Sunday, June 12, 2005

Homework After College =(

I just graduated from Wheaton College. One would think that after all that hard work I'd be free of the hassles and pain of reading texts and writing essays. Upon arriving home, feeling truimphant and free, I discovered a nice large package waiting for me. Wishful thinking told that it was some goodies to ease me through the next few frantic months of transition. Instead, I recieved several books and papers detailing the intensive orientation process. As I read the cover letter my heart sank and my brain began to hurt again: I discovered that acadamia had followed me home.

In addition to the fundraising and personal preparations I'll have to make, The organization I'm going to China wiith has recently created a new curriculum in collaboration wiith Wheaton College to provide the best training possible for my overseas teaching experience. What this means is that I will be taking a month long set of three intensive courses in Beijing during the month of August before I am shipped off to Wuhu to teach.

These classes will be taught my the Wheaton Grad School Intercultural Studies Department and consist of classes on Asian Culture and Communication (I'd like to think maybe I know a little something about this already eh?), Classroom Dynamics and Practicum, and TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) Methodology. In order to be fresh and ready to learn when I get to Beijing, several homework assignments have been handed me to be completed in the summer. This includes the reading of several books, research on my City and Province, a reading journal, and classroom observations.

Whew... I'm back in College again!! Yikes.. .

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the work (kinda) as it will serve to prepare me well for my calling. Although I've been told I have a good gift for teaching, I don't have any real training or certification and this curriculum with ELIC and Wheaton will add to my academic resume a nice TEFL Certificate to flash to Chinese officials to show how legit I am. It's just that I wanted to chill more than work this summer. I'm sure you understand right?

posted by Unknown @ 2:38 PM