CLASSES: We have completed almost 2 weeks of school now so the students are beginning to establish a routine. Students in my speech class have begun to deliver their first speeches. The second half will deliver their speeches on Thursday. The students are very attentive and prepare well for their presentations. My Monday speech class meets from 10:15am-12:15pm, which is an ideal time during the day. Students are anxious to get to lunch afterwards, but they are generally alert during class. On Thursdays, I teach speech from 3:15-5:15pm, and that is a more challenging time slot. ​
My education class meets for 3 hours (1:15pm-4:15pm) on Tuesdays. It is an excellent mix of students interested in education, psychology, and social justice. During the first class, the Assistant Program Director William Wu joined us and explained the Chinese education system. This gave us a foundational understanding before visiting our first middle school. My class and I enjoyed a wonderful tour of Changning Middle School. The Head of the School and a few teachers prepared a professional presentation for us and we discussed ways that our students could help in the classrooms. We are excited about this experiential learning experience!

DISCOVERING CHINA: Richard and I have enjoyed getting to know our surroundings and going out on local outings. This past week we visited the largest Starbucks in the world which is here in Shanghai, and then we also checked out a local park filled with a marriage market, tai chi demonstrations, a small amusement park for young children, gambling, a jazz ensemble, and more! Additionally, we have walked around the city and found the "Times Square" of China and countless shopping malls. There is definitely always something to see and do here.

STUDENTS: Richard and I are really enjoying getting to know the students. I continue to spend a lot of time advising them with classes and discussing their passions and dreams. We also enjoyed a day trip with a small group of students to Qibao, where we tried Chinese street food and shopping and appreciated the beauty of the bridges and canals. The students are learning how to manage their time effectively and learning how to book their travel plans. The first travel weekend is this weekend and many of us, including me and Richard, will be traveling because it is the national Chinese holiday. The students are learning that they need to get adequate sleep and eat healthy to keep up with the pace of life abroad. Some are getting colds and their bodies are beginning to wear down -- nothing alarming, just regular colds or flus.

We have completed Week 2. Classes have begun! Add/drop period for classes is today so students have been contemplating their majors, their four-year plans, and their college lives. I have spent a lot of time serving as the students' advisor and have enjoyed doing this. They ask great questions, it is an easy way to discover their hopes and dreams, and I am able to get to know each of them personally. What is funny is that I am working here...but it doesn't feel like "work." It is a joy to serve, support, pray with, and love the students, and to share in this Shanghai experience with them. I feel very blessed.

I also began to teach classes again. I have now taught two speech classes and one education class. The speech classes meet for two hours at a time each week, and the education course meets once a week for three hours. I am getting more and more used to the setup in the classrooms. I am grateful to have Richard with me here. He helps me set up the audio in my classroom, makes me breakfast on the days that I teach (and even when I don't teach too), and he supports me in my work so much. I am a very lucky girl!

Just a few thoughts after teaching my first class:

TIME: On our main campus in Malibu, classes usually begin on the hour, but my first class started here at 3:15.  Those extra 15 minutes threw me off a little bit. For one, there was no clock in the classroom, so I had to keep checking my phone for the time or looking for the time on my computer. UGH! I will definitely be asking if a small digital clock can be place at least on the lectern in the classroom. I usually let my students get up to stretch around X:50-X:55, but when I looked at the clock, it was 4:12! I couldn't understand why I had gone so over the hour before we took a break, but THEN I remembered that we started 15 minutes AFTER the hour! AHHHH!

CONVO: The RAs led our first "convo," an abbreviated term for "convocation" which is a weekly assembly for our program. They did a very professional job preparing slides and making announcements for the program. Other student workers (like the food managers, office assistant, communications manager, etc.) were all selected this week as well. Students applied for the positions and interviewed for them. We have an excellent team of student leaders here. 
During the first convo, a local counselor also came to introduce herself and to encourage students to be mindful of their mental health while abroad and invited them to make appointments with her when she visits twice a week at the Jia. Appointments are confidential and covered with our program costs. This is a wonderful service for our students.

​CLASSES: It happened! We started classes. The staff has done an amazing job introducing us to Shanghai and laying down a sold foundation for us to thrive in the program. And now it is time for the professors to teach and the students to study. The students and I all seem to crave the routine that the class schedule will bring and are looking forward to the classes.