I want to be sensitive to my students’
comfort level with their native language, but at the same time
allowing them to speak Chinese will not improve their English
skills. Finally, November culminates in Thanksgiving, which is
the hardest holiday for me to be away from home because to me
it’s the epitome of the family holiday.
So, to be honest, I had about a week when I basked in my misery.
I was convinced I was a wretched teacher, that my students weren’t
learning anything from me, and that Thanksgiving was going to
be a horrible, horrible day. Now, I can appreciate a good mope
from time to time, but I also realize that they shouldn’t
last too long. I needed to do something to cheer up.
Oddly, it was the Internet that saved me. I received one of the
tried and true forwards from a friend. Perhaps you’ve read
it—one that reads “I’m thankful that I must
get up early to go to work, because it means I have a job to go
to. I’m thankful that I’ve gained a few pounds because
it means I have enough food to eat.” In the season of Thanksgiving,
I needed to be reminded that Thanksgiving isn’t just about
being with those we love. It’s also about thanking God for
all He has provided us with this year, and doing our best to appreciate
what we do have.
So the week of Thanksgiving I did a lesson on the holiday and
one of the things I had my students do was to tell me something
they are thankful for. This is something most of them had never
done before, but when I explained to them what I wanted they really
got into it. It was heartening to hear what they had to say. The
most common comments were: I am thankful for my parents because
they gave me life. I am thankful that I’m in college because
it means I can improve myself. And (ironically) I am thankful
that we have a foreign teacher because she teaches us so much
about America and we are learning to imitate her accent.
Even when I felt my teaching was at its worst, my students were
still thankful for my presence. That reminds me again of why I
am here, to minister by my presence. Dani, my teaching partner,
and I have now had multiple conversations about the purpose of
our classes. While we do sincerely hope that our students learn
what we are trying to teach them, we both feel that simply by
being here we are doing what is necessary. We are inspiring them
to learn the language. We, as native speakers, are the incentive
needed to push them the extra mile to success.
I learned something valuable from that Thanksgiving lesson. When
I first came to China, a commonly asked question was “What
will you do when you miss your home?” Now I can honestly
respond by saying, “I will count my blessings.” That
week in class, when I asked my students to tell me what they were
thankful for, I also shared a list of my own.
I am thankful for:
- My health and energy, which are at an all-time high.
- The warm and comfortable home I live in and all the visitors
with whom I can share it.
- The plentiful food I can choose from: be it Chinese or Western,
cafeteria, San Li, or even from my own kitchen.
- The chance to explore a new land and learn about a new culture
that is so different from my own.
- All my friends, whereever they are in the world.
- My family and their love, which doesn’t waiver regardless
of how many miles are between us.
- Most of all, I am thankful for the joy, peace, and love in
my heart.
Thanksgiving Day ended up a great success. Dani and I hosted
five Amity teachers from other cities as well as several of the
foreigners from our city. I spent three days cooking and it’s
now proven that we can have a proper Thanksgiving meal in China.
That’s one more thing to be thankful for.
Please take a moment to think of something you are thankful for
and say a little prayer of thanksgiving.
Mizpah,
Becky
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