Kids in China...

I have the privilege to work with some of the nicest kids that I have ever encountered both here in China in the classroom and in the U.S. through coaching. The time that I have spent with these kids has neatly illustrated that there are many more similarities between children throughout the world than there are differences. Most kids want attention sometimes and to be left alone others. There are some kids that understand that school is important and, even if they do not exactly appreciate their time there, they are willing to play the game and do the work because they know there will be rewards later on in life...then there are the others, the ones that do not want to be in school and let you know that almost daily. This is much closer to what I was like and I think that the fact I was like this in Middle School and High School has allowed me to relate very well to the kids I have in the classroom.

Classes are going very well, if you ignore the fact that at least a quarter of my 7th grade classes failed their first test. Out of 28 points, the highest class average was 21 with the other being between 13 and 19. As I think is often the case for new teachers, this first test probably taught me more than it taught the kids. I now know that I need to slow down during lecture, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to repeat myself over and over again, I need to...sorry, just practicing for lecture. I also think that I need to have at least 2 different tests for 7th grade, one for the more advanced English classes 7-1 through 7-3 and a second one for 7-4 and 7-5 to account for their lesser experience with English. I am in the process of writing the midterm for my kids and they have been warned that it will be more difficult than the quiz was, so time will tell if they study more for the mid-term or if they continue to blow their classes off. If they do not study for it, I have a hard time really blaming them. These kids are in class from 7:50 in the morning until 9:00 at night with a 2 hour break for lunch and a 1.5 hour break for dinner. This is a long time to be in school, even if it is a boarding school. This includes structured time for homework, but these are middle school kids whose planning skills are not that developed.

This week I had the pleasure to go on a field trip to the Great Wall and the Zoo with my 7th graders. They were very well behaved and nothing bad happened, but it certainly was not because they were supervised. It was kind of mind boggling for me, coming from the terrified of lawsuit United State of America that the administration just let 150 7th graders go free at the Great Wall. There was no worries about kids getting lost, no fear of falling from the wall, no fear of 7th graders getting into things they should not, basically no fear that the kids would be anything other than on their best behavior. These teachers have seen the kids in class, I know they do not really know what best behavior is. That said, to the best of my knowledge they all returned safely to the bus. There was no panic or fear that there were any kids left behind.

This generation of Chinese children are among the most spoiled kids in the world. As China's middle class grows, more and more material possessions are gained and desired by young and old. The fact that China's one child policy is at least somewhat in effect (many people pay a tax to have more kids, especially the rich) it is creating a generation of children that are doted upon by both parents, grandparents on both sides and pretty much have every one of their desires provided by the swarm of guardians that constantly surround these kids. Most do not know what the word no means. Sounding familiar????? It will be very interesting to see what this generation of Chinese kids turn into. Will they become a spoiled group that just wants more money, or will they continue to try to put China at the forefront of the world, politically, socially and economically. There will not be answers to this question for many years, but this will likely influence the way the world is shaped in the next 100 years. There are bits of Chinese culture and mentality that are already changing. I have no idea if this is a good thing, in fact I am pretty sure that it is a bad thing, though by no means an absolute.

Regardless of the outcome of this generation in the last week I have seen kids behave very well with no supervision on the Great Wall, kids showcasing their athletic talent in a city plaza and kids generally being given whatever they want. These may not seem connected but I think that all of these things exemplify the Chinese mentality. There is an expectation to be well behaved most of the time, respectful of Chinese tradition. There is also a growing push to showcase Chinese talent and achievement in every facet of life and finally there is a growing desire for "the good life" in terms of material wealthy. The next generation of Chinese are here and set to continue the epic change that are occurring here. As we get closer and closer to the Olympics those in the West will hear more and more about the changes that have occurred and are occurring in China. I have a feeling that we are at the very beginning of this growth, that China is here to stay and will be the nation to leave the biggest fingerprint on the 21st century. This may be a cliche and overly reported (Time Magazine and other have already made this claim) but I feel lucky that I am here during this time, playing a small role in shaping the minds of the next generation of leaders, hoping that some of my ideas find their way into their heads. This influence may be the closest I get to really shaping major events of this century because the Chinese are coming and are set to shock the world.