My Story

Every time I sit down to blog, I can't think of a thing to write...which is funny because there is so much going on and I have so much to say.  I'm just going to start typing and we'll see what comes out. :)

I don't think I've posted the story of how I ended up on this journey to China, or even what I'll be doing there...so that's where I'll start.

I grew up in a pretty small town in Ohio.  I graduated high school with 133 kids...133 white kids just like me.  In college, my roommate got involved with an organization that connected international students with conversation partners.  She started meeting with a Chinese graduate student, and she came back to our dorm so excited every time they met.  She told me about the conversation partner program and said there was still a need for more people who were willing to get involved.  (I should explain...a conversation partner is someone who meets with an international student and helps them work on their conversational English...it's so simple and such a great way to meet people from other parts of the world!)  This seemed like a perfect opportunity to serve others, so I signed up. Before long I was connected with Michael, a grad student from China.  He was a lawyer in China and was in the US getting his MBA.  We started meeting once a week or so, and the more we talked about Chinese culture, the more I wanted to know.  Michael and I met for 2 years until he left to go back to China.  I was so sad to see him go!  He completely opened my eyes to a world beyond small town Ohio.

  

 Random Michael Story...

Some of my college friends took Michael and his classmates to Young's Dairy (a dairy farm that has lots of fun things to do) one day not long after we met.  They wanted to try the batting cages, so Michael decided to go first.  He put on his helmet and stepped into the cage.....directly behind the plate.  We were yelling, "Michael!!  No!!!  You have to move!!!  The ball is going to HIT YOU!!!" and he continued to stand in the ready position, oblivious to our warnings.  I'm not sure if he didn't hear us or just didn't understand what we were saying.  Maybe he thought we were yelling, "Go Michael!!!  Woo hoo!!  Hit the ball!!!" but no, we were seriously concerned for his safety.  Thankfully, one of the guys who was with us went into the cage and moved Michael out of the way before he got beaned by a fastball .  Next time I think I'll go first and demonstrate how a batting cage works.

Fast forward 4 years...

A girl from my small group was teaching ESL at a local university, and she was looking for conversation partners for her students.  I jumped at the opportunity and was thrilled to find out that my new conversation partner was from China.  I contacted her, and before long I had agreed to be a conversation partner for her roommate and another friend as well.  So the three of us started meeting and exploring our city together.  I've been meeting with them for a few years now and I've really grown to love them!  They have enriched my life so much!

Meanwhile, at work...

After my second year of teaching I was asked if I wanted to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) the following school year.  I was becoming more comfortable in my classroom but still didn't quite feel ready to take on something new, so I said no thanks.  Well, the next day they came to congratulate me on being the new ESL inclusion teacher.  Ughhhh......  I was a little annoyed that they didn't take my "no" for an answer, but I tried to go into my new job with a good attitude.  The first day of school I absolutely fell in love with my ESL kids.  I was so surprised and relieved!  I ended up with eight different nationalities represented in my class:  Libya, Guatemala, Thailand, Costa Rica, Mexico, China, Kenya, and the United States. Of my 25 students, 7 were ESL.  Some of them spoke flawless English, and some of them spoke no English at all when they came into my classroom. There were certainly days when I felt overwhelmed by the needs of my international students, but overall I loved every minute with them. By October I knew I wanted to continue doing ESL long-term.

Teaching in China...

I knew I loved China, and I knew I loved teaching, but it hadn't really occurred to me to combine the two until this past fall.  I have a friend who teaches in China, so I started researching the company she works for and I was immediately interested in joining their team.  I prayed about it, talked to some friends about the possibility of teaching overseas, and a week or so later I submitted an interest form.  A few days later I received an email from someone on staff saying that she would be in my area that weekend (Coincidence? I think not!) for a conference and asked if I wanted to come meet her and hear about the China schools.  Talk about perfect timing!!  I went to meet her and she was so kind and helpful...she really confirmed everything I had read and heard about the company.  She answered a lot of questions for me, prayed with me, and even emailed me the next day to check in. I decided to go ahead with the application process.  The process was pretty extensive (I mean, I had to go to Georgia for a psych evaluation if that tells you anything!), but the company was so helpful and walked me through every step. I am so thankful for their support and encouragement over the past several months!

This winter I was officially offered a position at Tianjin International School.  I'll be teaching kindergarten in their ECC.  I'll have a small class of international (non-Chinese) students and I'll be teaching all subjects, just like a kindergarten classroom here in the States.  I'll be living in an apartment with another teacher.  We'll be living in a pretty big apartment complex with lots of teachers, other expats, and nationals living nearby.

I'm so excited about my new job, and I'm equally excited about being part of a new community and building a new life in China!



Moving day is 8 days away...