Typical Day in the Life of Fei

Typical Day in the Life of Fei

(I’m writing this to avoid writing my Teach NY essays).

Wednesday:

Well, first I don’t hear the rooster that lives in the building next to mine anymore. So, no more 4 am wake up calls. Someone must have made some yummy Gong bao ji ding (Kung Pao Chicken).

9:15-9:30: Drag myself out of bed because chances are I didn't sleep well or at all the night before. So, let me be realistic…

9:45: Get out of bed for real this time. Make coffee/tea. Brush my teeth. Find clothes to wear (which, lately, are the clothes I wore the previous day). Maybe comb my hair. Maybe.

10:00: We have a school “jingle” that goes off many times throughout the day.

1^st jingle: Start walking/running to class or you’re going to be late.

2^nd jingle: Class has begun.

3^rd jingle: Beginning of break (15 minutes)-

4^th jingle: Break is over. Most annoying jingle ever.

5^th jingle: Class is over.

These jingles go on all day-every day. Even on Sundays. Even in the summer when there is no class.

10:10-11:50: Extensive Reading course with freshman. I’m starting to really enjoy this course and this particular class that I teach on Wednesdays. They are the most vocal and interested out of the two reading courses I teach. I rarely finish teaching my whole lesson because my students have insightful things to say. My favorite part when inquiring how they know the answers to my questions is when they say, “Well, in chapter 5, it says…” I am always floored.

11:50-2:15: This is when China pretty much is the busiest and then the quietest. Or, at least, it is on my campus. Students and faculty rush home or to the canteen to get food. The lines are ridiculously long and people just want to get in and out so they can take a nap.  This is when I usually see grandmothers outside with their grandchildren. All the grandmothers know me and I find immense joy in stopping to say hello even if it means I’ll be late to class. This is also when I decide, “Am I really hungry?” Usually the answer is ‘No, not that hungry.’ And, then I knock out for about 2 hours.

2:15: Rush to get out of the door because I have class again. Say hello to babies and grandmothers again. Run down or up the big hill near my house to get to class. That hill set the foundation for the muscles I now have in my legs and booty! Yay to unintentional exercise.

2:20-4:00: Speech and Debate. Lately, I have been disliking teaching this course because it’s not like teaching “Speaking/Oral English,” so I can’t necessarily use all the same material from my Oral English class. This is about a specific technique and I haven’t had the time to hard-core lesson plan. This will and must happen!

4:00-6:30: This is the biggest break I have in my day before my last class. During this time, I usually check in with my co-teacher who translates my lesson plans and reading material. She is such a hard worker and we make a great team. After I get everything I need, I triple check my lesson plans, make copies for my class, and gather any other materials I may need to teach. I make dinner and eat early! Before heading to class I always go to the convenient store to buy a little snack (yogurt, gum, piece of chocolate), which literally is located downstairs in my apartment building. This is where I spend most of my Peace Corps stipend.

7:00-8:40: American Women’s Studies and Gender Equality. Great, small class! My co-teacher and I have a better dynamic than we did last semester. Last semester teaching this course was a lot of trial and error, but was a success in the end! So, we are doing it together again and it’s been great so far.

8:40-9:15: Talk to students and my co-teacher reflecting on the lesson we did, answer any questions they may have, or just catch-up on our day. I also say hi to the neighborhood families as they take their evening strolls on campus. Play with babies/kids outside.

9:15-10:00: Make sure I am prepared to teach tomorrow. Check my e-mail/fbook/buzzfeed, eat yogurt because I am hungry again.

12:00am: Bed!