It was so interesting heading to school on the second day in Wuhan. We all traveled there in different ways, but the sights were eye-opening. There were many people sitting outside little open garages, and after a second you realized that was their home. Many were shops with a little living area in the back, while others were just the single room. People were sitting outside cooking, eating breakfast and brushing their teeth at the curb. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles
and walkers streamed in every direction. There was not much order to how people got around—lines on the street were ignored and everyone would just enter the road or intersection, expecting others to slow down or move over.
It was so nerve-wracking! Many children were on the back of bicycles or motorbikes—sometimes even both parents and their child would be on the same motorbike! One funny sight was a little girl, riding on the back of her father’s
bicycle, eating breakfast from a bowl with chopsticks!
Once at school, we all met together in the meeting room. It was a relief for us to be together again and be able to speak English and share our experiences from the night before. We waited a little while before it was time for the “Opening Ceremony” as we liked to call it, and the morning exercises. The students left their classrooms and were gathered around the courtyard to watch the first performance. Students in costume put on a dance routine for us, and apparently the group has won many awards and competitions! Then all the
students streamed onto the courtyard and got into their normal lines, completely filling the courtyard. We were escorted to the front of the group where a little stage was. Two students gave a speech (in English and Chinese) about their partnership with Wyoming. We then were presented with framed paper-cutting artwork by the students who created them. We also received red scarves to wear around our necks as a sign of friendship (all the children wore these, and we saw them in other schools as well—the government must require them). After the presentation, we moved to the side and watched their daily morning exercises. These exercises are the same in all schools across China—the entire student population meets in the courtyard in the morning for an exercise routine, as a voice over the loudspeaker speaks directions and counts through the series. Each class has a student leader who leads the class in the exercises. After the exercises, there was one more performance for us—rubber band dancing! This group was made up of only girls, also in costume, and they performed a routine with elastic bands that could connect and be made very large for intricate jumping routines. This was also an award-winning group.
After all the students returned to their classrooms, we went into a special classroom set up like an auditorium with desks grouped together in the front.
We watched an English lesson with 5th graders. It was a great lesson to watch because it was all in English, and we could understand it! We got to interact with the students because they were working on interviewing and introducing people to others. After the English class, we took a tour of the school to see the different classrooms and students at work. They had a library, music room and art room just as we do, but they also had a room for dance, as dance is an important part of Chinese culture. We had a meeting with the teachers of the school to ask many questions about Chinese Education and teaching. They asked us some questions as well. We had lunch following the meeting, and because we had had so many adventurous foods the day before, they had ordered us Pizza Hut to make us feel at home. We presented Principal Li with the Wyoming teddy bear from Mrs. Hill and the book Wyoming Second Graders made about American culture.
We headed to another school after lunch, SanDaojie Primary School. The school was an experimental school of Technology that had just been remodeled a year ago. It was beautiful and very high-tech. We met with administration and teachers from the school and then went on a tour run by students. Each student was wearing a headset and had a prepared speech to talk about various highlights of the school. We were very surprised and impressed to see such new technology at a school in China!
After leaving the school, we met up with our hosts and went home for the evening. We had varied activities in the evening, including going out to dinner, cooking dinner with host families, playing Mah Jong and going for walks around town.
and walkers streamed in every direction. There was not much order to how people got around—lines on the street were ignored and everyone would just enter the road or intersection, expecting others to slow down or move over.
It was so nerve-wracking! Many children were on the back of bicycles or motorbikes—sometimes even both parents and their child would be on the same motorbike! One funny sight was a little girl, riding on the back of her father’s
bicycle, eating breakfast from a bowl with chopsticks!
Once at school, we all met together in the meeting room. It was a relief for us to be together again and be able to speak English and share our experiences from the night before. We waited a little while before it was time for the “Opening Ceremony” as we liked to call it, and the morning exercises. The students left their classrooms and were gathered around the courtyard to watch the first performance. Students in costume put on a dance routine for us, and apparently the group has won many awards and competitions! Then all the
students streamed onto the courtyard and got into their normal lines, completely filling the courtyard. We were escorted to the front of the group where a little stage was. Two students gave a speech (in English and Chinese) about their partnership with Wyoming. We then were presented with framed paper-cutting artwork by the students who created them. We also received red scarves to wear around our necks as a sign of friendship (all the children wore these, and we saw them in other schools as well—the government must require them). After the presentation, we moved to the side and watched their daily morning exercises. These exercises are the same in all schools across China—the entire student population meets in the courtyard in the morning for an exercise routine, as a voice over the loudspeaker speaks directions and counts through the series. Each class has a student leader who leads the class in the exercises. After the exercises, there was one more performance for us—rubber band dancing! This group was made up of only girls, also in costume, and they performed a routine with elastic bands that could connect and be made very large for intricate jumping routines. This was also an award-winning group.
After all the students returned to their classrooms, we went into a special classroom set up like an auditorium with desks grouped together in the front.
We watched an English lesson with 5th graders. It was a great lesson to watch because it was all in English, and we could understand it! We got to interact with the students because they were working on interviewing and introducing people to others. After the English class, we took a tour of the school to see the different classrooms and students at work. They had a library, music room and art room just as we do, but they also had a room for dance, as dance is an important part of Chinese culture. We had a meeting with the teachers of the school to ask many questions about Chinese Education and teaching. They asked us some questions as well. We had lunch following the meeting, and because we had had so many adventurous foods the day before, they had ordered us Pizza Hut to make us feel at home. We presented Principal Li with the Wyoming teddy bear from Mrs. Hill and the book Wyoming Second Graders made about American culture.
We headed to another school after lunch, SanDaojie Primary School. The school was an experimental school of Technology that had just been remodeled a year ago. It was beautiful and very high-tech. We met with administration and teachers from the school and then went on a tour run by students. Each student was wearing a headset and had a prepared speech to talk about various highlights of the school. We were very surprised and impressed to see such new technology at a school in China!
After leaving the school, we met up with our hosts and went home for the evening. We had varied activities in the evening, including going out to dinner, cooking dinner with host families, playing Mah Jong and going for walks around town.