The Unofficial Bill Fan Club

Some of you long time readers might remember the misery I found myself in while teaching at the Harbin University of Science and Technology. For those that don't; we'll leave it at that it wasn't a pleasurable experience. Most of the students didn't care about their education, few participated in class, less did their homework. Plus it took 30 minutes to get their, another 30 to get back, and there was a 10 minute break in the middle of class that I didn't want and that I didn't get paid for. So a lousy 3 hour commitment only yielded less than 2 hours of pay.


Well, I guess I made some sort of difference, as I was contacted the other week by that same university. Turns out my old students want me back and they have been petitioning their administration to hire me back to teach a class. And, as the students (well, the best ones that is) understood my frustration in meeting their university's ridiculous curriculum, they've asked that I get to teach whatever I want however I want to do it. Really, they just want me to be their teacher again, which is great for Mr. Ego.

However, the (retarded) administration won't pay me. They want me to teach pro bono, out of the goodness of my heart. Ha. Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


But they are paying me to teach a 3 hour class on Tuesday nights for non-English majors. Apparently word got out about this, as each week I've had more and more students show up. English majors. My old students. They are not getting credit for this class, they are just there because I'm the teacher. Mr. Ego is purring with contentment right now.

The scary thing is that I retain the belief that I am not a good teacher. I ignore grammar lessons. I dwell on superfluous meanings and derivations of vocab words. Often I just throw out the assigned material and teach something off the top of my head. And yet, for some reason, my students love this. I'm constantly being told that I not only a student's favorite teacher, but best teacher. Wha? I've railed on the Chinese education system in the past, but if this is truly the case... whoa.