Awesome, Amazing, Adventurous, Class A!

Hi y'all,
We are on a break right now from finishing our first TIP teaching session here in Beijing, China. I had 31 teachers from Shandong Province in my group. I had wondered what it would be like helping adults older than me improve their English speaking ability--many of whom had already been an English teacher anywhere from 10 to 20+ years. Our main goals are in the ABCs. We wanted the students to "Attack your limitations", "Build your confidence" and "Commit yourself" -- all in an English-only environment. Although it may sound like a daunting task, they were very friendly and kind towards me. I taught them new games and activities they could use in the classroom to promote English learning. All in all, it was encouragement that they needed to become more confident in speaking English. It was a wonderful 21-day transformation to see students go from shyness to boldness of speech. Some highlights included watching movies together, performing dramas in the classroom, playing games during PE time and giving a speech. Perhaps one of the most memorable moments for me was when I was asked to participate in the talent show to sing Amazing Grace with my class! Please enjoy that moment with me in the video below.
Peace & Love,
JoJo / George

Session 1 Complete

Mia here. It's amazing how connected I feel to 27 students after 21 days together. Class D became a family. The students went from shyness and feeling uncomfortable with their accommodations, to feeling energized by the English-only environment. A few said that they were even able to dream in English! Toward the end of the session I got a cold, then a weird stomach ache, then another form of chest-cold. I guess my body is finally adjusting to the new environment. Even though I was uncomfortable during the last couple of days, I was honored to hear such thoughtful and heart-felt speeches...one was from a father telling his story of being too strict with his child, and how his own son taught him forgiveness, and that a new kind of father/son relationship can be formed. Another speech highlighted why women should be able to be head teachers more frequently in senior school. I was blown away! Over lunch we discussed similarities and differences in teachers' schedules here and in the U.S. Some of my favorite moments included watching these skillful teachers let loose and play together like teenagers, act out mini-dramas, hearing and helping them fine-tune persuasive speeches, observing their 20 minute English lesson practicums, and seeing each person take risks such as learning to play basketball for the first time or speaking up in class. My class monitor made this video for the last day of class. You'll hear a couple of their favorite English songs: "A little love" and "Yesterday, Once More". They took pics of class time, PE, chatting in the cafeteria, and silly ones from the weekend scavenger hunt.

Here's a group of my students dancing during the talent show: