Chinese education system
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Up on my Watchtower
Of all the students I know, preschool all the way through graduate students, four have been on my mind. This school year, they are seniors in high school. In Come Set Them Free: A Tale of Four Teenagers, you read… Continue reading
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Peace! Be Still!
An earthquake near my second home has me considering the need for peace. Literally, the earth there needs to still. Also in need of peace are the four teenagers I wrote about last time, other students, especially girls from rural… Continue reading
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Come, Set Them Free: A Tale of Four Teenagers
As a guest in my second home, I usually keep my opinions about Chinese society to myself. One exception is in my area of professional expertise. As an educator, observations over many years have led me to conclude that children… Continue reading
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The Battle
Sometimes teaching feels like a battle. This school year my colleagues have been talking a lot about a lack of motivation in their students. We’ve come to the conclusion that our students may be struggling with post-pandemic and post-高考ℹ️(college entrance… Continue reading
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Grit
…fine yellow sand from the Gobi Desert…drifted down into the streets, sand whirled in eddies and filtered through doors and windows. It silted into corners and lay upon tables and chairs and in the crevices of garments, it dried upon… Continue reading
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Losing Face
Before he retired, a dean at my university in China used to warn incoming freshmen, “To learn a foreign language is to lose face.” His intent was to inspire new students to persevere in spite of the inevitable humiliation they… Continue reading
Water for the Weary 