July 13, 2014
Gentle Readers,
"...If you are planning for a year, sow rice. If you are planning for a decade, plant trees. If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people."
-Chinese Proverb
Today was a lovely day in Guiyang, reminding me of the importance and the value of education. The day began with a breakfast conversation with Bill Richardson, one of the leaders of this Summer Institute Program, about what we can do, as educators, to assist the teachers we will be teaching here in Guiyang. Bill's path follows my own in some ways, as we both devoted over thirty years of our adult lives to the education of young people... and that we both retired at age 55. Bill, too, will always be an English/literature teacher at heart. Bill, as a veteran teacher of the Summer Language Institute, shared many ideas regarding how we can best be of service to the teachers here, including devising ways to help them help their students prepare for the very grueling senior year exams. Teachers here face a great deal of pressure regarding student performance, which we are just beginning to feel in the States based on the focus on Common Core and lockstep assessment.
As the morning progresses, I had a memorable conversation with Dr. LeDong, another founder of the Summer Institute. He told me of his great grandfather's role in establishing the No 1 High School, and how heart-wrenching it was for him when the Ministry of Education decided to raze the school and relocate it to an area outside the capitol city. He talked of the lack of regard for institutional memory, and how that history is now lost forever. There is a plaque in the public square now, though, that honors his great grandfather's role in the education of young people. Dr LeDong is the living path of his great grandfather, devoting his life to education.
Later in the morning, I was able to reunite with Wang Shun, a most kind educator and scholar, who is now in charge of the Kaili site. I met Wang Shun when I was teaching here in China back in 2008, my first experience. Nancy Lubeski and I had been placed in Beijie, which is quite remote and far from the capitol city. I'd been assigned an old Peach Corps apartment, but we quickly discovered that there was no water and no electricity. The start of classes had been delayed due to exams, so Nancy and I decided to venture out on our own and travel to Kaili, the Gateway to the Minority Villages in Guizhou Province. We managed to seek out and secure bus transportation in an area of China where there is little in the way of English road signs. When we arrived, we were paired with Wang Shun, thanks to Bill Richardson. Wang Shun took us under wing and became our guide for the several days we visited Kaili. I remember thinking that Kaili was indeed a place that I could truly live. And there was the Yang Mei wine, which is another story altogether... Anyway, it was good to meet with Wang Shun again after so many years.
A large portion of the day, then, was spent observing and interacting with elementary students at the Oakland Center for Learning. Again, the focus is on creating active engagement with learning, moving away from the lecture model of instruction that so permeates Chinese education.
Dr LeDong treated us to a very special hot pot luncheon, at a beautiful and elegant restaurant. This hot pot was surrounded by several dozen types of meats and numerous vegetables. The broth in which the meats and vegetables were cooked, at table, was extremely spicy. Many of the meats were internal organ parts, which aren't my favorite. By the way, I unknowingly consumed pig's ear which was laden with cilantro... The company at table was absolutely delightful, toasting a wide range of people and ideas. Recalling some of the singing at last night's ceremony, Dr. LeDong asked me to sing again at this luncheon gathering. He wanted to hear Irving Berlin's "It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow" once more. And so I sang. Afterward, I asked one of the women at the table to offer a song, too, as I had heard she was a well-known singer. She graced the table with a folk song about being welcomed guest in Guiyang. Such beauty.
Our evening was very special, too, as the four monitors from our classes back in 2011 arranged to come and visit us. Kathy, Lisa, Penny, and Leon are all superb educators, and we felt honored that they arranged and coordinated their very busy lives to come see us. Much has happened in three years, as Leon, Penny, and Kathy have all taken on marriage partners, and Leon has had a little boy. Kathy is expecting a child. We shared our lives and our stories at an American coffee shop and then proceeded on from there for a noodle dinner. Our laughter apparently reaches levels of loudness that they were unaccustomed to at the restaurant, as we were asked to hush our voices. This surprised me greatly, as Chinese eating establishments are known for their loud and lively conversations that fill the room.
This was a wonderful and memorable day. It is good to have so many beautiful friends here in China...
As your day progresses, I hope you will remember influential educators in your own life. Mine has been shaped by teachers that have significantly and profoundly altered my life...Consider a note of gratitude to educators who have shaped your world.
Namaste,
Marianne/ Bailing
