Changyi, Shandong Province

I got my teaching assignment to teach in Changyi, Shandong Province. Its on the Eastern side of China, about 10 hrs south of Beijing and 14 hrs north of Shangai. I will be teaching at a Private Boarding school (my apt will be on campus as well) Sara (my future roomie) and I will be the only 2 China Horizons teachers in Changi, though there will be a couple in various surrounding areas (for example Weifang, which is just half hour or so ish away). There are two different branches that are fairly close, or I'll be able to watch a broadcasted version from my apt. One branch is East of Changyi, and the other West. In addition to that, I will also be returning instead of December 31st, on January 7th so Sara and I can both fly out of China to Korea together. Below are some pictures of what my apartment and school will look like. Did I mention I'll be teaching 11- 17 yr olds? I have already started on some basic lesson plans, and will fill in the spaces after meeting the students and have a better idea of how much they know etc. I am required to only speak English in class (if the students know I speak some Chinese, they will try and use it as a crutch) I am also starting to collect magazine material, photos, post cards etc- to share some American Pop Culture with the students. I have also decided that once a week, we'll take a break from the normal routine (whatever that will be!) and learn a specific value or quality necessary to become a good leader. I plan on being creative and playing lots of games, activities, etc to keep things fun and interesting for me and the class. I want everyone to enjoy learning. If any of you have good ideas or suggestions from your own school classes or experiences, I'd love to hear them! I am very open to get help in any way I can to be best prepared.

Zai Jian!!