(1) Wednesday, 4 June:
Class 1: Visit to Shoushan
As Class 2 wouldn't have class on Monday, we won't have an official class on Wednesday (except if you insist), but we'll pay a visit to Shoushan again. It would be required from each student to chat with the teacher for at least one minute about her/his plans for the summer holiday. We can do this early morning at 8pm (start of first class), or even earlier if you want to watch the sunrise. Or we can go late afternoon after the heat of the day (and maybe watch the sunset). Li Xiupeng can tell me what the class has decided.
Some students (females, of course!) suggested rather going to the beach ... I will consider that only on one condition: That the boys of Class 1 give me an undertaking to accompany me to Shoushan on a weekend before the summer holiday as I need some help there for a little task ... You can tell me also on which weekend so that we can secure that date.
Class 2:
Pse take note that you won't have an oral English class on Wednesday as you would have this class on Friday together with Class1. All students from class 2 are being invited to join our little expedition if you are not too lazy that day (we know you don't have class that day!).
(2) Friday, 6 June
a. Goodbyes ...
So, we have reached the time of the year that one foreign teacher in China never looks forward to. And this time 'round it looks like it would indeed be our very last class together ... I therefore just want to thank each and everyone of you for a great time we had together. Yes, there were times that I might have failed you and that I got upset or angry and felt obliged to 'haul you over the coals'/reprimand some of you, but despite that, I know in my heart that I enjoyed every time I'd been with you two classes. Please accept my apologies for failing you at times (especially when I got upset or angry). But I still think this was our best semester together as we have grown closer. Thank you to each of you who had made a contribution to make our classes as pleasant as it was, however small it had been. I have taken note of many such efforts. I really appreciate all of you. And I will never forget you, never.
b. Awards of Appreciation
The categories for this semester would be as follows:
Best role plays: Class 1 and 2
Best actresses and actors: Class 1 and 2 (sorry, no prizes here, only recognition!)
Best result in vocab paper: one student (or shared, if scores are tied)
Best EC comments: Class 1 and 2
Best progress: Class 1 and 2
A few 'special thank you' awards to some students - they would know why ..
c. Movie: Erya 121:
We'll end our classes by watching a truly great movie (trust me for this pse!) with an inspirational message for your life journey. There would be something in for everyone's taste (I hope!) - some action for the boys, a love story for those who like to inspire their dreams, and even a western wedding for the girls! Hope you like it.
P.S.
Xiao Hao/Li Xiupeng, can I ask you guys to please ask Maintenance (does Liao Gongda have some unit like this ..?!) to fix the first entrance door to that classroom (room 121) so that we can properly close that door and watch our movie in peace? I will really appreciate that.
Oh, and while you talk with those guys, please ask them too (I'm being opportunistic now ..!) to replace the defective globe at the light in the passage above the ATM on the first floor of Erya. I often withdraw money there after my evening classes and one can't really see what you're doing without light there (it's been like that for more than ONE year now and no one is doing something about it!); and many students would appreciate that too! Thank you.
Then I end off with my high school motto in Latin:
SOL JUSTITAE ILLUSTRA NOS!
MAY THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS SHINE UPON YOU!
Replies
Dear John，I leave a message to you. It is the reason why I can't go to class tomorrow.Do you see it? @Zakumi
No Nicole, I didn't get a message from you. I only got one from another student. You probably didn't do it correctly. If you want to send messages, go to the person's profile page and click on "Send a message", and write the msg on the new page.
Okay， I know how to send you a message now. I did it in a wrong way. I am sorry about that.
Thank you for the comment, Li Ningning. I am glad to read that you have the intention to improve yourself and gain more confidence. Yes, you shouldn't now relax from English just because you don't have oral classes any longer. If you are not going to use what you have, you will lose what you have gained. So, do yourself the favour and continue the learning process and I assure you, you will never regret that! Remember my words, "English is the key that unlocks the world to the student"! I know it's true! ;-)
Thank you for your comment, He Yang. I am glad if you feel that you have benefited from our classes. You did well enough and I think you improved yourself (I think most students made some progress!). Thank you for trying your best. And if you have experienced some happiness in the classroom despite the teacher's temper, I am even more happy to hear that! ;-)
Thank you for your comment, Li Kaiyu. I am happy to read that you feel so strongly about benefiting from our classes. I know it was (and would always be) my aim to assist my students to improve themselves. If you think that we have together achieved that, then I am glad about that.
Just something about the temper issue ... One doesn't get born with a bad temper (just as one doesn't get born gay); it gets developed over time especially in one's childhood depending on external input into one's life (again, similar to the gay issue). So, because of my upbringing, I believe that I have developed a bad temper. My mother raised me and 2 other siblings (I think you know that my father died when I was 5). She was very strict with us and she had a bad temper herself (as my grandfather - her father - and my uncle, whom both influenced my upbringing). So, guess what ..? I learned as a child that adults have tempers and I cultivated one myself (already had a bad one before I left school!). But it was a lie and it was wrong.
