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2021-12

Inspired by My Fellow Teachers
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Over the course of this semester, I’ve beenlucky to have had the opportunity to observe many Huamei teachers in action. Intheir classes, I’ve been delighted to find a wide array of teaching styles andtactics that keep our students engaged and learning. Seeing their classes givesme confidence that the students I care for are receiving a great education, andalso inspires me to improve as a teacher. Here are a few stories of the coolclasses I’ve seen recently.

 

Mr. Charles Voss, Grade 9 English

Mr. Voss’s class took place just beforelunch on a Friday, a notoriously tough time to keep students’ attention. That’sno problem for Mr. Voss. As soon as the bell rang for class, his booming voicedominated the room, even startling some of the teachers in the room. All of thestudents, however, knew exactly what to expect, as a firm and familial culturewas in place in this classroom.

With each new activity, students gleefullyparticipated. When students were working in groups, they helped one anotherlike brothers and sisters. When they were asked to come write on the board, thestudents even raced one another to grab the chalk – so keen to participate inthe lesson that they turn it into a small competition. Mr. Voss even createshis own nickname for each student which they use in his class. Seeing thisclass reminded me that a class culture can be so much more than just a teacher teachingand students learning. Mr. Voss inspires me to develop better relationshipswith my students, and to help them feel comfortable to learn actively andcreatively.

 

Mr. Jay Chen, Grade 12 Mathematics of DataManagement

One afternoon, Mr. Chen invited my grade 9class and I to attend a very special event that his Grade 12 class was hosting.As the conclusion of a project, Mr. Chen’s students had created games based onprobability. My students were each given a handful of fake money, and theycould “bet” their money however they chose. If they bet wisely enough, theycould exchange their fake money for a real prize. Unbeknownst to my poorstudents, the clever statistics students had rigged each game heavily in theirown favor. Despite the promising-looking odds, my students quickly burnedthrough their fake cash. Clearly the older students had developed a very goodunderstanding of statistics, because even I myself was bamboozled by the games.

The whole time, my students’ minds werebuzzing. Before choosing each game, my students carefully discussed with oneanother which they might have the best chance to win and how they ought toallocate their funds. After winning or losing each time came a small reflectionabout statistics, before strategizing about what to take on next. Finally, thetrue disappointment they felt in the end served as a potent lesson toward theperils of gambling.

Mr. Chen put together a lesson that was nuanced,that showed off his kids’ talent, and that allowed his students to becometeacher and leaders. It was a lesson that brought students together acrossdifferent age groups and curriculums, and had students learning aboutcomplicated concepts from different perspectives. This lesson encouragedstudents to critically think, and required them to learn valuable lessons. If Ican implement just a few of these things into a lesson, I usually go home happywith the good work that I’ve done. With such a cool and complicated project,Mr. Chen inspires me to strive for more.

 

Ms. Maggie Yao, Grade 7 & 8 USAP

It was Friday afternoon after the finalbell, and I was exhausted from a long week of classes, when I noticed some ofmy students heading upstairs for some extra work on their extra-curricular USAPproject with Ms. Yao. I know this project to be particularly rigorous, so Iwanted to see how Ms. Yao was helping them out. I was pleased to find mystudents presenting a PowerPoint about art when I entered the room. Now, thiscontent is far from easy. In English (their second language), my students needto learn about and teach upper-high-school level concepts. But with Ms. Yao bytheir side, the students had confidence to deliver the lesson about line, form,shape, and texture – concepts that I would personally struggle to teach.

What was wonderful here was the confidencethat Ms. Yao inspired within her students. If they slipped up for a moment, Ms.Yao was there to clarify or say “try again.” Next up was the history section,today about the chemical properties of water, Pastoralist cultures, and theNeolithic Revolution. Again, Ms. Yao exuded the confidence of a master,bridging any and all gaps in understanding with simple translations andexplanations. And her energy truly blew me away. Ms. Yao is famous in ourprogram for her hard work, but while I was exhausted on that Friday afternoon,she was hanging on every word the students spoke. With every misstep from thestudents, she jumped in to support them. And during the transitions betweenstudent presentations, her energy dominated the room and brought smiles toeveryone’s face. She was the engine of that class, and she powered her studentsto achieve more. It was truly special to see a teacher with such energy andpassion. Ms. Yao inspires me to work harder and to share more love and energywith my students.

 

Ms. Amy Wu, Grade 7 & 8 (InternationalStudents) Chinese Language and Culture

While working in my office one morning, oneof my international students came by and asked to borrow a water kettle. Inresponse to my confusion, this student explained she was learning about in Ms.Wu’s class. Curious, I decided to help out with this warm-water dilemma andlearn a bit more myself. Upstairs, Ms. Wu kindly invited me into her classroom,where students were sat in a circle, with all sorts of tea-related tools in thecenter and traditional Chinese music playing in the background. If the smile onmy face was hidden, a moment later it became impossible to conceal as two morestudents burst into the classroom in traditional Chinese dresses. This lessonwas so immersive, it was as though we had stepped into a new and special worlddesigned specifically for learning about tea.

All the students were fully captivated aswe touched and smelled different types of tea. Students discussed with oneanother why they preferred the smell of the flower tea to the green tea, andhow the Pu’er tea was so strong. The students were mesmerized by theperformance of the lovely woman presenting tea in the video, doing their bestimpressions when they were pouring tea themselves. Finally, it was time tosample some tea, and the students eagerly tasted, shared opinions, and comparedand contrasted their flavorful experiences.

I was in awe of this lesson. Ms. Wu didn’tsimply have the students learn about tea, she had them deeply interacting withthe concept. The students used the ideas they learned in Ms. Wu’s class to havea true cultural experience. What truly amazed me is how all five senses wereinvolved in this immersive learning experience. Ms. Wu’s students saw videos oftea traditions, heard traditional music, felt Chinese clothes on their bodies,and smelled and tasted different types of tea. It was a truly captivatinglearning experience that required both mind and body. Ms. Wu inspires me to thinkmore creatively about my lessons, and try to get more of my students’ sensesinvolved.

 

 

From just a few small experiences from afraction of our teachers here at Huamei, I’ve learned powerful lessons aboutthe art of education. I feel genuinely moved by the effort and creativity of mycolleagues. We have some truly special teachers here at our school, and everyday they are helping our students learn and grow as young people. Now, I feelthat these same teachers can also help me learn and grow as a teacher. I amtruly inspired by my fellow Huamei teachers, and I intend to use some of thecool things they’ve shown me to become a better teacher myself.



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