Cloudy in Beijing Blogging about my time in China

A student named Melody gave me this little gift yesterday. Along with it, she also included a small note.

"I am writing to express my gratitude for your teaching. Had it not being (sic) for your teaching, we wouldn't have improved so much," she wrote.

I was quite touched upon reading this. From the outset, this whole teaching experiencing has been riddled with doubts and frustrations. Often I wonder, are my students improving?

According to Melody, yes.

There is a funny irony to me being a teacher. Back in the States I was an education reporter for a year, where I covered a school district. And man, was it easy to nitpick and criticize.

But now I’m in the role of the instructor. The flaws are easy to see and write about it. Yet to be the one to actually do the teaching, well, it makes me want to ask: “How the hell do teachers back in America do this?”

I suppose the other funny thing is I’m only 24 and I’m teaching college students. Wasn’t it just a few years ago I was sitting in class studying and doing homework?

I look at this little yellow bunny now, and there is one thing that makes me sad. I hardly know anything about Melody.

“What do you think is the most useful invention?” I recently asked her. The computer she replied.

Those are the generic exchanges I usually have with my students. I wish I could hold classes more often, where I could talk to my students more and get to know them. But under the current conditions Melody is just one face, among the 400 students I teach.

My students are a mystery to me. I have a little over a month left in the semester and yet I feel like I’ve only gotten to know a handful of them. But I guess that’s just how it is. I’m busy and so are they.

"I am extremely grateful for your teaching!” Melody wrote on. “This is a present represent my thanks I hope it can bring you power and happy when you are in trouble."