Airport Times and Such

July 5th - All team members need to be at the airport by noon (at the Delta check-in)

If you would like to park your car at DBU and ride a DBU bus to the airport, you need to:

1. Let Whitney / Amber Gentala know by Monday, June 25th.   If we don't hear from you, we're assuming you'll meet us at the airport.
2. Fill out form to leave your car on campus while we're gone and give keys to Whitney (on July 4th to turn into Campus Security)
3. On the day of our flight, July 5th, meet at DBU at 10:45am to load the bus.  Bus will be leaving at 11am.   (Location TBD)
4. It's assumed (unless you say otherwise) that you'll be riding the bus back from the airport to DBU in August.

Kindergarten Teacher Information

Hi Kinder Teachers,

You 6 have a slightly different setup than the rest of the teachers.  All Kinder classes (including library, gym time, movie time) will take place in the Kinder building, which is across the street from the main school (where 1st grade and above will be, as well as our office).  

**You need to bring (or buy there) some house slippers.  You will wear your normal shoes to the door of your classroom, take them off and put your house slippers on.  These slippers should be new and ONLY worn inside the classroom.  When you leave the classroom, you'll take the slippers off and put on your normal shoes to leave the building.  You can buy cheap but uncomfortable slippers there.  But we'd recommend bringing some with you.   We think just about anything will work as long as it's new and the soles are clean.  Let me know if you have questions**

• Kinder teachers will have a TA (college age) and a 'Chinese helper' (can't remember the correct name for these ladies.  Most will be the equivalent of a babysitter, will be in their 30s or older and will not speak any English).   As you're planning your discipline system, make sure it's something easy your Chinese helper can use also.  Your TA can help translate to your Chinese helper.
• Your classrooms
• Will have a bathroom/sink in the classroom
• No computer or projector in your classroom.   A little more 'old school' than the 1st grade and above classrooms.
• No wi-fi in the building
• There is a 'Teacher Office' that has a slow computer. You are encouraged to bring a laptop to plug in here when you want internet access, etc.    (My guess is you'll be doing most/all of your printing of worksheets and photocopies in the main campus across the street.  We can give you a 'buddy' to use their computer in your off period or evening.  Or if you bring a laptop, we can set it up to print in our office in the main  building)
• Your building has a movie room, library and gym.  So you won't need to take your students to the 'main school building' across the street.
• They'll tell us this schedule more clearly when we arrive, but lunches for your students will be delivered to your classroom.   Your TA and Chinese helper will help get the lunches passed out and students sitting in their chairs to eat.  After that, the TA and Chinese helper will go eat their lunch.  At the DBU teacher's lunchtime (and 1st grade and above lunchtime), the TA and Chinese helper will return and take care of the kids while you go across the street and eat with the team. 

Description of Classes

Today we received the below from the BJ school.  Please refer to the class number that we gave you to know which group your class fits into (the one that I said you'd never use again)  :)  
 

• Kindergarten level: It includes six different classes so far, and from class 1 to class 4 are mix classes with the SMIC kindergarteners and non-SMIC kindergarteners, they are comparatively lower than the fifth and sixth which are pure SMIC high-leveled kindergarteners. 
•   Level 1: It starts from class 7 to class 10; they are all first and second graders, mostly first graders. Class 7 and 8 are about the same level, while class 9 and 10 are a little bit higher.
• Level 2: It starts from class 11 to 13 including the students who are from Grade 1 to Grade 5, there is a big age gap among the students in each class, let’s take class 11 as an example, some students are from Grade 1 while two of them are fourth graders, most of them are second graders. From the information given by the parents and some of the students’ evaluation paper, class 12 seems a little higher than the other two. 
• Level 3: It includes the classes from 14 to 15, they are about the same English level and have pretty good students, there are several English Track first graders in class 14, and the others in both classes are mostly second and third graders. (Fast English learners)
• Level 4: From class 16 to class 18, aged from 9 to 12 (from Grade 3 up to Grade 12). Class 16 is lower than the other two.      
• Level 5: Two writing classes from class 19 to 20, the students in class 19 are from Grade 2 up to 4, eight students are from English Track second and third grades, while class 20 are from G5 to G7, most of them learn English well. 
• Level 6: Class 21 Leadership class. All junior high students with a good English foundation. 
• ALL LEVELS:  Again, there are always a few students from each class are a little higher than the others as some of the parents insist that their kids should be put in the same class although they are not on the same level.
  

Please don't edit documents in Curriculum Folder

Hi Everyone,

Please copy all of the files from the 'Curriculum' folder (link we sent you) to your own laptop or thumb drive.  

