Cloudy in Beijing Blogging about my time in China

I’m a tape player II

One thing that’s missing with my students: backpacks.

Not too many of my students wear them. Instead, they usually carry their lone textbook in their hands. It’s strange to see so many unencumbered backs on campus. I, however, still lumber around with the habit I’ve had all my life, and carry a backpack whenever I’m heading to class.

“Why do you carry such a big bag?” a few students have asked me.

One other thing that’s often missing with my students: note taking. I rarely see students who come in my class with an actual notebook. Some don’t even bring pens or pencils. A few students bring nothing, not even their textbooks. Today, one student walked in, with only his cellphone in hand.

“Why don’t you take notes?” I mumble to myself as I teach a class.

To compensate, I’ve ended up handing each student a blank piece of paper. “Write this word down” I’ll say while I teach.

This week, I’ve been giving my students a listening test, a request made from another teacher at the school. Basically, this requires me to press play on the computer, sit for a few minutes, and then explain the answers.

I feel terrible giving them the test, and ironically, I feel stressed over having to do pretty much nothing.

Today, I recognized a new face in my class, a student who had likely skipped so much I had forgotten him. As I gave the test, I saw him play with his cellphone. He then later laid his forehead down on the desk and slept.

I saw all this and didn’t care. It happens and I figure there’s no need for me to make a big issue out of it. But I wonder if that makes me a bad teacher for not doing anything about it. I've stopped giving homework, seeing that no students do it, and how I really don't have much of grade to give them once this semester ends. Maybe I'm just being sympathetic.

When I started my one class today, a few boy students said “???” which means “watch movie.” I rolled my eyes; they do this from time to time.

But it occurred to me, that while I’ve been with these students for almost eight months now, they still choose not to say this simple phrase in English. Will they ever use English to say this?

Eventually I do show them a movie once we take our ten minute break. On the school's computer I find a romantic comedy called The Perfect Man.

"Yes, this one," my students seem to look at me as I ask if they want to see it. I play it. Soon I find my students, who are mainly all boys, quickly brace on their headphones and watch. Somehow, Hillary Duff, one the the movie's actresses, has captivated them.