... another surprise.

As you have probably heard (or read) our daily schedules and plans have been a bit inconsistent of late.  First our New Year party turned out to be an over-night affair.  That was a good surprise.  Then on the proceeding Monday everyone at our school disappeared and after the rapture scare had passed we took the unexpected day off as a bonus.  We got back to work on Friday. 

Finally things are back to normal as we wrap up the last three weeks of our first semester.  Then Friday afternoon we were informed that our Saturday and Sunday had become a Thursday and Wednesday.  We went to our branch schools on Saturday/Thursday and then while we were eating our breakfast on Sunday/Wednesday one of our fellow English teachers told us that our leader (this is the most common wording used to describe the principal) had decided that today (Sunday/Wednesday) would be our last day teaching for this semester.  What?!?

Well it turns out the school calendar is a little different than we had assumed, assumed being the key word.  It was explained that we only had two weeks of school remaining as there is a teacher work week prior to the beginning of our winter break.  That meant that the students only had two weeks before winter break began (not three). 

Secondly, as you may have heard, tests are a pretty big deal here.  Prior to winter break all the students have their end-of-semester exams. Earlier this semester Julie and I were given a day off while the students were taking mid-terms.  There is such an emphasis placed on these final exams that the week prior to exam week is used entirely for review and preparation.  Additionally, from what we've been told our fellow teachers pay is directly affected by the students scores and from what I can (again) assume this is more of the stick than the carrot: if they (students) don't do well you get paid less. 

So if you take away the teacher work week and the exam week and the test prep week then all this adds up to Julie and I with a bunch of free time on our hands today and for the coming weeks.  The exception(s) may be our kindergarten classes which we teach on Friday mornings.  Again I assume but they could really have final exams, could they?  :  )

We were told that we should prepare a presentation on the differences in primary education between the United States and China.  As we have never taught in the US and it's been a little while since either of us were in a primary grad classroom Stateside, we have some research to do.  If anyone would like to provide us with some information that would be great, but we certainly have the time to find out what the internet has to say on the subject. 

Happy Monday!
Ryan