ENGLISH

“Good morning teacher James!”

    I hear these four words every day from all of
my students, and every time they say it I can't help but to smile. I have been teaching kindergarten for the past three months here at Venus and it has been quite an experience. Over the course of my time here so far, my feelings about the job have gone back and forth from one extreme to the other. When I first came to China everything was new and fresh and I was excited, even anxious, to start teaching. It was a completely different type of job than any I had ever had before. I remember thinking to myself “How hard can it be to teach English to kindergarten children?” Now I can look back and say that I was being na?ve. I was unaware of the many challenges that lay ahead of me.

    My demo class for Venus was the first time I had ever been in a classroom, as a teacher, in front of a group of foreign students who did not speak English. Honestly, I didn't know what to do or to say, or even where to begin. I remember feeling very nervous, self-conscious and uncomfortable, perhaps even a little scared. The night before I had come up with a small plan that I wanted to follow, but as soon as I was in front of the children I had trouble remembering it. I thought I was going to panic! Luckily the demo lasted only fifteen minutes, but that fifteen minutes felt like a lifetime to me. After that experience I realized that I was going to need a lot of practice. I would have to learn how to keep myself calm and how to conduct myself as a legitimate teacher. It was a whole new environment for me, with so many new faces and so many children eager to learn. These were going to be my students, and in all they numbered more than 100!

    The Chinese language is a language that I had never studied before I came to China , but I have always had an interest in it. Since I do not speak Chinese fluently, there were many questions that kept arising in my mind. How would I communicate with the children? Would they understand what I was trying to teach them? How would they respond to me? Would I have a Chinese assistant teacher to help me with the language barrier between myself and the children? I was worried that these would be major challenges. I did not want the children to look at me with blank stares while I was trying to teach them English. My major in college was Commercial Art and Graphic Design so I consider myself a creative individual. I would have to find other ways, besides language, to communicate with the children. I realized that simple things like colorful pictures, rhythm, repetition, the tone of my voice, my body language and my facial expressions could all be very effective tools used to convey an idea. As I started to incorporate these into my teaching I noticed that I was becoming more and more comfortable with my teaching ability. I was not as nervous or self-conscious around the children, and I actually started to develop some confidence. There are also many games. These games are fun for the students but also help them to develop a comfort level speaking English and having me as their teacher. The Chinese assistant teachers are also very helpful. They help to explain a lot of things to the children in their native language, which most of the time makes it easier for me to teach them.

   It took me about five or six weeks to finally realize that I can be an effective English teacher. In class I feel more relaxed and my confidence level rises the more and more I teach. I would not say that I am the world's best teacher, but I am learning every day how to become a better one. The children also begin to realize that you will be their English teacher from now on and they start to open up to you. They are intrigued and want to know more about you and the strange language you speak. They want to learn and are eager to show you. This is, to me, one of the greatest rewards, and it gives you a feeling of accomplishment. It may sound like a huge challenge for a 4 or 5 year old to be learning two different languages at school, but they are very intelligent and open-minded. They have the capacity to accomplish this and I am happy that I can be a part of it. Some children actually surprise me because they can learn so quickly. It shows me that I can be good at my job and have a tangible impact on their lives.

   In the end, I think that teaching is what you make it. If you enjoy seeing the children every day and watching them learn and grow then you will be rewarded for all your hard work and effort. They will want to do their best for you. They will want you to teach them more and more. It may be hard in the beginning for a new teacher to get accustomed to teaching, but after a short time you will find what works for you. After you figure this out you will actually enjoy it and enjoy watching the children make progress with you as their teacher. If you always try to do your best and not worry then things will take care of themselves. It's always a challenge and a learning experience, but it has been an invaluable one to me. Coming to China to teach English has been a decision that I will never regret having made. I am happy that I do the job that I do. It wasn't easy for me to say that during the first one or two weeks, but then again that wasn't enough time for me to honestly know how I felt.

