Visiting Chinese instructors shadow Tecumseh teachers

Twelve teachers from Zunyi Carey International School from the Huichuan District in Zunyi, Guizhou, China, are in Tecumseh until Sunday, May 17, and are studying Tecumseh teachers and their teaching styles to take back with them to China. Last year, when the school’s director Wendy (Wang Hongshan) and teachers were at Lincoln Consolidated Schools she came to shadow Tecumseh School’s Supt. Kelly Coffin.“She was very impressed with the work we were doing,” said Coffin, adding that is when she extended the initial invitation to have some of here teachers come here and for ours to go there. Kalyn Sterzik, Wendy’s assistant, said the outreach program has grown out of Wendy’s understanding that while traditional Chinese education is focused on academics, it doesn’t necessarily yield the best results. “We can do more,” said Sterzik. “We are more of a global community. We need to have all of our children understand the other cultures of the world so they can be prepared to interact more with other cultures. Undoubtedly, there are things we can each learn from each other.” The teaching techniques between North American and China are very different, according to Sterzik. “I think they’re [the Chinese teachers] very surprised by the differences both in the way we live our lives as Americans and the way we run our classrooms,” said Sterzik. “I could tell them our classes our different this way, but to see it is an entirely different thing. We see things here where kids are really excited to be learning. They’re engaged and having fun and pursing their own interests — things we want to try and put into our schools.” The visiting teachers are intrigued by how much effort goes into creating lesson plans where students can participate in the learning process, said Sterzik. Traditionally, Chinese schools are teacher focused, with students learning straight from the text book and memorizing information. “We realized we need to do a lot more training of our students to teach them to have responsibility,” added Sterzik. “This isn’t a quick change.”Coffin said the school hopes to give the Chinese teachers opportunities to develop strategies they can take back with them and use. “Everything we’re doing is based in theory and research on how to educate children,” Coffin added. “Just sharing that is not something that can transfer between two very different cultures. We’ve been really purposeful to provide information the teachers to take these engagement strategies and try them.” While here, the Chinese teachers went shopping, visited the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame, joined Tecumseh Middle School eighth graders on their trip to Gettysburg and Washington, D.C., and went kayaking on Globe Mill Pond, which Sterzik said “was a great success.”“We’re looking at this for the long term,” Coffin said, “and will explore this as a long term partnership. That’s exciting for us The teachers are absolutely delightful and so much. It’s been wonderful.In June, eight teachers along with Tecumseh Public School Supt. Kelly Coffin will head to China to help teach at the school.