In my spare time, I sleep

JISHOU, HUNAN — I haven’t written much lately, because I’ve been a little busy. Classes have started, and I only have half my schedule in place still. The freshmen start classes next month.

In addition to my university classes, I have also become a private tutor to three students (ages 8 to 25), a teacher of two small groups of primary students, and a guest “lecturer” for a friend’s middle-school weekend enrichment school. Since the uni is sending two students to the provincial English-speaking contest, I will also coach their pronunciation and intonation skills for the next four weeks or so.

Here’s my schedule right now:

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

8:00-9:40

Oral English
2009-Z1

English Composition
2009-G2

Oral English 2008-
Z2

English Composition
2008-G1

Oral English
2008-Z1

10:10-11:50

(11-12) Miki's
class

Oral English
2009-Z2

English Composition
2009-G1

2:30-3:30

Harry tutor

Lizzie and Color
tutor

3:00-4:40

Eights

English Composition
2008-G2

Lizzie and Color
tutor

Sixes

5:00-6:00

Clark tutor

Clark tutor

Clark tutor

8:00-9:00

Niki tutor

Niki tutor


All the classes labeled 2009 (China uses year of entry, not graduation, to denote classes) will not meet until after the National Holiday ends Oct. 8. This weekend, 4,000 freshmen arrived, and will have 10 days of orientation and military training until the holiday begins Oct. 1. I can’t comment on those classes yet, but I anticipate being very busy reading and marking 70 freshman compositions and 70 sophomore compositions each week or so.

Possibly related posts:

The New Revised Syllabus

JISHOU, HUNAN — I now have a new schedule, which will change slightly next month after we return from the National Holiday Sept. 29 to Oct. 3. The Thursday afternoon class moves up one time block.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
8:00 – 9:40 Oral Business English 2005 – Room 4418 Oral English 2007 – Room 4420 Oral English 2005 – Room 4218 Written English 2005 – Room 4418 Written English 2008/g1 – Room 4420 Oral Business English 2005 – Room 4418 Oral English 2007 – Room 4420
10:10 – 11:50 Oral English 2008/2 – Room 4418 Oral English 2008/g2 – Room 4421 Written Business English 2005 – Room 4218 Oral English 2008/1 – Room 4418 Oral English 2008/2 – Room 4418
15:00 – 16:40 Written English 2008/g2 – Room 4419 Written English 2008/g2 – Room 4419
16:50 – 18:30 Oral English 2008/g1 – Room 4218 (until Oct. 1)
Sat. and Sun. classes only 27 and 28 September

We’re meeting Monday and Tuesday classes on the weekend, so that the freshmen get a full week’s worth of classes. Their military drills ended today. Mercifully, I will get the weekends off again beginning next month.

Typical of locations in hot climates, the university does not schedule classes between 12 noon and 3 pm. The tradition is to take a long lunch and/or a siesta. Beginning in October, classes will resume at 2:30, so all my afternoon blocks will start a half-hour earlier.

Possibly related posts: