First school in Guiyang/experimental school

Today we are up and out early. After a great breakfast, we climbed on the buses and headed for two schools. The first school was the Experiment Middle School. Middle School here means 9-12 grades. The school I was at accepted the highest scores on testing for high school. In China, you have to past a test to be able to go on to grades 9-12. The school is new and built in 2004. It is a boarding school. It is a public school and most of the students go home for the weekend. They had 10 minutes between classes and no lockers. The school also doesn’t have heating.
When the bus pulls up to the school, the students are waving out the windows to greet us. It was so exciting to see. Once we load off the bus we took a tour of the school. We walked to the sixth floor first to see an exhibit of student projects. It was great to all kinds of science, technology and electrical projects. The students also have game rooms. They have a puzzle room, Mah Jung and Chinese chess room and study room. The school is really nice.
The students can to see us during their break. We were able to talk to a lot of the students. They start learning English in the third grade. The students spoke very well. One student played piano for us. He was amazing! He sounded like a concert pianist. We were astounded.
Next, we went to a History class. The teacher was great. He used music and pictures and a power point. The teacher had a great voice with lots of inflection. The students sit at desk for two with all of their books, reference books, globes and water bottles. They stay in the same desk in the same room all day except for the 10 minute breaks every hour. The student I sat by explained the lesson to me and showed me his books. The students answer some questions in unison and others by raising their hand. The harder questions are answered by raising your hand. The students are supposed to read the entire lesson before they even come in the room.
The lesson ended with eye exercises and the students moved out doors to do a series of exercises. It was amazing 2000 students in unison and no one playing or being asked to follow directions. All of the students here wear red and white warm up suits as school uniforms. They quietly file back to the room. A few if the girls stop to talk to me. They wanted to practice their English. They were so cute! One of the girls wants to be a doctor and none of them minded being at a boarding school.
Following this we went to talk to the teachers. The teachers have standards and use the same methods we use in the US. We found out teachers at the school had to take a test and apply to be at this school. The teachers come from all over China to teach at this school. The teachers were really great! I liked them very much. The teachers work hard, do extra duties, mentor students just like US teachers. They are given more respect. Teacher as a job here is a government job. The teachers here are very proud of their school.
Yeah!! On to lunch!