Experience in GLC2O/CHV2O: Planning 10 (1st Year Teacher Status)

I arrive to China-just graduated, said hello to the family in the summer, travelled to Costa Rica, finally dropped everything and moved on out to China. No idea what this is going to be like, where I am going to be living or what to expect.

I mean, ya, there are projections, what to expect-no toilets, dirty streets, bad health care?; what I am teaching-english...11 or 12? where I am going to live-teacher dorms, a concrete shell? But how many of those things ever really end up being what you thought? In worst cases, everything is exactly as you imagined. However, fortunately for me, its been best cases all around so far.

This is a back dated post but the ideas are very much the same. I am teaching BC (British Columbia, Canada) Curriculum in Dalian, LiaoNing  China at a school for students who are interested in going abroad.

After a year I saw a lot, did a lot and learned the most I think I have ever learned in my life. I guess, it goes without saying...my first "real" international experience was obviously going to be a make or break experience. Aside from finding the love of my life and meeting some of the most amazing people, there wasn't that much else that made me want to stay in this school particularly.

The school offers quite a bit for the number of teachers that are able to teach these things. I had a friend who was a social studies teacher by training and ended up teaching IT and Math here. I am teaching Foods and English 10 right now. Needless to say, I am loving it. I can do without certain annoyances and unexpected responsibilities but that comes with anywhere you work.

Planning 10 has been interesting as it has provided a chance to teach more down to earth and practical aspects of life, everything from personal hygiene to budgeting an university application. The course discusses aspects of sexual education as well. This is very interesting to because Ontario has been discussing the new sexual education curriculum that has come out which is (needless to say) very important to the education of students in a growing world.

I look forward to Planning 10 again possibly. It almost gives me feeling of fatherhood training. Who knows what a teacher could do with such a range of learning objectives!

All in all, I am giving a shout out to teachers back home, Getting into a teaching gig as a substitute is great but having a classroom that is nothing but laughs and practical learning-that is much more rewarding for me.

Cheers!

CB