                   Venus Kindergarten-----Zhujiang

             中文对照

“早上好， James 老师！”

    每天早上我都会听到我的学生对我这样问好。每当我听到这样的问候，我都会情不自禁的笑出生来。我在启明幼儿园教英语已经三个月了。在这段时间里，我从教学中获得了许多宝贵的经验。与此同时，各种感受像潮水般向我袭来，有初次为教的喜悦；有课程不成功的挫败感；有组织活动的兴奋感；也有奔波于每个课堂的疲惫感。我刚到中国的时候，这里的一切对我来说都是新鲜的。看到的一切都让我感到新奇和兴奋，对于我来说在这里开始我的教师生涯让我既紧张又兴奋。和我做过的工作相比，教幼儿英语是一项与众不同的工作。刚开始的时候我对自己说“这能有什么难的？但是现在我发现，我当初的想法是多么的幼稚。我慢慢意识到，摆在我眼前的工作是多么具有挑战性。

    我在启明的试讲课，是我作为老师的第一节课。坦白说，站在一群不懂英语的中国孩子面前，我有些不知所措！该说些什么？该怎么做？我一下子没了注意。我只记得当时既紧张，有不安，甚至还有一点小小的害怕！试讲的前一天我准备了一个小小的计划，可是当时我已经什么也想不起来了。一种恐惧感向我袭来，幸运的是，试讲只有十五分钟。但是这十五分钟对于当时的我来说简直就像一个世纪。经历了那次试讲，我感受到我有很多东西要学，要做。我要学会如何控制自己的情绪，在课堂上保持冷静。如何是自己能够按部就班有条不紊的进行教学，成为一名合格的教师。在幼儿园教学的工作对于我来说是一个全新的环境，我所面对的都是一张张天真可爱，稚气未脱的笑脸。从他们那里我感受到的是活力和无限的探寻知识的热情。他们都将是我的学生，和我一起开始新的旅程。

    来中国前我从来没有接触过中文，虽然我对于学习中文有很大的兴趣，但是要在中国教小朋友们说英语我心里还是有些打鼓。我要怎么和他们交流呢？我教的英语他们能会说吗 ? 他们能和我互动吗？在我无计可施的时候会有人来帮助我和他们交流吗？所有的这些在我心中形成了一个大大的问号。我有点担心，生怕上课的时候，孩子们会瞪着黑漆漆的大眼睛迷茫的看着我不知所云。我在大学主修的是商业美术和平面设计，我可以寻找一种与众不同的方式和他们交流，因为我是一个富有创造力的人。我发现彩色图片，我说话时的语音、语调，我的肢体动作，面部表情，都可以帮助我的教学，使之生动起来，便于孩子们理解。当我把这些手段运用到教学中去的时候，孩子们也越来越喜欢我的课了，我自己也变得轻松起来，不再像刚开始的时候那样紧张、焦虑慢慢地建立起了信心。在教学中游戏也是必不可少的，孩子们不仅在游戏中感受到快乐，更通过游戏发展了语言的能力。我和他们一起学习，一起游戏他们现在已经接受我成为他们中的一员了。英文助教也给与我很大的帮助，在课堂上他们及时地帮助我和小朋友们交流，使我们的课堂更加流畅，顺利。

    一个多月的教学让我逐渐认识到我能成为一个好老师。在课堂上，我越来越放松，自信心越来越强。也许，我不是世界上最好的老师，但是每天我都在学习，在进步。在启明的点点滴滴会让我慢慢成长起来成为一名最好的教师。孩子们也在这样的过程中慢慢接受我，和我成为朋友。他们的兴趣一点点的被激发出来，总是好奇你在说说什么，不断渴求着新的知识。一旦他们学会，他们会争先恐后的在你面前表现出来。这对于我来说是最好的鼓励，一种成就感油然而生。虽然对于一个 4 、 5 岁的孩子来说，同时学习两种截然不同的语言的的确是很大的挑战。但是孩子们都非常聪明，他们完全有能力完成这个艰巨的挑，他们非常出色。每每教授新的内容，他们学得都很快。这让我也信心十足，因为我发现 我能做好我的工作，为孩子们的美好明天尽我的一份力。

    最后，我想说，教师的工作是一项创造性的工作。如果你喜欢孩子，愿意每天看着孩子们学习、成长。慢慢的你会从中得到一种满足。他们会把最好的一面呈现给你，并且从你那里获取更多的知识。刚开始的时候，对于一个新教师来说也许是最困难的时候。但是，一段时间后你会逐渐的时应你所做的工作。一旦你意识到这一点，看着孩子们由于你的努力而不断成长进步，你也能和他们一样真正享受教学所带来的乐趣。如果你总是尽全力去做好你的工作，事情总会往好的方向发展。虽然困难重重，挑战不断，但是对于我来说都是最宝贵的经验。到中国教英语，我觉得我的决定是正确的。 我非常喜欢我现在的工作，开始的几周的确让我些手足无措，但是我相信在随后的日子里我会越来越好。

                                                  启明珠江幼儿园

                                     James