Teachers Blog

[gembryoschool-blog]

Architecturally sound!

Building blocks are super fun, and its always very impressive seeing the creations that talented people can build from a relatively mundane children’s toy on the internet etc. However, it is even more impressive when these creations come not from some talented adult playing with toys, but instead are made by the collaborative effort of an entire class of awesome kids. Keep building guys, it’s always really cool to see.

[gembryoschool-blog]

Arts and Crafts!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 24/10/18

Creativity is a super important trait to cultivate in kids these days, and stimulating any artistic inclination and growth is one of the most important things we can do as teachers at this age group. The kids have fun cutting and making pictures and we get to watch the next generation of artists and creators come to life before our eyes.

[gembryoschool-blog]

Seaweed Sushi!

Teachers blog: Stardate: 22/10/18

Today the kids were having fun in the kitchen again, trying their hand at creating a traditional chinese sushi dish - Seaweed rolls. From what i’m told, the locals love to eat these all year round - their fascination with eating seaweed is something i’ll never understand. I guess it’s just a clash of cultures! In any case, the kids seemed to enjoy the finished product a great deal!

[gembryoschool-blog]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUW!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 19/10/18

Today was a very special day! One of our Bilingual teaching staff and one of the resident South Africans, Teacher Louw was celebrating his birthday today. We all enjoyed delicious cake and had a great old time in our lunch break. Then he wore his birthday crown to class, much to the amusement of the kids!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Circle Time! C’mon grab your friends!

Teachers blog. Stardate: 18/10/18

A snapshot of daily life here at Gembryo, the kids sitting in a circle for their English class. This is an absolute staple of Chinese teaching methods and contrasts with the more traditional rows i remember being seated in back in the UK. This system works super well as it allows all the kids to see each other and watch their friends participate, encouraging them to do the same!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Happy Grandparents Day!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 17/10/18

The photograph above is one of many that were taken yesterday during the celebration of everybody’s most beloved of relatives: the grandparents. The kids had a blast showing their grandmas and grandpas around the school and playing old games that their grandparents played themselves when they were growing up. The day was capped off with an epic dance number performed by one of the grandmas leading the kids in busting some moves!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Good Morning Everyone!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 16/10/18

Morning exercise has been postponed this morning meaning the kids are all pouring into their classrooms with more energy than normal, getting an early breakfast and spending some quality time with their friends. The reason for the delay is that today is the Chinese celebration of Grandparents Day. We are going to have some special guests in later to lead the kids in a new kind of exercise!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Happy helpers!

Teachers blog. Stardate: 15/10/18

The kids here have all been taught from a very young age the virtue of being helpful and assisting their friends in situations they might find difficult, but it always warms the heart to see one child go out of their way to help another without being asked or prompted. These kids are all obviously picking up the virtues and values that will serve them well in later life and help them grow in to kind, friendly people :)

[gembryoschool-blog]

Bridging gaps between cultures!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 12/10/18

Outdoor play is very important in education, and Gembryo has recently been graced with a brand new grassy outdoor area where they can run and play safely and have fun without the risk of hurting themselves. This is awesome because it lets us introduce English in ways the kids find fun and entertaining, and gives everyone a break from being trapped in a classroom all day!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Let’s Star-jump! Let’s Star-jump!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgq8nZqYNmE

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 11/10/18 All kids love dancing, and here in China it’s a bit of a Kindergarten law that in the morning all the kids come outside and dance to a few songs as a part of “morning exercise”. It’s fun, and teaches kids some motor skills that they will then use later on in phys-ed classes or outdoor play, like the simple star jump pictured above. Fun for all the family... until they graduate to secondary school that is... NOW DROP AND GIVE ME 20! 

[gembryoschool-blog]

Well one of us should go home and change...

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 10/10/18

It was an amusing sight that awaited me in the classroom this morning. While it’s not uncommon for kids to be wearing the same clothes at school (popular styles are popular for a reason after all), I’ve never had a day with both two sets of identical outfits and three kids wearing the exact same clothes. The girls rocking the stylish red-dog tshirt and pink/white trousers and the boys in their Dixies shirts and black trousers. Needless to say the kids were all highly amused by this, and us teachers had a bit of fun pretending not to know who is who due to the identical outfits. At least everybody came out of it laughing. Fashion faux pas, comedy gold!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Magical Music!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 09/10/18

The kids got creative today in a whole new way, being given the chance to experience the Violin. At first most of them were very confused by the concept, but with a little help from the music teacher they were soon on their way to performing a proper string orchestra. Their faces when the weird wooden box thing they were holding produced beautiful noises were especially adorable.

[gembryoschool-blog]

Happy Holidays!

Teachers Blog. Stardate: 30/9/18

There is an aura of excitement at school today, despite the fact that we’re here on a Sunday, as this is officially the last day of the extra-long week before the half-term holiday of Chinese National Day. The kids are all gearing up to go back to their hometowns and spend time with family or to go on holiday somewhere exciting. Everybody is in a great mood and the kids are all excited both in and out of class, eager to talk about where they’re going or what they’re going to do!

Happy Holidays everyone, have a good week!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Shoot for the Stars!

Teacher’s Blog. Stardate: 29/9/18

Today we finally had a chance to test out the brand new basketball courts recently installed here at the school! It was very exciting and all the kids really loved getting outside to play. Every one of them had a really good time and it was a lot of fun seeing every child experiencing a new sport and activity for the first time! They all just wanted to keep playing all day, it’s great to see children so invested in learning a sport!

[gembryoschool-blog]

A-maze-ing Adventures

Teachers blog. Stardate: 28/9/18

The kids in some of our classes got out and about today exploring the large wooden maze we have at the back of out school. From the looks of it they were a little confused trying to navigate, especially given how much taller the walls are than the kids, but everyone had a good time, and their faces when they managed to complete the maze correctly were a sight to behold!

[gembryoschool-blog]

Wednesday, Wonderful Words!

Well, We Wanted Wonderful Words With Which We Will Work Wisdom Within Wunderkind. We Worked Well Writing “Was”

[gembryoschool-blog]

Cooking Up a Storm!

Teachers Blog: Stardate 28/9/18

Remember that post we made on Tuesday? The one about the festival involving magic medicine and moon rabbits? Well the kids decided to get into the (moon)spirit of things and bake some traditional moon cakes for everyone to enjoy. Gordon Ramsey would be proud of what these kids finished with, and Jamie Oliver would also approve of the delicious and nutritious treats!