Yesterday was Jason’s third birthday and we celebrated with a party at school here are just a few pictures from the day. Jason eating his birthday cake; and Anna holding and displaying the second cake that the teachers shared. It was also the day that I decided that I would end my working at Bethel International School, we had our class meeting (me and all of the Chinese teachers and my English Asst.) my Asst. refused to translate a request that I had for all the teachers to keep watch on the children with me even if I am teaching. My reasoning is simple, by the time I call a Chinese teacher to break up a problem with two students the student may already be hurt. Or as was my case a child poked me in the eye and no Chinese teacher was paying attention to stop the child or tell him in Chinese that poking was not an acceptable practice. Had I been knocked unconscious how would I have called a Chinese teacher to help me? Long story short, she told me she didn't think that it needed to be translated in front of the other teachers and the students. What I don’t get is that in a country where the culture is all about saving face why would she make it so that I would loose face or the respect of the other teachers and the students in our classroom. Personal safety is a big deal and I decided that I needed to 'Love Me' more than loving the kids and I needed to not let them have the opportunity to hurt me more so I told my bosses that I will be gone by Friday tomorrow now. I am looking forward to the next chapter and getting back to doing my online writing course too! Today was a difficult day as lots of what I usually do was done by other teachers and it seemed that the kids were all the more wanting me to be near them. I will miss them of course and some of the Chinese teachers I have become friendly with but I can’t stay where my authority is questioned and my safety is not guaranteed I view my time at Bethel as a time of being a consultant. Not only did I help them to see what they need to do for foreign teachers and possibly only ask singles to work for them, but I also see that where I was working was a pretty nice place to work in China. I look forward to going back to the university and teach.
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