The Challenges and Pride of Teaching English to the Young Bakers
Writing about my one-and-a-half years with Shanghai Young Bakers is not an easy task, as there were so many good times, and so many challenges, that it is difficult to fit it all in. Before I met my first batch of Shanghai Young Bakers students I had taught mostly small groups of adults. The idea of being alone in the classroom with 16 teenagers was slightly terrifying. When preparing for the first class I had a lot of theory in my head but how to change it into practice was at that time a mystery to me. I was definitely more nervous than my students! Sometimes I really wanted to give up and felt quite desperate when my teaching methods were not working, but the effort of the students and their gradually improving English reminded me why I had chosen to be their English teacher. That is the reason why I decided to continue teaching the new batch of Shanghai Young Bakers students after the summer break.
I will never forget the scared yet excited faces of my students at the first class in September. The beauty of being a teacher is trying to find the most suitable teaching method for your class. You think you have found the best way but your students are like a mirror that shows you if you are right or not. Sometimes you walk into the classroom thinking that you prepared an amazing class but then the students do not understand what you want from them and the class turns into a catastrophe. But there is no time for disappointment; there is only the way forward. Every teacher needs time to sit down after class and reflect on what could have been done better. After that, you might teach the same thing in a different way, and suddenly everything works out perfectly. These are the best moments as a teacher, for me, when I see my students able to say things that would have seemed impossible for them at the beginning.
In the first semester, we focused on General English, and in the second on baking vocabulary and recipes. The students were very shy at first but the ice slowly melted.They started talking to me, asking me questions, curious about my background. For example, when we first practiced introducing each other, we came across an“Are you single?” question. They could not even look me in the eye. A few weeks later we had a 20-minute discussion about who had a boyfriend or girlfriend, and if he or she were good-looking or not. The students had lost their shyness,and were now making jokes and teasing each other in English. These spontaneous moments of fun are the ones that I will never forget. Of course, it is not all about just fun, but it is good to show them that they can feel relaxed in class and express themselves freely. That is how they began to talk in English with me without fear of saying something wrong. And the sweetest, most rewarding moment? The breakthrough when a silent student suddenly looks at you and says a perfect English sentence.
The second semester is going to be over in a few weeks, and I am looking forward to my students’ graduation. We have spent more than one hundred hours together since September. They have changed into confident young boys and girls who are optimistic about their future. They have overcome many challenges on the way. They are not the same as they were at the beginning of their one-year intensive training. The passion of everyone in this program makes it so amazing. Especially the hard work of their social coordinator Zhu laoshi who is present at the English classes and the Program Director, Marine. Shanghai Young Bakers is a life-changing opportunity for disadvantaged Chinese youth. The social impact is hardly measurable, but if you are part of it like me as their teacher you will witness it every time you meet the students and you realize how much they have benefited from all the hard work of everyone at Shanghai Young Baker. We have reached the end and I am very proud at what my students have achieved. I wish them the best in their career and I am sure they are ready to enter a new phase of their lives.
Iveta Kamenicka
Teaching intern
Stepping Stones
Iveta is a volunteer of Stepping Stones, which is a not-for-profit organization registered in Shanghai, China with a mission to improve the education and general welfare of disadvantaged children in China. Shanghai Young Bakers has a long-term coorperation with Stepping Stones, and our English classes are provided by them.