I taught my first class

I taught my first class on Thursday.  The students are English majors but can read better than they can speak.  I had a lesson plan but it did not go as well as I had thought, so I was scrambling to find something that would work.  I think I will use the Pictionary/telephone game that we played at our house the last night all the Chinese students were in  Peoria.  I hope that works.  I know the students would like to play a game.  I also think since they are going to try and be Chinese language teachers to foreign students, I will try and get them to do a teaching exercise.  I may try and get them to teach me how to read a character.  Ask them to write a character on the board and explain the writing steps, the strokes, the tones and what it means.  I think I will start with food.  Everyone likes food.  That way I can better learn what to order at the cafeteria.  I have to do something to get them to talk or make them talk.  This way they can use notes and write on the board.  I will probably do a demonstration of how I would do it and hope they can develop their own teaching style.  I was talking to the people who run the program and when they asked me how my first class went, I said, "it was different."  They both laughed and said to do my best.  I sure will try.
I sat in on the advanced Chinese language class today. I think this class will really help me.  I had forgotten a lot of stuff over the last one and half years but it is starting to come back to me, especially since I am studying more now.  I hope to improve.
They do have a good energy management system here.  They don't turn on the heat and you just wear a coat.  The classroom for the Literature and Art was cold especially after you sit for an hour.  At least the classroom I had to teach in was warmer.  The one thing about being here is how nice the people are.  They smile and offer to help you.  But things take so long to do and most of that is due to the communication problems.  It took about 15 minutes to get the service staff to open a student's room when he had locked his key inside.  She was very helpful but it just took longer.

Saturday we go the International store and can shop for stuff we can buy at home.  That will be interesting. Maybe I can get pop tarts. Actually I am going to get some more of the yogurt pouches that Danling bought for me.  They are very good and I am going to put them on oatmeal.  Thats right I am going to eat oatmeal for breakfast.  Now I will see about posting my College ID.