4th floor Faculty Lounge

This is the 4^th Floor Faculty Lounge in Teaching Building 31 on the campus of South China University of Technology.  I am assigned to room 401, just down the hall. There is not much collaboration going on in this lounge or anything else for that matter. Notice the hot water machine on the back wall, most of the staff pass by there before and after classes to get hot water for their tea, but even then, hardly a word is spoken between faculty members.  Nothing on the walls, no soft comfy chairs, no professional periodicals, no magazines or reading materials, nothing on the windows or floor, a very austere-no frills approach to dispensing knowledge and information.

Collaboration, conference and teamwork are not qualities that are valued at this Chinese University.  Most professors teach six or seven classes, many are three or four days a week with 50-60 students in each class.  From my observation is largely lecture with some sort of Power Point presentation.  Students are expected to participate only if they are assigned or called upon to do so, other wise they take notes, memorize their textbooks then regurgitate the information on an exam. Khan Academy or flipped classrooms, student interaction and participation are not regarded as educational experiences merely student entertainment. 

As you can tell from the photo of the lounge, most professors are very serious and their expectations of students is to be respectful of that seriousness

Student Communication Tool

I have discovered a great student communication tool and it is free for teachers.  Check out Classjump.com.  It is easy to use and provides email communication for you to communicate assignments, documents and feedback directly to students.  I have been posting my Power Point presentations as well as assignments and links for students to read before they come to class.  It has eliminated making copies.  The other side is students can also reach you via classjump as well. 

Student Feedback

This week I spent class time focused on working with my students to introduce themselves in a professional western conference, seminar or job/ university application interview.  Chinese students are not used to shaking hands or looking people in the eye.  I stood by my classroom door and greeted each of them with a handshake and eye contact as they entered my room.  We discussed the culture of China and the culture of the West in greeting people.  My Power Point slide covered the six things they would need to do as they introduced themselves to other students. It was a very simple basic presentation and class discussion with overwhelming student feedback. 

Making Introductions

1.  Firm hand shake

2.  Eye contact

3.  Greeting

4.  State your English name

5.  Tell three interesting things about you
6.  Conclusion

This is the letter I received in my email after class.  Pretty amazing!

Dear Professor Anderson,

It is even hard to make a greeting when I started to write this message. I will try to make myself clearly.

First of all, thanks for the wonderful class you brought today. I like the way you smile, the way you introduce your family, and the way you look at us. I think you are right, eyes are the window to one's heart. Maybe that's why I want to share the feeling with you.

English is not only a language for us, our generation.

Most of us started to learn English before we are able to think about why. Foreign language was equals to English before we went into college. It is a little sad, but I am not going to talk about this. The fact is, most of us have learned English more than ten years (or more). We have watched hundreds of movies and TV plays, like Forrest Gump, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Toy Story, Big Bang Theory and so on. Also hundreds of English songs in my music box. I can chat with you about this all night.

These things open a window for us, to another world. Different looks, different language and different culture, but not that strange. I can understand some of the lines, but I can never speak like that. I can watch movies without translated subtitles, but I feel really nervous chatting with an individual who is a native speaker. You know what, when you are speaking English, it seems like a movie star just came out from the screen, stand in front of me!

These things make me curious about the Western countries. I notice their behaviors, the place they live, even the bags they take from the market. I can see it, but I can never touch it. For all these years studying English, it seems like I have been used to the distance between us. Until the "movie star" stands there, looking at me with her beautiful eyes. No, these things are not just a scene out of the widow, not a TV show, they are exist.

I want to say thank you, for all the amazing things you brought. I am sure I will make the trip to the outside world someday.

Your student

Joyce

Spring is here.

Spring has arrived in Guangzhou, China and along with it flowers, fruit and fog. SCUT is popping with activity, 100,000 students have officially arrived back to school.  They have had a long break and seem anxious to get started.  It has been fun to watch the students return and breathe life onto the campus.  One observation we have made as the kids walk by with their supplies is the large 12 roll packages of toilet paper they all carry.  That is something that you would see only in China.  Everyone carries their own toilet paper with them.  The restrooms NEVER have toilet paper so if you need toilet paper you bring your own. BYOTP! Yes, I do carry a roll in my school bag everyday, you never know if you might need toilet paper.  It was nice to know the students had their priorities in the right place notebooks, pencils, pens, textbooks and toilet paper.

I have been buried in lesson plans trying to get a semester plan structured.  We have a perfect schedule this semester.  The University decided that Masters classes would not be scheduled after lunch so all of our classes are in the morning beginning at 8:00 until noon.  Craig has six classes, two each morning on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I have six classes two each morning Tuesday, Wednesday and I teach on the South Campus, about a one-hour bus ride through the city on Thursday.  Our classes are smaller this semester than last, no more 38-student classes. We are looking forward to another great semester.

It feels like we are beginning the end and essentially we are.  This will be our last semester in China. Spring has officially arrived along with the students.  Most days are 75%-100% humidity and the temperature runs from the high 60s to high 70s.  Every morning the street and sidewalks are wet, the humidity keeps everything moist. The first thing I noticed is that it is nearly impossible to get any laundry dry.  Hanging laundry outside just doesn’t seem to get the job done.  I am still working with that issue and how to get laundry dry.  The hot weather is just around the corner we are told.  Spring has cool temperatures and high humidity then summer arrives late March or early April with hot temperatures and high humidity. Everything is lush and green outside but the humidity on my skin is the most noticeable.  I don’t really need any lotion here.

Is that about academics?

August 2013

 Fall Semester 

South China University of Technology

February 2014
 Spring Semester
South China University of Technology

Enough said!