teaching and learning together - here and there

English, English, yes, yes, yes

It has been a productive couple of weeks! Here's a little about Krista's trip to the northwest...

We continued our evaluations and training in the Huang Zhong school district, in the northwestern province of Qinghai at the end of March.  More than 60 teachers are in the training program and studying and using the TIP 16 Teacher Attributes training. The teachers are learning more each visit!

students work together to do "point and say"

speaking and listening - happy!

Krista traveled with the trainers and our good friend and lead trainer, Rex, to four schools, including one new school that we had never been to before. At that

lots of students in each class!!

school, the students had fun giving Krista high-fives and saying "hello" and "how are you?" as well as, "I'm fine, thank you" about a million times. It was a fun and blessed trip.

During the visit, teachers studied how to incorporate into their skill-set the final five attributes, including Student-Ability to Self Learn and Community Learning. These more high-thinking level techniques are challenging for the

teachers share and learn together after evaluations

teachers to understand and use, yet the teachers are excited and willing to learn, study and try out the new ideas. Some teachers have helped their students learn how to work by themselves in groups and pairs very effectively. We are proud of them! Their students always enjoy their activities and the learning that goes along.

A third of the teachers gave lessons and received feedback and advice from trainers and peers. All the teachers were confident English speakers (amazing! PTL!) and more and more junior middle school teachers are using active speaking and listening  in their classrooms. We continue to encourage all the teachers to give their students more time to work in pairs and groups on their own and to lead their students to "learn to learn." The students in each classroom were active and excited to talk, do projects and try new things. 

a new middle school - with thousands of students

Here are take-aways that the teachers shared at the end of the training.

Jody, middle school teacher:   "My goal is to try to make students speak more and do more. I am always worried that the students can't do many things alone in class. In fact we have no confidence for them. Also we should encourage them to create something new. If so, they will feel successful and be more interested in studying English."

life in the country

Lily, primary and middle school teacher:  "In   our  class, we  must  believe   Ss  can   study by themselves   and     help   each other. If   we give   more  time   and   chance to them to think and  create, they  can  remember  more   clearer  than  repeat  all the time. They   can  really  know  how to use   in   their life."

Sharon, middle school teacher: "Teachers should make sure every student joins in learning. Some Ss are not as good at speaking, but they can write. Some Ss are not as good at speaking and writing, but they can draw and perform."

Julia, primary school teacher:

practicing listening, speaking and spelling - writing words
on our backs

I have checked the evaluations you sent me. Thank you for your encouraging, your help and your selfless guiding. Although, there must be many teaching challenges for us to overcome, with the help of TIP and you, I believe I can do it. I think I learned something new and useful in TIP.

Vivian, primary school teacher:  "My class has changed a lot. I lead my students to learn and do together by themselves. My class is more active and my students enjoy learning. Thank you for your advice and suggestions."

Jessie, middle school teacher:  "As a teacher, what you want your students to be,  you must be first.  The biggest challenge for me is to change myself to be full of passion and raise Ss' passion through my own passion. Maybe everyone would like English learning!"

of course, we always eat well!

Please continue to lift up their studies, their students and the communities! Please also lift up the program as ESEC, because of financial limitations, will no longer be supporting the teachers in this area. As a result, we will continue to try to do it on our own! God is faithful!