Teaching -

I passed a major teaching milestone yesterday; I kicked a kid out of my class. It was a surprisingly difficult thing to do. Not because the circumstances were questionable or potentially unfair, she deserved to be chucked out, no, it was difficult because I suddenly realised I have an unhealthy need to be liked by everyone. Even in relationships where it actually makes little difference if you are liked or not, ie Teacher/student.

Naurally of course, if your students like and respect you thats great, but its not the purpose of the relationship, the purpose is learning. So if they learn and they hate you, so be it.

Well, as I found out yesterday, its easier said than done. As I listened to her pleas for clemency, and hollow promises of change, my almost overpowering emotional reaction was to give in and let her off with it, rather than have her and her mates hate me. weird!

I didn't give in, thankfully, and then, interstingly, learned my second great lesson for the day when my other students commended me for kicking her out, and suggested that its about time!

So, I'm left wondering (yet again), who's doing the teaching here? Obviously I provide the English content, but it seems my 14 year old students are providing the life lessons. Who said teenagers don't know anything!

Beijing - a winter wonderland?

Anyone who followed this post last year will know by now that Beijing winters suck. They are cold, long and drier than a mouth full of sao's. However, this year is a little different; it's snowing!
That's right, there is moisture in Beijing, sure it's not in the air, that's still outrageously dry, but it's falling from the sky, and in buckets full. It's now been snowing for about two days... simply amazing! here's the pictures to prove it:

Of course, Beijing winter lasts about 5 months, so two days of snow won't change the overall description; winter here sucks. But at least this time around it has pockets of beauty!