Do NOT edit any documents in the Dropbox.  

Anytime you make changes in Dropbox, it changes the document for everyone.  (I keep getting notifications that documents are being changed)    If you need help understanding how to do this, please let us know. 

Thank you! :)

Frugal Ways to Decorate a Classroom

This is a list of different ways to decorate a classroom if you don't have alot of money (or any extra at all).  Most of the ideas are where you can get decorations for free or very, very cheap.

This first section is basically for a classroom that's student-decorated.  This is how I (Amber) tend to decorate my classroom.  I like for my students to take pride in their classroom, so I put their work on the wall for decorations.  Usually, my whole first day is having them do different crafts/projects to decorate the classroom.

1. Have several craft projects planned for your students for Day One.  Hang these from the ceiling (with string you bring from the States) or Tape, Silly Putty these crafts tot he wall.  Suggested crafts:
1. Acrostic Poem using name (each letter of name gets a descriptive word next to it) and illustrate it
2. Younger kids - have them draw a picture of themselves/families
3. Have kids draw picture of them in a setting of their dream vacation (make sure they don't draw scantily clad beach pictures)
2. Have students make name plates (out of copy paper or construction paper) for their desks
3. Have students decorate paper plates to look like a stained glass window/picture and hang on the wall.

You get the point :)

Borrowing/Buying cheap decorations:

1. If you're able to print things out for free in the computer lab at DBU, you could search online for teacher classoom decorations, print them out, and color them before you go.  There's TONS of stuff online that you can just print.  If you can bring it on a thumb drive and print it out there, that'll save you luggage space.
2. If you wanted to have the ABC's going around the top of the classroom or something, you can print those out online and color them in.
3. If your mom/grandmother has extra rolls of Chistmas/birthday wrapping paper sitting around in a closet, flatten the roll and bring it with you.  This can be used for bulletin board backgrounds, or you can use it for other craft projects.  Same thing works with cloth scraps (if you know someone who sews, they'll have tons of cloth scraps).
4. Ask family/friends for old t-shirts (especially Texas/United States or local business t-shirts.)  You can hang these on your walls for decor.
5. Pictures of your family/friends (collages or individaul pictures) are great to hang on your classroom walls for your kids to look at.  You can have students bring pictures of their famlies (or draw pictures) and hang them with yours.
6. Garage sales, resale stores and thrift stores are great for little trinkets/decorations.
7. Travel agencies have great picture brochures.  Arrange these on the wall.  Pictures are great, plus you can use them in teaching at any point.
8. Go around to your favorite restaurants and ask for their to-go menu's.  Arrange them on your walls.
9. Create a "Word Wall".  Here's an explanation of what a word wall is:  http://teachnet.com/lessonplans/language-arts/interactive-word-wall-language-arts-writing-lesson-plan/    Or google "Word Wall".  Also, google "word wall jpg" and you'll get some pictures of some word walls.  There's tons of ways  to do one, and they can be a wonderful teaching tool (and decorative tool) :)
10. If you decide to have "secret pals" with another class, you could have your class decorate mailboxes to put their "letters" in and have the mailboxes hang on a section of the wall.
11. Make colorful posters with classroom rules or other lists of things (things about integrity, how to be nice to friends, how to be a good student, etc).  These can be bought pretty cheaply or you can make them.  (Hand draw or print)
12. Walk around your parents house and see what interesting things they have to decorate your classroom (with their permission of course).  Look for things that look especially American.

Possible Gift Ideas (for students and TA/Daycare Worker)

For Students: Please bring a small gift for each of your students.   You will have either 15 or 16 students in your class.  If you decide to partner up with another teacher and co-teach each other's classes, then you'll want to bring 30-32 small gifts.


For TA's:  You'll also need to bring a nicer gift for your Teacher's Assistant.  They will be invaluable to you and your class in many ways.  Bring something that show them how invaluable they are to you.  Most TA's are college students.


