June 22, 2006
Our first full day in Wenshan. We met for breakfast. I ATE DEEP FRIED GRUBS. Kind of like over done french fries. One was enough!
Today the team split into its parts. One part went to local villages to survey the water situation. Scott, Fred and Ray are in that group. They were about an hour out of Wenshan, so they stayed out all day. They surveyed soil conditions and began formulating a plan for getting water to the towns.
The second group began their training on water sanitation here at the hotel. Allison, Jimmy, Kim, and Rosemary are in that group. They are working with representatives from several surrounding villages, training them in water sanitation skills. Allison said the group was VERY engaged in the learning. For many this is their first time in a city for any extended time. It is quite a luxury for them.
The third group is the "English Team." Our work is to go into the local school classrooms and "teach" English to the students. This group included Shane, Josh, Kaitlin, Lauren, Sudy, Art, Rob, Todd, and me. We also had Kathleen from CMA to host and translate.
The school is a very nice school in Wenshan proper. The local official (Mr. Yang, our government connection) has a son who goes to that school. It is a middle school (7 - 9th grade). The night before we worked on a lesson with some basic vocabulary and teaching them the song "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes." We had a blast. Sudy, Art and I were in a group and taught five different classes. Each class has about 50 students. Between all of us we probably conneted with about 750 children and their teachers. The children are very well behaved and so excited to have Americans in their rooms helping them with their English. Each class period we saved time for questions and answers. They were most interested in how they could work on making their English better.
The students have a break from 11:00 AM until 2:30 PM for lunch and rest. We did the same, meeting back at the hotel for lunch, then observing some of the sanitation training. Back at the school, all of us were in a room observing a teacher teach an English lesson. Afterward, we met with that teacher, several other teachers, the head teacher, and the principal. They asked us for suggetions to improve the teaching. Wow! They are very interested in making their teaching better. The teacher did and excellent job. There was little to suggest.
We taught in another room. Then the best part of the day...
Earlier, we were asked to do some outdoor games with the children. Being middle school students made it easy to think of playing against them in baseball or basketball. Our boys (Josh, Shane, Rob, Todd, and Art) were ready for an easy game of basketball with the 12 - 14 year old middle school boys. We walked down past a beautiful soccer field/stadium that belonged to the high school. We got to the basketball courts only to find the HIGH SCHOOL boys TEAM of twelve practicing. Their coach running them through the drills. There was a score table and referees! Our guys started to pale. Though tough enough, our team was older, limited - with no substitute players, playing at about 4500 feet, no practice, no playbook, or coach. They played a full four quarter game (about an hour) and, yes...they held their own. At one point, Art scored a basket to tie the game at 44 to 44. But age took its toll and Team Big Bear/Temecula lost to Team Wenshan 56 to 50. The comraderee (sp?) was wonderful. Lots of applause and cheers (and laughs). Our boys done us good!! Most all of the students from the Middle and High Schools were there to watch. The court was lined with kids. A good time was had by all. Lots of red faces and sweat and smiles!!! Congrats Team Big Bear/Temecula!
At the school earlier that day, they asked us to develop another lesson to teach in the classrooms for the next day. They wanted it in English, but also about American culture. Our team met at the hotel that night and developed a lesson about American holidays.
After the meeting, most of us walked to Dicos Restaurant. It is an American style, fast-food place with chicken sandwiches, sodas, and soft serve ice cream. Yum!!!
Some went bowling afterward. I went back to the hotel to write up the lesson plan. I thought I wasn't going to have to do that until I start up school again in August!
Good night!
Today the team split into its parts. One part went to local villages to survey the water situation. Scott, Fred and Ray are in that group. They were about an hour out of Wenshan, so they stayed out all day. They surveyed soil conditions and began formulating a plan for getting water to the towns.
The second group began their training on water sanitation here at the hotel. Allison, Jimmy, Kim, and Rosemary are in that group. They are working with representatives from several surrounding villages, training them in water sanitation skills. Allison said the group was VERY engaged in the learning. For many this is their first time in a city for any extended time. It is quite a luxury for them.
The third group is the "English Team." Our work is to go into the local school classrooms and "teach" English to the students. This group included Shane, Josh, Kaitlin, Lauren, Sudy, Art, Rob, Todd, and me. We also had Kathleen from CMA to host and translate.
The school is a very nice school in Wenshan proper. The local official (Mr. Yang, our government connection) has a son who goes to that school. It is a middle school (7 - 9th grade). The night before we worked on a lesson with some basic vocabulary and teaching them the song "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes." We had a blast. Sudy, Art and I were in a group and taught five different classes. Each class has about 50 students. Between all of us we probably conneted with about 750 children and their teachers. The children are very well behaved and so excited to have Americans in their rooms helping them with their English. Each class period we saved time for questions and answers. They were most interested in how they could work on making their English better.
The students have a break from 11:00 AM until 2:30 PM for lunch and rest. We did the same, meeting back at the hotel for lunch, then observing some of the sanitation training. Back at the school, all of us were in a room observing a teacher teach an English lesson. Afterward, we met with that teacher, several other teachers, the head teacher, and the principal. They asked us for suggetions to improve the teaching. Wow! They are very interested in making their teaching better. The teacher did and excellent job. There was little to suggest.
We taught in another room. Then the best part of the day...
Earlier, we were asked to do some outdoor games with the children. Being middle school students made it easy to think of playing against them in baseball or basketball. Our boys (Josh, Shane, Rob, Todd, and Art) were ready for an easy game of basketball with the 12 - 14 year old middle school boys. We walked down past a beautiful soccer field/stadium that belonged to the high school. We got to the basketball courts only to find the HIGH SCHOOL boys TEAM of twelve practicing. Their coach running them through the drills. There was a score table and referees! Our guys started to pale. Though tough enough, our team was older, limited - with no substitute players, playing at about 4500 feet, no practice, no playbook, or coach. They played a full four quarter game (about an hour) and, yes...they held their own. At one point, Art scored a basket to tie the game at 44 to 44. But age took its toll and Team Big Bear/Temecula lost to Team Wenshan 56 to 50. The comraderee (sp?) was wonderful. Lots of applause and cheers (and laughs). Our boys done us good!! Most all of the students from the Middle and High Schools were there to watch. The court was lined with kids. A good time was had by all. Lots of red faces and sweat and smiles!!! Congrats Team Big Bear/Temecula!
At the school earlier that day, they asked us to develop another lesson to teach in the classrooms for the next day. They wanted it in English, but also about American culture. Our team met at the hotel that night and developed a lesson about American holidays.
After the meeting, most of us walked to Dicos Restaurant. It is an American style, fast-food place with chicken sandwiches, sodas, and soft serve ice cream. Yum!!!
Some went bowling afterward. I went back to the hotel to write up the lesson plan. I thought I wasn't going to have to do that until I start up school again in August!
Good night!
posted by Brian Adams | 11:23 PM
2 Comments:
brian, thanks for all the updates. i am eating it up! i am praying for all of you and so excited about all of the work you all are doing there. what a wonderful opportunity. i wish i was with you all. give my love to my dad. very proud of you all!
derek
praying for the grubs, that they would escape before the deep frying.
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