Getting to Know Our Students Better Through One on One

Day 8, Monday

My students are a delight to teach.

Project Shine English Program is a well organized and carefully planned program. Following the
program curriculum, we were able to do a lot of good English activities with our students.

Spending some one on one time with our students

This week, the teachers started the one on one talk with their students. We divided the class into two groups.  Honbria, my teaching partner and I each took half of the students and talked to each individually for at least 20 minutes.

We tried to get to know and understand the students' families, challenges and issues facing them. We want them to know we care and support them.

The one on one time was a very meaningful experience, it was an eye opening experience for us.

We learned about the tremendous pressure students face in their secondary school career due to the mandatory government examination which all Chinese students have to write in their final school year.

This examination is a do and die event that determines if a student can graduate from secondary school and grant them their admission to certain universities.

My heart went out to the students as I heard about their struggles, challenges and the pressure they have to endure.

Gifts for our students

Before we left for the Guangxi short term mission project, our leader told us that it would be nice if we could bring some gifts or souvenirs for our students. I knew that we needed to do a unit on Christmas so I decided to get our students their very first Christmas gifts.

I brought enough gifts for each individual students in our class but I was not sure who should be getting what.










Honbria offered to help and got some gift bags and other small things for the students.

We spent the evening in my room deciding who should get what and making the gift packages for each of our students. Other team members: Jeannie and Cassandra dropped by and we had so much fun looking at all the gifts.

It was a meaningful exercise looking at our students' needs and their own individual personality so that we could make the gifts appropriate for each of them.

R.T.
Guangxi, China