I taught 6 3-hour classes this week (pictures forthcoming). Monday Tinsley and worked feverishly to copy the handouts I would use in the first day of classes. I met my first UG class Tuesday morning, and 28 of the 31 enrolled students attended. None had gone to the portal to get the syllabus or the lecture notes. None had a book. None were prepared to take any notes. Day 1 is commonly known as rule day, but most students think of it as get-in-and-get-out-of-the-classroom-quickly day. They were surprised to find I had prepared 3 hours of introductions and activities. As one student so succinctly put it, they were in "culture shock." This is actually not much different than my US classrooms, as most profs will tell you. Off they went to the copy shop and to portal to get themselves organized. One prof said they work so hard in elementary and high school that, once they get into a good college, they think they don't have to work. This is true in other Asian countries as well. I explained to them that future employers would be looking at their transcripts and this was not a time to put studying at the end of their "to do" list.
The second 3- hour class of the day was my MBA class. 28 of the 34 enrollees showed up. 2 quickly learned they did not belong in the class as they did not have the pre-reqs or the English skills required for the class. I was told that the finance majors were told they had to take this class. We formed teams and went charging ahead. I was almost sick at the end of the day...7 hours of teaching, plus prep...and it will continue this way for the semester.
The university said I could attend the Asian Fulbright Research seminar next week in Hong Kong and Macau if I made up the classes that I would miss. The UG class could not all meet at the same time, so I offered to teach the class twice on Friday. The MBA class chose to come back on Wednesday morning for the make-up. By Wednesday morning all of the Finance majors had dropped the class, and I went from 34 enrolled students to 19 actual students. 17 of the 19 were able to attend the make-up class. They are very good students and very neat people, so I am very happy at how this turned out...despite the fact that I had planned for twice that many students. We re-grouped and we are carrying on. They will give their first presentations at our next class, an external environmental analysis of an assigned case.
22 of the 31 students in the UG class came to one of the two Friday sessions...I thought a very good turnout as Fridays are always filled with jobs and cram schools and other classes. The UGs were much more prepared and ready to work, but still fearful of discussing the cases in small groups or answering any questions. I am confident that will change as some students were already responding.
The third class was my first 3-hour seminar on Thursday afternoon. The class had grown to at least 57, but I have no access to portal to get names or to post material...a real "ooops!" when you are expected to teach half the semester and give the mid-term grades. I wanted to use a video case from the Stanford leadership series and spent hours trying to download and save. I finally succeeded, but the next day I was denied access! A frantic e-mail to the only person I know at the Leadership office said try again...they were using a new program. This time I spent hours and hours (18?) trying to download. Every time I would get to 90% saved our system would shut me down. I finally got up during the middle of the night when there is less system traffic, and spent 3 hours downloading...and it worked! Again, the students were not used to my teaching methods or the case studies and surveys I used, but practicing in class helped them to understand what my expectations are. One of the students politely asked me at the end of class if I would upload the work on portal. I told her I had no access, but that I would ask the head of the seminar, Dr. Larry, if he would do it. The others don't really teach...they just have guest speakers, and the students don't have to do any work. No wonder they have problems with English speaking, reading, and writing...no practice. Suffice it to say that the first two weeks of the seminar have now been uploaded by Dr. Larry. When I FINALLY get my lesson plans done for the next 4 seminars, they will go up on portal also.
Now onto the other news of the week...
Thursday the College of Management had a welcome lunch for me (pictures forthcoming). Wednesday one of the profs, Grace, had come to my office to chat and ask if two of her students could be excused from Thursday seminar to help her gather data. As she was leaving, she said see you tomorrow at the luncheon. When I asked "what luncheon?" she replied "your welcoming luncheon." I never did get the e-mail invitation, so it was very lucky that she came by to chat. We had a 7 course luncheon, and I loved every bite! Following my self-introduction, we went around the table and each prof introduced themselves and told about their research...VERY INTERESTING...they are extremely good researchers and teachers, and I am very proud to be part of their department.
As I was getting on the elevator Friday noon after morning make-up class, a gentleman in a YZU jacket looked at me, then asked if I was working here. I replied I was visiting professor of management for the semester, then asked if he also worked here. He replied "I am the President!" Astonishing! I told him I had personal greetings from the head of Taiwan Fulbright, Dr. Chen, to deliver to him. We agreed to meet after I return from the research seminar. Now that was a very fun way to meet the President!
I walked to the flower shop twice this week to pick up my orchid plants from Mandy...finally succeeding on Friday. I now have a purple orchid planted with ivy and decorative gold twigs and pink ribbons in my room, and a similar white orchid planter in my office...each for a total price of us$12 each including the bowl. What a treat!!!
I also met another Fulbright professor from the University of Tulsa who is teaching English for 6 weeks. They strapped a microphone on him and stood him in front of the class of 37 (the norm here...no wonder my students are in culture shock), and he rebelled. He took off the microphone, and broke his students into small groups that he is now meeting once a week in his office. His Dean said you are teaching twice the required hours, but he replied it was the only way he could actually help his students learn to write in English. As he noted, it is going to be hard enough as some cannot even speak English very well. His wife accompanied him, and they live in this dorm on the top floor in a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. I am so envious! I would kill to have two bedrooms, so I could entertain visitors...but singles don't get that option. Their daughter will be here from Philadelphia next week.
Onward and upward...time for the long trip into Tian Mu. I will leave for HK and return from Macau at the Kreiling's place. Next Saturday is the TAS Spring Dinner and Ball. I will not return to Neili until the following Monday...but there will be lots of posts before then...CHEERS!
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