2019.10 Shanghai ｜ Chongqing

Shanghai is the last city where Lara and her children lived, and many of her friends are still here. Returning to Shanghai to take classes feels especially familiar…

Every time I teach, I have the sensation of both teaching and learning, and no class is exactly the same. Specifically, the international culture class is tailored to individual circumstances, with class adjustments being made based on the composition of students in each class. This time, the country being introduced is Germany, a prominent economic power in the European Union and a major player in humanitarian relief efforts for refugees.

Pudong – Preschool (4-6 years old)

Most of the children in this class had already been introduced to Russia back in April. Additionally, several new students joined the class, creating a lively atmosphere. Whether they were 4-year-olds or older siblings of 2-year-olds, everyone displayed the courage to express their thoughts and opinions! The participation level of all the mothers is also remarkably high, and the sense of everyone being integrated into the class is truly captivating. Given the young age of this class, we place more emphasis on understanding continents, animal characteristics, and engaging picture book stories. We quickly reinforced our knowledge of Asia, Europe, and Africa through song.

One interesting aspect I discussed when talking about Grimm’s fairy tales was how the Brothers Grimm aimed to study different dialects across various regions of Germany during their time. They collected folk tales from all over and compiled them into the book we now know as Grimm’s fairy tales.

I likened this process to having Beijing dialect spoken in Beijing, Shanghai dialect in Shanghai, and Yunnan dialect in Yunnan. Suddenly, a little boy chimed in:

“That’s right! I can only make out parts of what you’re saying, Mr. Lara…”

In an exaggerated reflex to maintain my “teacher’s dignity,” I responded:

“Really! I believe what I said is quite standard!”

Love the reaction, it’s always so real and funny when the kids say how they feel

I can fully focus on listening to the German story “The Big Wild Wolf and the Imaginative Little White Rabbit.”

Gubei – Primary School (6-10 years old)

This class has a unique composition as it consists of students from various schools, including Shanghai School, Japanese Overseas School, and International School. As a result, a natural blend of Chinese, English, and Japanese languages can be observed in the classroom.

We carefully studied the locations of the seven continents in class.

During the lesson, we introduced the origin of traditional German kink bread and had a taste of its savory flavor. Surprisingly, the more bread we ate, the hungrier we became! Additionally, we learned about a person named Mr. Goose (Gensfleisch, where “Gens” means goose and “Fleisch” means meat) who made significant contributions to the spread of European civilization. This person is later known as “Gutenberg” (Johannes Gutenberg), and it’s important to note that this is a person’s name, not a castle. Let’s make sure not to confuse it, as I did before!

Although Bi Sheng of ancient China invented movable type printing during the Song Dynasty, 500 years earlier than Gutenberg, the Chinese pictographic writing system differs significantly from the European phonetic writing system. Hence, it couldn’t be adopted in Europe. It wasn’t until Gutenberg’s creation of the first movable type printed “Gutenberg Bible” in AD 1455 that writing truly began to spread extensively across the European continent. So, why is he called “Mr. Goose”? It’s because Gutenberg later adopted the name based on his place of residence. It is believed that his family surname may have originated from his father’s occupation as a goose seller, hence the name Gensfleisch. In our class, we playfully refer to him as “Mr. Goose” to help children learn about this important person and event in a humorous and engaging manner.

Chongqing – Primary School (6-10 years old)

The majority of the children in this class were previously classmates in kindergarten, and their overall knowledge of the world is remarkable. It’s the highest level of average knowledge I have encountered in a class so far! I believe this can be attributed to their Montessori education. Although my own children did not attend Montessori, I have heard about the significant emphasis Montessori teaching materials place on helping children understand the world and grasp concepts of geographical locations.

Such a smile makes being a teacher so satisfying~

In two weeks, it will be the favorite day for busy and stressed mothers… Double 11. What are you planning to do on Double 11? Well, of course, I want to… go shopping on Taobao! (Oops, big mistake! XD)

Actually, 11.11 holds significant cultural importance in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and other places. It is a day for sharing and giving. Through a little cartoon in Germany, we learned about “Saint Martin – Saint Martin’s Day,” which symbolizes the spirit of helping the poor. The notion of having a compassionate heart and assisting others should not change, regardless of the changing times. On the evening of this day, children in Germany carry lanterns and sing St. Martin’s songs in the streets to commemorate this warm day of sharing.

The three classes this time have allowed me to witness the positivity and initiative of this group of children, as well as their remarkable level of concentration. When I see the brightness in their eyes, it’s as if time becomes irrelevant during our class sessions. This is the most rewarding feedback for any teacher.

What Lara can bring to children is a sense of curiosity and a desire to explore the world. I eagerly anticipate our next meeting with all the children, as there is so much more to discover and learn together!