Paper, Tests, and Competitions

It's amazing the mischief children can get up to with just paper. Do you remember learning how to fold paper so that when you jerk it downward it makes a loud sound? That day clearly arrived recently for my third graders. There have been students doing it in all my classes. Although mildly annoying, I don't mind it too much the first time. Compared to some of the other things they do, it's pretty easy to control: just take the paper away. It's when I confiscate one and the same student starts with another that I start losing patience.

I'm also losing patience for last minute announcements. Particularly ones that haven't consulted those involved. Last week we were told that the region is giving an English test on January 15th for which we are expected to be present. This comes after discussions between most fellows and their schools about visas and flights that resulted in many of us booking flights for January 4-12. Since I'd be breaking the law if I stayed past January 5th, I won't be here. I plan on giving my students the TFC standardized test the week before and if there's another test, I guess I just won't be there.

Last week I was also told that there would be a teaching competition this week that would involve being observed and videoed like the last time. Then I was told today that we won't be teaching our own classes. All the first-year teachers will be coming to my school to teach a class. I've been assigned sixth grade. Sixth grade music. In Chinese. They even specified the song I'm supposed to teach. It's called "长城长" (Chángchéng cháng, "Long Wall Long", or "The Great Wall is Long") and before Googling it just now I'd never heard it. And I'm supposed to teach it? On Friday?

That might be enough time to learn it myself if I didn't have a full teaching schedule. It's certainly not enough time to learn it well enough to teach it. I've asked my vice-principal if I can teach another song, of my choosing, and she's going to ask the higher ups. Fingers crossed.

Yes, it is Christmas!

I went to Baoshan this weekend for our second Professional Development Conference and I found Christmas lights!

Also cheap Santa hats that I can use as prizes for my students...now just to figure out what the prizes should be for.

Then, when I stopped in Tengchong on the way home there were tinsel-covered Christmas trees in several (high-end) store fronts! One of the bigger stores even had two Santa's in front:

Never before have I been so excited to see Santa.

It's Christmas?

I know that it's December. I've been doing lots of things to make it feel Christmassy: playing Christmas songs (both in music class and in my room), making apple crisp in my rice cooker (I don't have butter for pie), teaching the whole school to say "Merry Christmas", lighting candles in my room even when the power isn't out. But I still found myself taken aback when some of the television shows I've been keeping up with had mentions of Christmas, or decorations, or holiday music. I had this gut reaction: it's not time for Christmas yet!

But, of course, it is. And I would like to do even more here to make it feel like Christmas. I have class on Christmas day (all of my classes, in fact) and would love to do something special...but I'm not sure what.

I could play a Christmas movie...no, I don't have a projector. And 52 kids is way too many to watch from my laptop screen.

I could give them little gifts...but what?

I could put up Christmas lights...but they don't sell them here.

I'm thinking about doing some sort of tree-decorating with paper trees and ornaments...but I'll have to scavenge all the stationary stores for appropriate supplies...and while having some fun is definitely in order, I need to keep it under that crucial chaotic threshold...

Anyway, I'd welcome any suggestions! Happy Advent.