Category: the classroom
Updated on August 4, 2011
Chinese Exam Strategies
This week is the last week of classes, which means I’ve spent about 10 hours observing my students taking exams. Here are my exam-taking cultural observations: If given the opportunity, some students will cheat–no matter how sweet and innocent… Read More
Updated on August 4, 2011
Crunch time
It happens every year. The facts are as follows: The end of the semester always has more grading than any other time of the year. On our team, there are four birthdays between December 15th and January 3rd…. Read More
Updated on August 4, 2011
Thanksgiving Trees
This past week, the freshman and sophomore English majors were informed that each class would be required to hold a “Thanksgiving Party” on Wednesday afternoon. There’s nothing to put you in a festive mood like an order from… Read More
Updated on August 4, 2011
Monochronic vs. Polychronic (and the grocery store)
This past week in our sophomore oral classes, we were discussing the cultural value spectrum on time. We talked about a continuum ranging from extremely monochronic to extremely polychronic. Monochronic refers to those cultures who believe that time… Read More
Updated on August 4, 2011
Party in Prison
Every year, the foreign teachers hold an open house for the freshmen English majors at our apartments. The goal of the open house is to familiarize the students with the teachers and to lay groundwork for relationships. It… Read More
Updated on August 4, 2011
Fortune tellers
This past week in my writing class, I asked students to write on the topic of fortune tellers in their journal. I had several reasons for choosing this topic. First, while I frequently notice fortune tellers sitting on… Read More
Updated on June 1, 2011
Do you see what I see?
Things are right with the world again. Blue skies have returned and it is finally feeling like spring. (Hopefully for good this time.) But I am stuck inside, trying to dig myself out from under piles of papers… Read More
Updated on June 1, 2011
Quotes of the week
“Twilight is like High School Musical for Emo kids.” ~Robb “‘The Graduate’ touched a lot of my root ganglion.” ~Junior student’s movie review. “No paint, No gains” ~ As seen on a student’s t-shirt (On a related side… Read More
Updated on June 1, 2011
All in a day’s work
On my way to class yesterday, I ran into one of my students just as she came out of the bathroom. For some reason, she felt inclined to interject that her stomach hurt and it must be bad… Read More
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