooooooo!!!" It was too late, I crunched that sucker insect before it could pray for forgiveness. The class was silent. I turned and looked at them, realizing that I might have made a huge cultural mistake-but how? They eat bugs on sticks all the time!!! They eat baby birds! "Well--it was an insect! It could carry diseases and it could hurt you!! I had to kill it to protect you!" They started murmuring to each other, and staring at me, some staring in disbelief at the smooshed bug on the floor. "Teacher, it smells." "Huh?" I've had the most discusting cold for a week now, so I haven't been able to smell anything for a week (which is great because I can use the toilet at the school without gagging-result!), "That bug, it smells when you kill it. It smells bad." "Oh. Sorry guys. I can't smell it because I'm sick." Then the bell rang. "Well, Have a good day and weekend, everyone! Sorry..." And I left them with that putrid stink and the smooshed insect on the floor.

I had two great "teacher moments" this week that I have to write about because I'm scared that if I don't I won't remember them for next time--plus, I like to brag! One of my students, we'll call him Peter, is so smart-he loves facts about wars and countries-he talks a mile a minute and no one understands him, I just adore Peter. However, as with most brilliant people, he is an absolute mess of a boy. His desk always looks like a horder's dream house, he is never working on what I give him whenever I walk by him, he hands nothing in on time, and never seems to know what is going on. Like-this kid is a mess. Even his glasses are so smudged I can't look at them. I gave up on trying to organize Peter into a successful human in November; now, I just choose to accomodate him and play "baby-sitter" only for really important things. The students had to give me a persuasive speech after school this week, they had to book an appointment and I even gave them 2 library periods to get ready. But when Peter didn't show up on Monday, I reminded him. No show Tuesday also. By Wednesday I was at wits end. I stalked into the library to find him reading Forbes Magazine (what??!!), "Peter you missed you speech again today." He gave another weak excuse. I explained that this is the third time and I've lost patience. He asked if he could do it right now. Yes. He asked what topic he should speak about. I explained that he was to pick the topic last week and do research, I am not looking for an impromptu speech, Peter. (How dare you waste my time-I'm a busy woman on beautiful afternoons, I like to eat meat off sticks down the street, don't you know?!) I repeated the assignment instructions for him and he said he would be ready tomorrow for sure. I wanted to walk away and just leave it, but I was annoyed, there has to be some consequence for this behaviour. "Peter, this can't keep happening. You rarely hand assignments in, you never know what the assignment is, you have missed your speech time three days in a row now--I am having a hard time respecting you as my student right now. I need you to think of some kind of consequence for yourself and your actions. I am not going to punish you, or suggest a consequence for you, you are going to think of one and tell me what that will be tomorrow. Okay?" He tells me he will be better, he promises, but I stand firm-the child must put lotion on his skin. So the next day rolls around and he gives me his speech, it's not bad, scattered, but not bad at all. He also informs me that he will punish his actions by asking me to take three marks off his total grade for this assignment (Impressive!), and in the future, he wants to bring his calander to me and ask me to write deadlines on the calender dates for him, and furthermore, can I please make him come in after school for a "make up class" if he is late with an assignment?

As he was saying all this, I was pretty sure the heaven's opened up. I don't know where he got this performance from, but I was melting.

The next great moment this week was when I decided to give some recognition to my improving students by giving them a little EL Improvement Award in class, wagonwheels for everyone, and an encouraging letter home to the award winner's parents. Well, **Chris really struggled in term 1, and 2. I mean, that kid was on every hit list-he did nothing, he talked non stop, he was getting suspended for spoking, and sneaking "outside food" into campus over the wall at the back, he had zero regard for EL class and he was a scrapper. But Chris also had this sense of humour that would come out, and this is why I still thought he was gold even when I wanted to throttle him in class. He'd make me laugh when I was angry and it just about killed me every time. Chris hadn't passed EL in term 1 and 2, but somewhere along this term, I began noticingthat Chris was handing in assignments, they were finished and pretty decent for 11-11 standard. He was working with **Paul a lot and together they were becoming a force to be reckoned with in my class-they even had Helen on edge sometimes! But Chris is still a fighter, so he was still catching hell from for touching people, I made him sit on his hands for 5 minutes one day! What is this--1919?? Chris' attitude has changed too, he is helpful and funny--earlier this week when **James asked if I like "SM" (Thanks Rhianna and Brittany for that one...) I was shocked and Chris immediately stood and told James to shut up in Chinese, to which I could only answer, "Yes James, shut up."

So Chris got an award this week and a letter home to his folks, he was blown away in class, and blushing like crazy, I saw him reading the letter afterwards and Paul patted him on the back and he just smiled and shook his head. I seriously wanted to cry. It was awesome. It made me think about that Taylor Mali sketch, "What Teacher's Make" and how he says something about calling home during dinner time, and it sounds so sinister, but he just wanted to tell the kid's parents how awesome the kid was, how he was courageous and stood up to a bully in class and they should be proud of him. Well yeah! I know I'm new at this, but it is so rare that as teachers we even think to reward the kids for just working hard that week, finishing their work early, or that we think to contact oparents and say how rad their kid is. I'm excited to integrate this into my teacher-lifestyle in the future. Sigh. I could really go for a hot lunch hot dog and icecream cup right about now.

I just bit my co worker, Jess, lightly on the arm a moment ago. She is so patient.

Anyway, I'm feeling good about the weather, I'm feeling good about eating meat and tofu off of sticks at the BBQ down the street again, I'm feeling good about coming home in a few months, and I'm feeling good about my students and their efforts. I am so lucky. I even applied for a teaching job in Calgary at a charter school, and will continue to apply to every vacancy I come across. Feels good.

This weekend will be a balmy 33 degrees, and I plan to take my denim shorts out for a stroll in a trendy area called Hou Hai, it's on a lake and there are bars on rooftops and cool antique stores and vintage fashions up and down the streets. I'm going to stroll and sip my coffee and snap my camera, and then plant myself on a roof and drink cheap beer for a few hours in the heat. I'm really looking forward to the subway ride home when I am sunburned and tipsy, surrounded by hot, sweaty Beijingers who can't help but stare incessantly at "Whitey with the pale legs in the denium cutoffs." It doesn't get more American than that.

Tell me some fun Spring stories of your own via email, I need some sugah!

exes and ohs

PS Playlist: Adele, 'Rollin' In The Deep' and 'Rumour Has It'
Neon Indian
Theophilus London