How it begins

Chinese students are very diffident and shy. They're hard to engage in dialogue. And of course, my idea of teaching isn't listening to myself. I wondered how the students get to be this way.

Yesterday, I observed a third grade classroom. Sixty kids, crammed into a smallish classroom, like little sardines. The teacher wrote new characters on the board, showed them flashcards, asked questions, had them chant in unison, and read aloud separately. She even used Powerpoint. And she held their attention. It was very impressive. Meanwhile, the kids sat up straight on tiny stools. They all faced the teacher attentively. When called on, they sprang to their feet; otherwise they sat almost motionless. No one brushed against a classmate. No one asked to use the restroom. It seemed odd that third graders would sit that still for over an hour, especially when they were that close together.

Later the colleague who had brought me to the school explained what was going on. From age four on, children are taught how to conduct themselves in a classroom, and this includes "training" in how to sit in a classroom. Their hands and feet may only be placed in certain positions The teacher gives hand signals when she wants them to take out books, put them away, or begin writing. Those who resist are isolated, shamed, and severely scolded. The parents support the teachers. It seems rather military, but the kids get a lot of routine work done.

The child in the picture above is about to start school

Thanks to the generosity of my friend Dennis Cope, we have pictures once more on this blog.


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