After my Chinese teacher interviewed me, I was inspired to
see what my kids had to say about school, life, and having fun! So, I asked my Facebook friends what they wanted
to know about my kids and let the kids do the talking. Here’s what you wanted to know.
 |
| My 4th grade experts love to clown around. |
How do you get to
school?
Most of my students get to school by car, however a couple
of them walk or take a school bus.
When do you go to
school? When do you go home?
On Monday through Thursday, the kids are in school from 8:20
until 4:15. On Friday, they have half
days so teachers can meet, grade and plan.
 |
| Here's a copy of our schedule. |
What subjects do you
take in school?
In 4th grade, students take Math, Chinese, English,
Science, Art, Music, PE, swimming, and Hobby Corner. Classes are anywhere from 35-90 minutes
long. I see my classes for one hour
twice a week. They don’t take computer
classes in fourth grade, but I believe some computing and programming skills are
taught in the younger grades.
 |
| Kids practice their roller blading skills in PE |
Some people asked if students were involved in clubs. The answer is yes! Every Friday morning from 10:15-11:35 kids
participate in Hobby Corner. Kids participate
in activities such as band, magic club, chorus, doll making, English corner,
math club, Lego robotics, Odyssey of the Mind and much more!
In addition to the activities mentioned above, the kids do
daily marching drills and eye exercises.
 |
| China promotes wellness through mandatory marching exercises in schools. |
 |
| Kids complete eye exercises to prevent Myopia. |
How long do you spend
doing homework each night? Where do you
do your homework?
Most of the kids responded that they do much of their
homework during breaks at school, but they have around an hour worth of
homework per night at home. They told me
their parents sometimes help them with their homework. I have also seen teachers help kids during
their planning period. (Teachers in
China usually only teach one subject at the elementary level, and they have 2-4
classes per day, which leaves them with lots of time for planning, research,
and supporting students.)
 |
| Many times kids will work on homework between classes. |
What does your lunch
look like?
All students in the school eat warm school lunches. These
lunches usually have meat or fish, rice, and veggies. Instead of drinking milk, kids drink
soup. On birthdays, some kids bring in
pizza, wings and cake to celebrate.
 |
| The school also provides breakfast and lunch for teachers to ensure no one goes hungry. |
What do you do on the
weekends?
Most of my students take English, Math and/or Chinese lessons
on the weekend. In Shanghai, the average student spends 25 hours outside of
school in academic classes. Student
performance in elementary school determines where the kiddo will attend middle
school. Kids need to attend good middle
schools in order to be accepted into good high schools. Doing well in a good high school is the only
way kids are accepted into Chinese Universities. I have had first grade parents approach me about tutoring their children so they can get into a good middle school. As you can imagine, there is much pressure
to perform well on exams.
In addition to academic classes many kids also take sports,
arts, and music lessons on the weekend.
What holidays do you
celebrate? What is your favorite
holiday?
Most of my kids’ favorite holiday is Children’s Day. On Children’s Day kids get gifts, eat big meals, and spend the day shopping or playing.
Many kids also mentioned liking Halloween because they trick
or treat at home and at school.
What is your favorite
food? What do you like to eat?
They love western fast food; pizza and fried chicken!
 |
| On birthdays, kids bring in pizza, wings, cake and orange juice. Luckily they invite all of their teachers to join them for lunch! |
Do you have gum in China?
Yes
we do, but many of the kids don’t like it.
Do
you take art classes?
Yep!
They seem to make many things out of foam like clay. They also do many international art projects
around the holidays.
 |
| These two foam penguins were a gift from second grade art class. |
Do you like playing with iPads? What games do you like to play?
They
LOVE playing with iPads. They especially
enjoy playing Minecraft!
Do you like to watch TV? If so what do you like to watch?
Many kids reported watching maybe 30 minutes of TV per
day. With lessons, homework, and other
activities there really isn’t much time.
What music do you
like?
Most kids love Chinese Pop, especially the song Xiao
Pingguo. (Little Apple)
They also love dancing to YMCA.
Why are Chinese kids so well behaved?
From
the time they set foot in the school, kids are taught to respect teachers. Also, Chinese teachers run their classrooms
with a velvet fist. They are strict, but
caring.
You
asked, and they answered. Thanks so much
to everyone who participated in this Q & A session!
