Get to Know Your Group Leader

Precious Pear

To paraphrase a quote from Mao Tse Tung, "If you want to know the taste of a pear, you must change the pear by eating it yourself. If you want to know the structure of a middle school and high school classroom in China, you must take part in teaching English as a second language in China. All genuine knowledge originates in direct experience."

Front row group leaders

You will recognize the Group Leader in your middle or high school classroom once all the students are seated. He or she sits in the first desk of each row. The number of Group Leaders you have available to assist you in your classroom depends on the number of rows set up in the room.

The primary duty of the Group Leader is to collect the homework or in-class assignments from each student in his or her row and hand the work to the teacher. The Group Leader is also responsible for distributing hand outs to each student in the row.

Get to know the Group Leaders in your class by asking their names and recording their position on your student roster. Like everyone else in this big world, the students love to hear his or her name. Also, your enthusiastic 'thank you' goes a long way in maintaining the Group Leader's support and cooperation.

Tip No. 4: Get to know your Group Leaders.