So, if you know me personally, you might know that I recently went to China
to teach English for two weeks at an “American Experience English Winter Camp” held
during their winter break from school. I have been promising to share some of
my experiences here on my blog. It will need to be in several installments ~
this is the first:
I have a friend here in Arizona, Natalie, who has been working with foreign exchange students for quite a few years. She has been the regional director of a non-profit student exchange organization and her family has hosted numerous exchange students in their home. In fact, when I was teaching at American Leadership Academy in Gilbert, Arizona (and one of Natalie’s sons, William, was my student), Jim and I hosted the Chinese teacher of a group of students who came for a brief visit to the United States. It was so much fun having her in our home.
I have a friend here in Arizona, Natalie, who has been working with foreign exchange students for quite a few years. She has been the regional director of a non-profit student exchange organization and her family has hosted numerous exchange students in their home. In fact, when I was teaching at American Leadership Academy in Gilbert, Arizona (and one of Natalie’s sons, William, was my student), Jim and I hosted the Chinese teacher of a group of students who came for a brief visit to the United States. It was so much fun having her in our home.
In the spring of 2011, Natalie discovered a Chinese high school was looking for teachers for their summer camp and looked into how she and others could teach in China. She and another son, Daniel, founded "Impact Exchanges" and took a team of teachers to China in 2013, and in 2015 they taught over 600 students in eight cities.
I would see
her post about it from time to time, saying there were openings for teachers (I retired a few years ago), but it was never at a time when I could go . . .
until she posted about the “Winter Camp” for 2016. It was to be a 2 week “American
Experience” English Camp for Chinese students who were on their winter break. With
travel time and all I would be gone for about 2 and a half weeks from Jan. 22nd
to Feb. 8th. It really intrigued me. I wondered how it would even be
possible to accomplish much of anything in only two weeks, but I really wanted
to go and find out. I was also excited about the upcoming Chinese New Year –
Feb. 8th – (the day we were leaving), but we would at least be there
for their New Year’s Eve.
I tried to find a friend to go with me but none of my teacher friends around here could make it. I did reach out to my FB friends, and Shelly, a fellow writer, and a substitute teacher in Utah, felt like this would be her opportunity to go, too. We had only met briefly at a writers conference or two in years past and were more of just social media online friends – noticing each other’s activities now and then, but still, she was a kindred spirit and I was excited for her to come and to get to know her better. They made us roommates and we had a BLAST together. We got along great, despite my being about 30 years older than she is. Not to mention that made me basically forty years older than the other three teachers who came, also all from Utah. I figured if I didn’t go this year, I might not ever get the chance to go.
Funny thing,
though, the first suggested location was in southern China and the weather wasn’t
that much colder than what we were experiencing in Mesa, AZ so I figured no problem. I totally skimmed right past
the actual location (which had been changed) when I filled in the application – NORTHERN China – where it was FREEZING (literally) in the winter. That really
took me by surprise. I realized my oversight only two days before we were
supposed to leave. YIKES!!! I ran around trying to secure warm enough clothing,
etc. and get everything ready in time.
Natalie has found “Chinese partners” to work with who are educators, etc. who want to be able to provide this type of experience for Chinese students. We were to work with a young man named Yufei Chen, whom we simply called, Chen. He was a very savvy and successful businessman who is also passionate about education. Besides running his own company, he works with a “training center” called, “Newshape International Education”
Natalie has found “Chinese partners” to work with who are educators, etc. who want to be able to provide this type of experience for Chinese students. We were to work with a young man named Yufei Chen, whom we simply called, Chen. He was a very savvy and successful businessman who is also passionate about education. Besides running his own company, he works with a “training center” called, “Newshape International Education”
in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province,
China, where students can come after school and during summer and winter breaks
for additional learning by way of private tutoring and other classes. It was in
this facility that we would teach our lessons to the Chinese students. These
were students whose very dedicated and devoted parents could afford to pay for
their child to come to this “English Camp.” Surprisingly, Chen, who was born and raised in Taiyuan, said it was a moderately
small city . . . of only 4 million people. Yeah, it didn’t seem small to me. 
I had no idea how this “American Experience English Camp” would be
accomplished when the teachers didn’t speak any Chinese. I wasn’t sure what I
was getting myself into and I really had no idea what to expect. I honestly
didn’t think it was possible to make any kind of “impact” in two weeks.
I was wrong.
I was wrong.
