An interesting note about the school set up here is that when it is nice out (dry), students are required to do 20 minutes of exercise. As I write this, 300 Grade 8 and 9 students are running by my office window. A typical day at ChongGu Middle School runs like this:
7:30 – 8: Students are doing studies with their classroom teacher. Usually this is reading English or Chinese aloud. Teachers are eating breakfast and socializing
8-8:20: Students are “marched” out onto the field and sland in lines. They sing the national anthem as the flag is raised and then either run or do exercises (jumping jacks, etc.)
8:20 – 9: Class (this could be politics, Chinese, English with me or their Chinese English teacher, math, science or PE)
9 – 9:10: They have a 10 minute break between every class to either run around or work on homework. Some have assigned duties
9:10 – 9:50: Class
10 – 10:05: Eye exercises. This threw me right off the first time. I showed up to teach my 10:00 class, started talking and this music started. A little-girl Chinese voice starting singing numbers to music that sounds straight out of Mulan and the students start, in unison, rubbing their eyes. Then she starts singing something else and they start rubbing their temples….then their ear lobes….then behind their ears….then their eyes. They do this twice a day and I think (???) it is supposed to soothe them.
10:05 – 10:45: Class
10:55 – 11:35: Class
11:35 – 12:00: Lunch in the cafeteria (they are all served lunch)
12:00 – 12:30: Most do homework or assigned extra work (they are in the classroom doing extra work with their teachers), some can come out and hangout with me at “English Corner” where they can have extra English practise.
12:30 – 1:10: Class
1:20 – 2:00: Class
2:10 – 2:15: Eye exercises
2:15 – 2:55: Class
2:03 – 3:45: Class
3:55 – 4:34: Class
It is also interesting to note that the “smartest” kid in the class is the “class leader” and people openly talk about students with “low IQs”. I don’t think that would fly in Canada!
7:30 – 8: Students are doing studies with their classroom teacher. Usually this is reading English or Chinese aloud. Teachers are eating breakfast and socializing
8-8:20: Students are “marched” out onto the field and sland in lines. They sing the national anthem as the flag is raised and then either run or do exercises (jumping jacks, etc.)
8:20 – 9: Class (this could be politics, Chinese, English with me or their Chinese English teacher, math, science or PE)
9 – 9:10: They have a 10 minute break between every class to either run around or work on homework. Some have assigned duties
9:10 – 9:50: Class
10 – 10:05: Eye exercises. This threw me right off the first time. I showed up to teach my 10:00 class, started talking and this music started. A little-girl Chinese voice starting singing numbers to music that sounds straight out of Mulan and the students start, in unison, rubbing their eyes. Then she starts singing something else and they start rubbing their temples….then their ear lobes….then behind their ears….then their eyes. They do this twice a day and I think (???) it is supposed to soothe them.
10:05 – 10:45: Class
10:55 – 11:35: Class
11:35 – 12:00: Lunch in the cafeteria (they are all served lunch)
12:00 – 12:30: Most do homework or assigned extra work (they are in the classroom doing extra work with their teachers), some can come out and hangout with me at “English Corner” where they can have extra English practise.
12:30 – 1:10: Class
1:20 – 2:00: Class
2:10 – 2:15: Eye exercises
2:15 – 2:55: Class
2:03 – 3:45: Class
3:55 – 4:34: Class
It is also interesting to note that the “smartest” kid in the class is the “class leader” and people openly talk about students with “low IQs”. I don’t think that would fly in Canada!