We had the honor today of meeting with an English teacher and Mr. Li, the retired headmaster of Normal School #2 in Beijing, the Middle School attached to the most famous teachers college in the country. They showed us around their beautiful, modern campus (which included an observatory and an Olympic pool!) Mr. Li was the principal of Normal School #2 when Yutong, Ellie's family's
Chinese exchange student from when she was four, attended the school
in the early 80's. The school has a partnership with The Sidwell
Friends School in Washington DC, which Ellie and her sisters attended
and where her mother taught. Yutong lived with the Terry family for a year, and
met Mr. Li twenty-two years ago. It was really special to reconnect
on his campus and for him to show us the tree that was donated by Sidwell
Friends. Yesterday, we spent the morning with Yutong's parents and
her English-speaking cousin and neighbor, everyone gushed over the
prestige of Normal School #2!!
in the early 80's. The school has a partnership with The Sidwell
Friends School in Washington DC, which Ellie and her sisters attended
and where her mother taught. Yutong lived with the Terry family for a year, and
met Mr. Li twenty-two years ago. It was really special to reconnect
on his campus and for him to show us the tree that was donated by Sidwell
Friends. Yesterday, we spent the morning with Yutong's parents and
her English-speaking cousin and neighbor, everyone gushed over the
prestige of Normal School #2!!
When we asked the English teacher, Linda, one of our standard
questions, which was "How did you become a teacher?" she looked at us
and we knew we were about to hear a long complicated story. When she was 10, her
parents were sent to "camp" during the Cultural Revolution because
they were intellectuals. So we asked what she did when
they were sent away and she said she lived by herself (and her pet
chicken). She happened to befriend an English teacher and by the time
she was 17, she was teaching English to 1st graders. She eventually
went to college and became an English teacher to high schoolers, which
questions, which was "How did you become a teacher?" she looked at us
and we knew we were about to hear a long complicated story. When she was 10, her
parents were sent to "camp" during the Cultural Revolution because
they were intellectuals. So we asked what she did when
they were sent away and she said she lived by herself (and her pet
chicken). She happened to befriend an English teacher and by the time
she was 17, she was teaching English to 1st graders. She eventually
went to college and became an English teacher to high schoolers, which
is what she has been for the past 30 some-odd years. Twenty years
ago, she spent a year as a public high school Chinese language teacher
in Olympia, Washington and has since created a teacher exchange
program there! As we have found with most teachers, she is energetic,
ago, she spent a year as a public high school Chinese language teacher
in Olympia, Washington and has since created a teacher exchange
program there! As we have found with most teachers, she is energetic,
thoughtful, reflective and loves what she does. This school seems to
have a lot of the same amenities as a strong private high school in
have a lot of the same amenities as a strong private high school in
the U.S. Students seem to be encouraged to express themselves
creatively through the arts and projects - - and Linda explained that
this school is much more progressive about their instruction -- moving
away from rote memorization and towards discussion and
discovery-based learning.
Ariel, Ellie's friend from Wesleyan, accompanied us on the tour. She
is working as a journalist for China Daily -- an English language
newspaper in Beijing. So look out for an article about us on
newstands across China!
creatively through the arts and projects - - and Linda explained that
this school is much more progressive about their instruction -- moving
away from rote memorization and towards discussion and
discovery-based learning.
Ariel, Ellie's friend from Wesleyan, accompanied us on the tour. She
is working as a journalist for China Daily -- an English language
newspaper in Beijing. So look out for an article about us on
newstands across China!
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