28 June 2015

Gentlefolk

This post comprises photos of my various classes this semester (March - July 2015).

English News, 7 - 9pm Monday night

My English News class had 60 students. We divided the class to take two photos (this one, and below). This was an 'elective class' so it had students from many different majors and years (Freshmen through to Seniors).

The other half of the English News class. During the semester every student had to make a presentation using powerpoint on a recent News article. They did remarkably well. I still find it amazing that all students must learn a second language (English) at school and then later at College - so different from Australia.

Western Culture classes, 4 - 6pm Mondays and Tuesdays, 7 - 9pm Fridays

Double Major 1302 (Tuesday afternoons).  Double-major students have a very busy schedule and less than half the class usually turned up to my lectures. They are smart kids and it was a pleasure to teach them. From left: Rita, Albert; Roger; Ada; Logan; Doana; Bill.

Double major class 1301 (Monday afternoons). 

Half of Double Major 1303 + 1304 (Friday nights). It's a large class so we took two photos (this one and below).  Some very bright kids in this class, especially the boys at either end of the back row (Francis Chen Zhi Peng and Sunny Sun Pei Li), and the girl on my left (Connie Song Bo).

The other half of Double major 1303 + 1304 (Friday nights).

Oral English, 10 - 12 noon Thursdays

Half of my Oral English class on Thursday mornings.  There were a total of 50 students in the class, so I took two photos (this one, and below). They were Graduate students in the first year of their three year Master's courses. Their  majors included Oil & Gas Drilling, Physics, and Optical Engineering.  Masters courses are 3 years for Engineering majors and 2 years for Arts and Business majors.

The other half of the Oral English Graduate students doing Oral English. Their majors were Mathematics and Statistics.  I found it remarkable that all Masters students must reach a certain level of English before they can move on the the second year of their course. 

Marketplace

At the end of the academic year, in late June, graduating students (about 4,000) sell their text books and excess belongings.  The campus is turned into a giant market-place.

Some of these graduating students were in my classes.  I wish I could remember all their names, but it's just impossible with over 200 students in my classes each semester. 

Andy was in Double Major 0801 and I taught him Western Culture in 2010.  Seems ages ago now.  Andy has just completed his Masters degree (mechanical engineering) and has found a job with a research institute in Beijing. I've only seen Andy 3 or 4 times in the last 4 years - strange, as the campus is not that big (25,000) but it's true that one rarely sees former students.

Group photos

The campus has been full of students taking graduation photos with their classmates. Important time for them - the end of 4 years of living and studying together. I was on my way to teach one afternoon when I saw these three former students taking photos and they asked me to join in. Two have jobs lined up, and the third will go to England for further study. 

Farewell concert

Graduating students put on a concert.  This group were from English Major class 1201 whom I taught in 2011.

Two of the students in EM1201, Emily and Jason, putting on a skit. Jason will do further study in Macao.

...

That's it for this post.  Good memories of my classes this semester.

I have the Western Culture exam tonight, so coming days will be busy with grading.

Then next Thursday my Oral English students will have their exam, and that will be it for this semester; and for another academic year.

Teaching is relatively easy, and the students are lovely - keen to learn and respectful - which makes teaching an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

I might do a post on the exams - time permitting.

Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Sunday 28 June 2015