Kinder Daycare workers: For all 6 kindergarten classes, you'll also have a daycare worker (can't remember the technical term) to help with behavior and such.  This is someone who's basically like a childcare worker here in the states.  Please bring a gift for them as well.  We're pretty sure these will be women (older than college age, but we don't know their exact age)


Below are some gifts that teachers have brought in the past that have gone over well.  I know it's hard to know what to bring, especially for a TA whom you've not met yet.  Spend some time yarping to your Father and ask Him what you should get.  I think you'll be amazed at how perfect a gift He can lead you to bring.    :)


Gifts given to students in the past:

• Small bag with quarter, dime, nickel, penny inside
• Texas/U.S. postcards, stickers, pens, stamps, pencils, bookmarks, t-shirts, bumper stickers, bananas, etc (Texas and U.S. paraphernalia is something they can't buy over there)
• Teacher brought 15 cheap picture frames (bought for $0.50 each or so), took class pictures with the teacher in the picture, printed them out over there and gave a picture/frame to each student
• Teacher took picture of herself with each student individually and put in picture frame
• Teacher brought 15 of the same book, signed/wrote on the inside of the book (short note to each student)
• Teacher brought 15 journals from home and wrote a note on the inside of the book to the student
• Teacher brought variety of stickers and hard candies and flavored gums and made goodie bag and handed them out to students

Gifts given to TA's in the past:

• Teacher brought their favorite novel or Chr1stian book (bring a new book, not a used one)
• DBU t-shirt, dbu mug, hat, other dbu paraphernalia 
• Texas or U.S. shirt or other nice stuff
• Your favorite U.S. sports team stuff (Dallas Cowboys stuff, etc)
• (Think things college students would think are cool, that they can't buy over there)
• Nice leather-bound journal- teacher wrote note in the front to the TA
• Teacher brought their favorite Chr1stian CD (new, not used)
• Teacher brought their favorite movie (new, not used)  (might not be the best idea, because you can buy ripped movies for under $1 over there.)
• Your favorite candy, cookies (you can buy oreos and chips a hoy there), gum, snacks and give them a care-package of your favorite goodies
• 3 or 4 teachers have joined together and treated their TA's out to Pizza Hut dinner or something like that
• 3 or 4 teachers have joined together and treated their TA's out to a movie or Karaoke (please check with us first about Karaoke - there have been some weird things in the past) 
• In the past, we've had an apartment with a kitchen in it.  (with pots/pans/stove/etc)  We've had teachers cook for their TA's before in our apartment.   One year, we taught our TA's how to make quesadillas (they'd never had them, nor seen shredded cheese).  They had fun shredding the cheese and tasting salsa, etc.  
• For a teacher who developed a really close relationship with their TA, they were able to give them a B1ble.  If you feel led to do this, please talk with David and I once we're over there about it.  We would like to be pr@ying with you about how to present it and the timing of giving the gift, etc.  :)
• A stuffed animal (nice one, not a $1 one)  

Day-Care Workers

Most of the day-care workers will not speak much if any English (for kinder classes).    You might think more decoration type things.   Something pretty to put on a shelf or wall, maybe?  Or maybe something Texas, U.S. or DBU themed.

Comments from Teachers in Past Camps (3 of 3 posts)

Questions #3 (Final question):  What things did you bring from home that you're glad you brought?

• My own craft items (popsickle sticks, yarn, extra construction paper)
• Picture of my family/friends for bedside
• Board games and card games for my classroom
• Music, pictures, cell phone that works in china (unlocked cell phone)
• Neck pillow for flight, laptop, ipod, sling purse, small blanket, stickers, stamps, American flag bandanas for my kids, t-shirt/hat for my TA, construction paper
• Laundry bag, watch**, extra towels, prizes for class, US currency for student gifts
• Nail polish remover, photos from home, hair care products from home if you’re African American (couldn’t find what I needed in shanghai), sheets
• Mp3 player, books
• Bible, laptop, pictures of family, movies, gifts
• Sheets, pillow, big handheld mirror, popcicle sticks (wish I would have brought big ball of yarn/string)
• SNACKS! Plenty of snacks!  They lasted the whole month and I was able to share with my TA and students.  Small blanket was also good, since my room was always cold.
• School supplies, bring lots.  I didn’t bring enough
• Entertainment, school supplies/crafts, food, speakers (for ipod), shaving cream (to write with on desks and for shaving), deodorant (can’t buy deodorant in shanghai)
• Pillow and extra blanket
• Wish I would have brought more coffee and more books
• Computer (read right off of it in my classroom and used it in my dorm for music), wooden ice cream sticks and shaving cream for crafts and learning games
• Brought extra English workbooks
• Iron, wish I’d brought sheets and pillow case and towel
• Computer, usb drive;  wish I’d brought books and movies
• Laptop, construction paper, markers (amber note: hard to find good markers in china; couldn't find crayola brand), glue
• Tape/string/yarn to hang kids work or decorations from ceiling, ipod, laptop, favorite snacks (fruit rollups), pictures of your family/friends, deodorant
• Crafts, my own pillow, comfort foods, blankets, towels
• Candy, scissors, glue, crayons