“In my opinion, the job of the monitor in a class is to be good example and a good guide, to lead the class to having a good attitude towards studying, and also teachers to have good classes.”
On March 13, I stayed
home from my teaching job at Tianjiabing High School. My flu condition had
reached a crescendo where I couldn’t talk. I relayed a text message to the
Foreign Teacher’s office and advised them of my condition. I slept most of the
day and woke the following morning refreshed and ready to be with my students.
 |
| Susan teaching song at English Corner |
I walked into Class No. 8 and was greeted with happy faces
and a solitary note atop my desk at the front of the room. I glanced quickly at
the message and absorbed that it was written with compassion and concern for my
health. The Monitor, Jammy, expressed her unease for my having removed my coat
days before.
“Dear Mrs. Black,
Are you alright now?
There are lots of changes of the weather in spring in
China. So you must pay more attention to the weather. You can’t take off your
coat when feeling a little bit hot. Because it may be colder.
So you’d better wear more and not take off your coat. Or you
will catch bad colds and feel sick.
It won’t be good, right?
Love, Jammy.”
 |
| Frank entertains the students |
Lovely Jammy cared. The classrooms in many of the Chinese
schools where Frank and I taught did not have heat so we learnt to wear a warm jacket. My
mistake was, after having climbed five flights of stairs to get to Class 8, was
to remove my jacket and teach in a cotton blouse.
Your students care. They don’t want to have their classes
interrupted, nor do they want your English class replaced with a math class.
You are an important participant in their lives. Take care and you will be
rewarded for your passion.
 |
| Jammy's note |
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