I'm not one who would say, "sorry, I'm born with it, or I got it from my mom or grandfather, or whomever, and I can't change it" - far from that! Let me shock you ... my temper was much, much worse when I was younger (amongst others, it destroyed both my marriages, or it was at least a strong contributor to both marriages failing). I refuse to accept this temper (which I use to call, my "Achilles heel" - my week spot), and I am trying to improve by not allowing that temper to control me. As you have witnessed, I am not always successful, but I can promise you, it would have been much worse had I not really tried in every class to somehow retain my composure in situations in which I would normally lose my temper. I know that I had much more success this year than every year prior to this one. I know I am improving!
So, I told many students (as I am telling you now) that I am sorry about losing my temper too many times (if I lost it ten times, then it was ten times too many). I know that you, as your classmates, have already forgiven me (though I know I didn't deserve that). But, thank you from my heart. You know by now that it was never because I hate my students, but because I couldn't always stop myself in time and handle a difficult situation in a different way (no excuse for that though). You also know by now that I sincerely love my students, despite getting angry at times when with them. It is that love that often bring me to tears especially when having to say goodbye to those I love as it makes me sad (it hurts). But let me assure you that some of my happiest times are also when I am in the classroom with my students! Pity that the temper would be one aspect that students would always remember too, but I guess that's one of the prices one pays for bad behaviour!
Thank you for your kind words. I will dearly miss you and your classmates too. I hope you had a happy ending on Friday ..! ;-)
Thank you for a last great comment, Liu Yi. You have just confirmed again that you were again deserving of the award for the EC comments!
If you read again what I wrote above in this lesson post, you may this time notice that there was an open invitation to Class 2 to walk to Shoushan with us! Last time I have also extended that invitation, but again no one from your class has turned up. So, blame yourself (or the class monitor who didn't take this invitation seriously!) as you could have gone with us! Whether the fear of heights is a good excuse, I'm not so sure about as Shoushan is not a tall mountain (it is just a hill - ask the Tibet-girls)! However, if Rock likes walking up hills (or mountains, in your eyes!), I guess you have to get over it if you have long-term plans with that guy ..! And the best way of getting over such a problem, is to do exactly what your brain tells you to fear (just don't tell your parents as Chinese parents are abnormally protective over their child and they would prevent you from going)! ;-)
I share your concern about the few opportunities they give you here to study English. But of course I can do absolutely nothing about it as foreigners have no say in China's affairs, however well-meant it might be, or however valid and helpful that might be. And here at Liao Gongda many staff members (teaching and admin) don't even know there's a foreigner teaching here. I can notice that in a few ways (but that's not relevant to share now). And another thing that most students do not know, is that English is not really important in China ... They tell you that it is, but they don't mean what they say as the actions speak to the contrary. For certain reasons the government insisted that English be taught at school and universities, but it is my submission (based on my own experience and what I read and heard from other foreign teachers) that, in particular at universities, they (the leaders) are not serious about English. And as I have experienced it, they don't really care about the students and how they are getting prepared for their individual futures; as long as the students just do what they are told to do and don't get too wise about matters beyond (outside of) their studies. So, Liu Yi, the responsibility to continue improving your English rests squarely on your tiny shoulders. Luckily your have Rock who may also be interested not to lose his English skills and you can continue learning English together and motivate each other! ;-)
Haha, you know by now that this teacher has a small heart and that heart can't handle the separation from his students well ...! I really tried hard ... but in vain! However, it was better this time! Yes, we would probably still be walking the same campus for the next two years and can see one another again. But even after that, we can always keep in touch if it is important to us. However, even if my students would start forgetting me ("out of sight, out of mind" ...!), they would always remain in a special place in this heart! :)
Thank you for your reply; I appreciate that. Yes, of course you can always ask me for assistance and if I can help, I would always wherever we are (but I guess you know that!). But about attending the parties of Class 12 ... I am not so sure ...! Do you think they would ban drinking (beer and any other kind of alcohol) from the party if that would be my condition to attend ..?! Haha, I am not sure about that, but neither do I expect that someone would do that to ensure my attendance (I know I am not that important!); I would rather then just politely decline the invitation (though my heart would be with my "old" students)! Hope you would try to understand! ;-)
Thank you for the comment, Li Mengdi. I am happy to read that you are determined to work on your English in future. You are correct that you would lose your hard-earned English skills if you don't remain involved with studying the language in some ways. You would never regret such a decision! And yes, we must keep in touch. You all have my qq number. May you too have a wonderful future ahead of you. :)
Thank you, Zhou Jia, for some perspective from your point of view, and some kind words. I am happy to learn that you feel you have benefited much from our classes. And I agree that most of you made good progress with your speaking skills (though the listening still requires a lot of attention ..)! Yes, we trust for prosperous futures for all! ;-)
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