Visitors from China

I enjoyed a wonderful experience today.  Our district hosted visitors from our sister school, the Northeast Yucai International School, http://www.neyc.cn/english/index.html.  We enjoyed a formal lunch with the President of the school, similar to a superintendent, and one of the principals.  If you looked at the link above, you probably noticed that this is a fancy school.  Our lunch included a formal signing of some agreements between our district and theirs.  Formal agreements carry much weight with our guests.  I was extremely nervous about their visit to OES this afternoon.  I think our students are amazing, but what if they didn't act in the manner that was expected?  I think many of us get a common image in our minds when we think of students and the educational system in China.  I hoped to avoid international embarrassment.

Their visit to OES made a lasting impression on me.  We greeted our guests at the front doors with our flag ceremony and sang a song in Chinese that helped complete the welcome.  As usual, our students made all of us look great.While language was a barrier, smiles and a genuine interest in students cross all language barriers.  Both the president and principal had little interest in formalities once they entered OES.  Both spent considerable time saying hello to students in the hallways and waving at students enjoying gym class.  I tried to tour them through the new wing, but they kept stopping in the hallway and talking with kids.  We had a teacher prepared to teach a model lesson for them, but only got see a few minutes of it because our guests couldn't stop taking pictures of all the amazing student work in our hallways.  With all of our renovations, IB, 5th Core, I thought we had many things to discuss.  We ended up discussing something I never anticipated.

A student walked up to me and asked me one of those 1000 random questions I get every day.  When the student walked up to me, I bent over so that we were at the same level.  Something I also do about 1000 times a day also.  I noticed that this immediately started lots of conversation, in Chinese, and later in English through a translator.  They were impressed by the interaction, by the simple act of making sure I was at the students level.  I also explained how I was surprised and thrilled by their interest in our students.  I think this was eyeopening for all of us.  They took many pictures of Mr. Stremersch in the box in our staff picture.  They had many questions about the pictures of teachers in 3rd, 4th or 5th grade that are outside each wall.  These small things made a big impression.  These are the things our guests will remember.  These are also the things I am most proud of at Oxford Elementary School.

Today was a great reminder that programs are important, but the little things make a school.