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For Mense, the most memorable moment was the last day of teaching when her students showered her with gifts.
"They're so respectful and so authentic," she remarked. "They want to be your 'friend forever,' " added Miller.
"They said that a lot."
Sherry Mills, a teacher from Hazelwood who went on the trip, was most touched by the empathy her students showed her when, in the second week of lessons, she read the story, "Love You Forever," and started crying because she missed her family so much.
"They all started to tell me, 'I'll love you forever," said Mills.
Charles Juedemann, a former systems engineer from IBM for whom this was the fifth trip to China serving as a conversational English teacher, said his most memorable moment this go round was when a young girl he met at one of the English corners (places in China where people meet up to practice their English) gave him an umbrella as a gift because he was the first foreign person she had ever spoken to.
The China trip was organized and planned by the Juedemanns, who have been making summer trips there to teach conversational English since 2006. This year, the couple were approved to serve as directors, meaning they could screen applicants and prepare them for the experience.
Eager to share what they feel is an amazing experience in a country so unfamiliar to most Americans, the Juedemanns began recruiting a team of educators.
"In the previous years teaching in China, we noticed that almost all of the teachers from the United States were from the west or northeastern United States," said Gloria.
"This program is not publicized and I knew there were many qualified teachers in Missouri who may enjoy an experience like this, and I wanted to share it with them."Ê
The first two schools she approached were Union R-XI (from where she had retired) and ÊOwensville. She had previously worked in a school counseling capacity for the Owensville School District after her retirement and later became employed by Owensville as their TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) teacher.Ê
"I knew some teachers had expressed an interest in teaching in China so ÊI arranged a time after school and invited teachers who were interested to come and learn about what to expect," said Gloria.
She also visited East Central College, St. Clair, Washington, New Haven, Rolla and St. Francis Borgia schools. The Juedemanns also advertised in the newspaper and used some inventive recruiting tools, like listing the opportunity on Craig's List.
In the end, a total of 19 educators from all over the Midwest and even one from the United Kingdom made the trip to Jiangsu Province, China.
Several teachers from the Franklin County area attended. In addition to the Juedemanns, local teachers included Yolanda Mense, Karen Myers, and Barbara Butterfield, all of Union; Nona Miller and Pete McClenning, Owensville; Mary Schroeder, (East Central College) Union; and Jessica Linn, St. Clair.
Other teachers who went with the Juedemanns were Sherry Mills, Hazelwood; Tim Melton, Alton, Ill., Eric Meyer and Stacy Stibal, Parkway; Karen Foster, Warrensburg (CMS); Melanie Rudolph, Fontbonne University; Mary and Tessa Peterin, Arnold; Betty Meade, Wichita, Kan.; and John Olbrich, United Kingdom.
Many of the teachers who made the trip admit to being well traveled and adventurous by nature, but they were unsure about traveling to China until they listened to the Juedemanns' stories.Ê
"The way Gloria talked about it, it seemed too good to be true," said Miller. "But it was all she said it would be and more."
That, the Juedemanns agree is the highest compliment. "We realize that the trip is a bit frightening because people have to trust that what we say will happen, will indeed happen," said Gloria. "We spent a great deal of time in organizing and planning every detail of the trip and it was worth every minute of our time to see and hear the excitement of our teachers after the experience."Ê
Mense said the fact that the Juedemanns had been to China so many times and would be leading the group made the trip seem "a safe way to travel."
All of the educators agreed that they "never felt so safe" as when they were in China.
"Even on the buses, at night, in crowds," said Melanie Rudolph, who teaches English as a second language classes at Fontbonne University.
"We teach in a non-touristy area, so we were the only Caucasians, the only Westerners, the only Americans," said Miller. "You could never be lost, because out of 3.5 million people, the Chinese people always knew where the rest of our group was because we stood out so much. They would just point to them."
China on Track to Be No. 1 English-Speaking Country by 2010 The program the Juedemanns work with is the Jiangsu Teacher Training Program sponsored by the Jiangsu Education Department, similar to America's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
"The Chinese realize the need for their people to be able to speak English and they have launched an aggressive program to provide native English speakers to help their teachers improve their English abilities," said Gloria, noting that by 2010 China will be the No. 1 English-speaking country in the world.Ê
"Keep in mind that they have a population of 1.3 billion people," she said. "That is 1 billion more people than in the U.S."
In China, all students are required to learn English, yet many of the English teachers the Juedemanns have worked with have never had direct conversation with a native English-speaking person.
"The Chinese Education Department realizes the need for direct conversation with Native English-speaking people," said Gloria. "The two-week seminar or class that we teach gives the Chinese English teachers a chance to hear and speak with a Native English-speaking person."
American teachers who travel to China to teach conversational English pay for their own transportation to and from China, two nights' lodging in Shanghai along with an application fee and passport and visa.
From the time the teachers are picked up in Shanghai to the time they are sent back to Shanghai, all expenses are paid including tours, meals, and private hotel rooms, Gloria noted. The teachers are expected to teach up to five hours a day, five days a week, and have 30 students in a class.
Teachers are paid a stipend of about $200 per week and that goes a long way in China, said Gloria, noting many students also give gifts to the teachers.
"The teaching experience is like a trip that no one can buy, and teachers experience China in a way that tourists cannot, because they live in the city where they work," said Gloria. "They can walk the streets and experience the everyday Chinese way of life.
"The people we work with in China may not remember all that we have taught them, but they will remember us and how we treated them," she remarked. "This is a cultural exchange as well as a teaching and learning experience."
Extended Travel
During the two week teaching assignment the American teachers were free to travel about the city. Most took pre- or post-tours before or after the teaching assignment as a way to get the most for their airfare money.
"Eating is always an experience and in most places we were stared at or looked at with amusement," said Gloria. "The cities where we teach are not always tourist cities and therefore we appear different or unusual to the local people, especially the children, most of whom have never seen another race.
"Many times we were asked to have photos taken with people. We always felt special. People always asked where we were from. When we told them we were from the U.S. they were especially interested in us and it was not uncommon to begin a lengthy conversation. ÊMany times on the streets we had conversations with people who didn't speak a word of English!Ê Since we don't speak Chinese it was quite interesting!Ê There were a lot of hand gestures and pointing."
Rarely did the Chinese want to discuss politics but they were interested in American culture and way of life, said Gloria. There is no question that Americans are seen as a wealthy people, she added.
"There are many myths and misunderstandings between our countries. This teaching assignment allows us to see and feel the real China, to walk the streets and meet the everyday people. We witness the basic daily routine of the Chinese people in a way that no tourist can ever see China. It is truly a cultural encounter."
The Juedemanns said they plan to take another group of teachers to China next summer. Anyone who is interested in teaching for two or three weeks in July, 2010, may contact them for more information by e-mail, weteachinchina@yahoo.com.
To see even more of the photos of this and previous trips, people may visit public.fotki.com/weteachinchina/
