Chapter 23: Of Momentary Yielding, Volume II

These last few weeks have been crazy. So busy with school and life and extras (it's getting to be a bit stressful). But one of the coolest parts in these weeks happened yesterday.

We have this program that encourages students to think more deeply about life and truth. They go away for the weekend and open up and share with each other. Even though this event is only for high schoolers (and I teach middle school), I was invited to lead a section of the weekend called The Hootenanny. Really fun.

One of the skits that we did was about a girl who had invited Him to take the wheel (I know, flashes of Carrie Underwood just traveled through all y'all's minds). Even though the girl had originally asked him to come, she kept pushing him out of the driver's seat when something "more exciting" came along.

As I was watching this skit, I felt like a hypocrite. How many times do I take over instead of letting him be in control? 'Far too many' is the answer to that question.

It seems that I am living two different lives: the life that he wants where everything is good and pure and it is easy to do the right thing, and the life of selfish disobedience where I choose to take control of my own life and immediately run it into the ground. But then I remember what I honestly want - to follow him. I abdicate and allow him to rule, only to snatch power back when I see difficulty coming.

Stupid old man within me. Why can't he stay dead?

Chapter 19: Which Reveals the Author's Top Ten List

Top Ten Things I Love About Teaching Middle School in Qingdao

10. View from my classroom: ocean. View from my office: mountains.

9. Taking Chinese lessons (this isn't a middle school thing, but I do still love it!)

8. The students can understand what I'm saying the first go around. I don't have to repeat myself very often.

7. I get to use powerpoints on a daily basis. While this is also a LOT more work, I just enjoy having a tool that helps keep me on track and not running down every single rabbit trail I see.

6. The students are super well behaved. It's just great to see how respectful and hard-working they are while still keeping the fun of being in middle school. It's cool how balanced most of them are.

5. Working with the middle school teachers. They're really great and so dedicated to what they are doing. It's very inspiring to see.

4. My principal. He's awesome and so encouraging. Also, he's Australian so I'm enjoying learning about that culture a bit more.

3. Block periods! I love having so much uninterrupted time to teach and work together.

2. Middle school students laugh when I make a joke. Not sure what this says about my sense of humor.

1. The kids are at an incredibly awesome and slightly awkward stage in life which makes them a lot of fun to be around.

Chapter 15: In Which the Cultural Differences Between East and West Become More Apparent

I have about a million things to post about, but since it's the most important, I'll post about my first week of school. It. Was. Awesome.

I love middle school. I love these students. I love this school. I know it sounds too early for me to be using the "L" word, but I can't really explain my feelings using the word "like." So the slightly over-dramatic "L" word it will have to be.

There are already some fairly large cultural differences between the Eastern-minded and Western-minded students in my classes.
In general, the Eastern-minded students are more reserved. I have had to tell every single class so far that when I ask a yes or no question that is not rhetorical, they should either nod or shake their head. It's something I never really anticipated having to teach to middle-schoolers.
In general, the Western-minded students are a bit more vocal in class and much more responsive to questioning.
Obviously there are exceptions to both generalizations (especially the Eastern generalization), but it's just something I noticed so far. It will be an interesting shift from my last school where students were really responsive to questions, almost to a fault. There's just a lot to get used to.

I am greatly looking forward to this weekend: eating out and games tonight, time to plan lessons, Settlers of Catan, fellowship, and general nonsensicality.