Rebecca Wiles: A Summer in Haining

1. What helped you settle in China?
As most people I imagine I was very apprehensive about going to China by myself but one of the things that certainly helped me settle in was the approach the school took.
Upon arrival we were welcomed with open arms, there was an opening ceremony.
There was a large group of us that were all in the same situation, it was helpful to know that we were all in the same situation and there was a number of events to begin with and opportunities to meet and interact with each other that helped us all to settle in. Settling in together made it easier, making such amazing friends made it easier.


School opening ceremony

2. How did you approach your first class?
My first class was very scary but my Teaching Assistant really helped me, she helped with how to speak to the children, how to get over my nerves and ideas to get them engaged. For my first class I used simple information about myself to get them interested and asked them subsequent questions. We made name cards, with their English names on, their age and their favourite things – this was so helpful and made the first class fun and interactive, it also helped me remember the children’s names and set the tone for all future classes, ‘Good morning boys and girls, please get your name cards out’.

3. What did I enjoy the most about teaching in China?
One of my favourite things was the social aspect, I have made some amazing friends that I plan to meet up with in the future. I also enjoyed learning about new things in a relaxed environment, the children taught me a lot about China and their culture, it was really an eye-opening experience. The school’s events such as their Talent Show, Opening Ceremony, Basketball and Football Match between students and teachers was also great, making us feel welcome and involved.


Performing at the school’s talent show

4. What has been the most challenging aspect about teaching in China?
For me it was the culture, I struggled to adjust to the different ways of life and the different practices and the food! Although the school did provide some English alternatives and eased us in with the authentic Chinese food gently! Thinking of things to teach the children was also challenging to begin with, although as long as it was interactive and there were games, songs or colouring they was always interested.

5. Is teaching in China what you expected it would be? What parts of the experience has surprised you?
If I am completely honest one of the most surprising aspects was how well, we were treated and how we were placed on a pedestal. The hotel we stayed in was amazing, the way the school treated us was amazing and the welcoming from the children was outstanding. They were always so excited for every lesson, I originally imagined them to react like that was attending normal school but I couldn’t be more wrong, happy, excited with a bit of cheeky on top. I also didn’t imagine the experience to be so eye-opening with the opportunity to experience different things. The one thing I did not expect however was the amount of work and planning that was needed to go into teaching, not being a teacher or studied teaching myself I was unaware of the bits you needed to teach, if I was to do it again I would tell myself to be more prepared!



6. How has teaching English in China changed you?
Teaching English in China has definitely made me more culturally aware, patient and confident. It has also taught me that tomorrow is a new day and that it is okay to slip up now and then. Not everything works the first time and it is always important to ensure that you do not hang on to any failures. One of my lessons didn’t go as planned one day but as I had a whole bunch of young children relying on me and looking at me, it was so easy to pick myself up, not let it bother me and learn from my mistakes. This is something that has really changed me, asides from teaching I learnt a lot from different people that I probably would not have met before as fellow teachers. Working with my Teaching Assistant also had an effect on me, she was amazing and inspirational, her English was impeccable and it has really opened my eyes, I now want to learn a new language.



It is really hard to put into words how good this experience was for me, the people, the culture, the food, the school and everything else that made it amazing. Having the chance to socialise outside of school and go to events and even nights out that had been organised for us really made it an experience not just teaching. This is something I would do again if I ever had the opportunity, the support I was given and the resources really helped. This was more than just going to teach and of course the children and their smiles made it so worthwhile, they made me want to work harder and think of new things all of the time. It was more than paper and books for me, it was games, new experiences, friends and an opportunity to better myself.


Becca