Teaching at First Leap

ello everyone! Sorry that it has taken so long for me to get this out to you; doubly sorry if you've actually been checking this regularly, eagerly awaiting word from me! I've been in China for two weeks now. It has been really interesting. As I've noticed, when you start in on something radically new, time passes simultaneously faster and slower than usual. I'm still not sure how that's possible, but that's how it goes. Time being an artificial construct and all that, I suppose.

 

I've really lucked out. There are a lot of horror stories about people teaching English abroad. Schools taking your passport in order to help with your visa, then holding it hostage so that you're stuck teaching for them. Teachers not being paid on time. Being stuck in classes without adequate materials or preparation time. All sorts of variously horrible and annoying circumstances. I chalk it up partly to my own preparation and partly to luck that I've found myself with First Leap.

 

This has been as close to an ideal situation as I could reasonbly hope for. Two people from my placement agency met me right at the airport and drove me to my temporary housing. I am presently housed with several other new teachers, both Americans. The school is fabulously well-equipped. Every class has an interactive white board, and the entire syllabus is planned out beforehand. You work with a Chinese teacher, in classes of no more than 10 students. Just imagine that ratio. If you know anything about education, you should be surprised. At worst, there is one teacher for every five students. Sometimes the ratio is as high as one to two! It's a dream come true.

 

Well, unfortunately that's all I have time to write for now. I'm still having a bitch of a time figuring out how to access the internet here, so it might be a little while until the next update. Until then - stay thirsty, my friends!