This is always the question that is most asked whenever I am off to somewhere new. It's a question I don't mind answering initially, but somewhere between the fifteenth or thirtieth time answering my enthusiasm dwindles.
Tomorrow I fly to Shanghai, China to begin my final teaching placement for a B.Ed from Acadia University. The China practicum was one of my selling points for coming to Acadia and will mark the end (for now) of 21 years of formal education. We will be teaching for 16 weeks, primarily English language education. I will be traveling with 6 of my classmates and have been told that I will be teaching Upper Elementary.
I am not nervous about teaching elementary or within the Chinese system, instead I am eager to begin teaching and anxious to get there. I am waiting for the nerves to hit me when I land - I'm looking forward to that flood of exhaustion and anticipation that rolls over when you realize that there is no turning back now.
While I will only be gone for four months, there are many things I hope to accomplish. I hope to immerse myself in the local culture, by eating everything that is placed in front of me and by respecting my Chinese colleagues. I am going to practice (see: learn from scratch) my Mandarin as much as possible and explore as much of the city as I can. I am going to explore China to the best of my ability and availability, and work to see a side of cultural China that many tourists don't see - whatever that may be.
During some point over the next four months, I (and my fellow classmates) will be walking 10km along the Great Wall of China to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. As a group, we have already raised over $3000 - a mere $2500 over our intended goal. If you are interested in donating, click here.
Throughout this entire ordeal I am going to have to finish applying for jobs. Daddy needs to make some moolah in September to begin the long financial road back to $0. Fiscal responsibility, feel the action!!! If you have full-time teaching prospects, please send me an e-mail.
Yes, I am excited. I hope you are too.
1.
Tomorrow I fly to Shanghai, China to begin my final teaching placement for a B.Ed from Acadia University. The China practicum was one of my selling points for coming to Acadia and will mark the end (for now) of 21 years of formal education. We will be teaching for 16 weeks, primarily English language education. I will be traveling with 6 of my classmates and have been told that I will be teaching Upper Elementary.
I am not nervous about teaching elementary or within the Chinese system, instead I am eager to begin teaching and anxious to get there. I am waiting for the nerves to hit me when I land - I'm looking forward to that flood of exhaustion and anticipation that rolls over when you realize that there is no turning back now.
While I will only be gone for four months, there are many things I hope to accomplish. I hope to immerse myself in the local culture, by eating everything that is placed in front of me and by respecting my Chinese colleagues. I am going to practice (see: learn from scratch) my Mandarin as much as possible and explore as much of the city as I can. I am going to explore China to the best of my ability and availability, and work to see a side of cultural China that many tourists don't see - whatever that may be.
During some point over the next four months, I (and my fellow classmates) will be walking 10km along the Great Wall of China to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. As a group, we have already raised over $3000 - a mere $2500 over our intended goal. If you are interested in donating, click here.
Throughout this entire ordeal I am going to have to finish applying for jobs. Daddy needs to make some moolah in September to begin the long financial road back to $0. Fiscal responsibility, feel the action!!! If you have full-time teaching prospects, please send me an e-mail.
Yes, I am excited. I hope you are too.
1.