Anshan School Visits

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  Anshan, Liaoning, China
Thursday, April 24, 2008

Our day started as usual at 7:00 am. Yue met me in the hotel lobby for breakfast. My breakfast has fallen into a pattern: fried rice, several bean dishes, dumplings filled with vegetables, coffee and juice. Lihua joined us after breakfast. We departed for Anshan, to No. 51 Middle School. First, we attended an English class. This was a bit of a squeeze for the seven of us, since the room already held 70 students. The English teacher started by holding up photographs and asking the students, "What do you see?" The students responded by raising their hands, being called on and standing to give the answer.  "I see rubbish." "I see clear water." After numerous responses, it became plain that the lesson was to be about the environment. The teacher wrote on the board: "Chapter 9. Make our world more beautiful." The students listened to a tape and were to write responses in their workbooks. Individual students gave responses about how to make the world more beautiful. One girl said, "I can ask my father to stop smoking because it's bad for his health and it pollutes the air." The teacher divided the room into four teams, using rows to form the teams. "Team 1, you are to write slogans about ways a middle school students can help the environment. Team 2, you are to write slogans about how to make the school better. Team 3, create slogans about how to make a cleaner China. Team 4, your slogans should be about a green Olympics." The teacher then selected two student volunteers from each team. These students collected responses and wrote them on the board. I am still impressed by the presentation skills of the students. Each student leader gave an opening statement about their topics. One leader asked the class, "Who can tell me what the first slogan says?" Another student invited the class to read the slogan together. They acted as poised as an adult teacher.  At the end of the class, the teacher had the students read chorally from a 3x4 ft black board she lifted. (No overhead projectors here). "World Forest Day, March 21, World Water Day, March 22" and so on. The lesson was nicely organized: an opening activity, partner work, work in teams, choral response, individual response. The only difficulty I saw was that the teacher couldn't check on every students because of the crowded room. Two boys in the back of the room did absolutely no work.They were attentive but it appeared they may not have understood the scratchy tape. Perhaps they will make up what they didn't do later in a tutoring session.

At the end of the lesson, the American principals took the front of the room to answer questions. Most questions were about American education. The class ended with students giving each of us gifts. I received a beautiful scroll from a girl named Cherry. Her note said she and her grandfather had painted it.

At our next school, Anshan Oriental School, we observed morning exercises. The activity was similar to what we had seen before: students standing in rows by class, led in a marching routine by a student. This was a little different because one part of the routine had kung-fu moves. One of the PE teachers had taught the moves to the students. The morning exercises are similar to a mid-morning recess. After another series of classes, students are dismissed for a two hour lunch, and the halls and classrooms are quiet. They may go home for lunch, work with teachers for special help, eat in the dining hall, or go to their dormitory room if they board. Classes resume about 2:00 until 5:00. The Chinese educators were surprised that our students go straight through with only a 30 minute lunch break.

Lunch was the traditional "hot pot." Each person has a pot of boiling broth in a pot heated by a flame, and then selects food to boil in the broth. I have to admit I was a little squeamish when the live shrimp were brought out. But I do love shrimp so into the hot pot they went.

In the afternoon we toured the Jade Buddha Park. The Jade Buddha, over 200 tons, was carved out of a single boulder of Jade. It was a beautiful day to walk the park, but soon we left for Anshan Iron and Steel High School.

This school showed us athletic talents of students. We watched a 3 match boys' volleyball game, a gymnastic demonstration and hip-hop. The students are remarkably talented ninth graders. The volleyball team won the Liaoning province championship.

Each evening on of the Chinese principals hosts the groups. Tonight we went to a restaurant that featured a lamb barbecued on a spit. Dishes of stomach, foot, and gizzards were served. Later the interpreter said it was a goat. Whatever it was, it was very tough. Toasts were poignant because it was our last dinner together.

We begin the trip home tomorrow. We will stay in Shenyang one day and then fly from Beijing on Sunday.

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Volleyball Game

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