Day 9

I am feeling very saturated today.  I have visited so many schools that I don’t feel like I am getting any new ideas.  I have talked to so many Chinese students and teachers that the conversations are sounding repetitive to me.

This morning we visited the oldest kindergarten in Beijing.  They had a very nice outdoor and indoor set up.  The facility was very nice, although it still mystifies me that air conditioning is not regularly used even when it is 100 degrees outside.  This afternoon we visited 3e International School which educates 2 year olds through fourth grade.  The facility was nice like all the other schools with the addition of central air throughout the building.  I enjoyed hearing about the amenities the teachers are offered:  8 am to 4:30 pm work schedule with an hour lunch away from the children, large desks for their lesson planning away from the classroom, a large workroom with supplies, a large break room with couches and ping pong table, and an on-sight cook for great tasting lunches provided for free.

The best part of my day was meeting Kelsey.  She was available this evening so she came to my hotel.  We took a walk and talked about our lives.  It was nice to have a conversation rather than just an e-mail conversation!