Description of Guilin Sunshine School

It was indeed a sunny day as I arrived at Sunny School to begin my second year of teaching English in China. My name is David Bartlett, and I am a New Zealander having a great experience living in that oldest of nations that is known today as the People’s Republic of China. I first came to China in August of 2004 as one of many new teachers working for Buckland International Education Group, a Chinese company working out of Yangshuo, Guilin in Guangxi province. The teachers that I met there were made up of various nationalities, though mainly British, American, Canadian and Australian. We had come from diverse parts of the world for different reasons, yet united we were in our new experiences within China.

Before I arrived here in the Middle Kingdom I possessed only a basic knowledge of Chinese history and culture. As for the languages, I knew even less ( and I am sorry to say that this has changed little – though I am now able to confuse myself and others in Cantonese and Mandarin. ) Asian civilisation has always had an enchanting and mystical quality to many Westerners, and it has drawn countless adventurers to its lands over the centuries. China lies at the centre of all this, being the mother to all the cultures of east-Asia. Its history stretches back into the mists of time, millennia upon millennia, dwarfing the 165 years of my own nation, New Zealand.

Guilin, set amongst the uncounted karst pillars that cover northern Guangxi, is truly a breath-taking site for a city – as well as a perfect place for me to start my Chinese experience. But barely one week after I arrived, I was sent far from southern China, northward to the capital, Beijing, and thence deep into Shandong province to the small town of Huimin. How different could to places be? Where Guilin was mountainous, Huimin was flat to the haze on the horizon. Where Guilin was ever green, Huimin was brown and dusty. While Guilin possessed many rivers and streams, Huimin was almost empty of them, but for the mighty Huanghe that flowed just outside the towns limits, carrying the fertile silts from thousands of miles of Chinese landscapes.

I stayed in that town, teaching at Guangyuan Middle School for the best part of a year, and enjoyed it very much. Yet I knew that I wanted to be somewhere else. I had fallen in love with Guilin, and wished to return to that city after my contract finished in Shandong. I heard about a great primary school there from some of my friends at Buckland, and was eager for more information. I found that I might be able to teach there starting with the new school term in August 2005. I was immensily excited. After that I returned to the south for a time, and taught in Zhongshan, Guangxi, at the primary school Tianzhi for one month before returning to New Zealand to see my family.

I have seen many schools in China, but none have looked as beautiful as Guilin’s Sunny School; the layout of the school grounds, the classrooms, the playground, all of them help to create a wonderful environment in which to study and to teach. The bright summer sun hung high overhead as I passed through its gates for the first time. Meeting the headmistress was a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Though I could understand directly only the simpler and slower things that she said, I was left with the impression of a great and professional person. Those qualities seemed to flow out to all areas of the school. Having taught at two Chinese schools previously, I found that that this one , Sunny School, offered the best environment. The strong professionalism in the ad- ministration, the discipline, the aesthetics and the overall standards of the school appealed to me very much. The other schools that I have taught at, while good in their own way, could not compete with this one.

There are many things that I enjoy about teaching at Sunny School. The most important is certainly the students. They are extremely bright, referring both to their personalities and their intelligence. They work long hours every day, yet rarely do they show signs of exhaustion or bad temper. On the whole, they are very well behaved in class, displaying a willingness to learn and to improve. I love both the immense energy of the younger students, and the studious diligence of the older.

It is natural for people to be afraid of trying to speak a new language, being nervous about making mistakes (particularly in front of others), and yet every day outside of class I am surrounded by students of all ages who wish to speak with me. The students of grade 1 seem never to bore of the standards “ Hello! How are you?! ”, and their cries can be heard whenever I see them. But the older students are possessed of a greater vocabulary and creativity, and their conversations with me pass through many topics: their interests, their likes and dislikes, their families – and these are just a few examples. To have contact like this is very rewarding as both a teacher and a person; seeing the object of their classroom instruction become a tool for friendly conversation is truly the greatest happiness that an English teacher can experience.

It has been great to be here, even for only less than two months as of yet. The teachers here are inspiring to work with , and truly friendly. It is easy to see the enjoyment they have with their students. Naturally, this makes Sunny School a happy place to work. Though my lack of any substantial Chinese skills has prevented me from getting to know many outside of the English department, I can only hope that I can make some improvement over the next few months so as to become closer to them. Given my previous enjoyment, I can only imagine as to how good the rest of my time here will be.

Sunny School is a productive , fun, and diligent environment, and one that the students can benefit from greatly. From my time here , it is easy to see why students are enrolled here from so many different parts of China. In my opinion, the school will continue to grow, both in ability and reputation, and it is wonderful to be here as it does so.

David Bartlett, October, 2005