stop complaining.

For those of you who are currently teaching or will be teaching soon, I want to share something with you. I remember, quite vividly, the complaints I received from students every day about about the hardships of American public education.....classes are too long...there is too much homework..."school sucks".....your class is boring.....there are too many tests....8:30 is too early for classes...etc, etc.

Let me share our Chinese school's schedule:

6:20-6:35: Morning Call (students go to class)
6:40-7:00: Morning Exercise
7:00-7:25: Breakfast
7:30-8:00: Reading Period
8:05 8:50: First Period
9:00-9:45: Second Period
9:45-10:10: Morning Exercise
10:10-10:55: Third Period
11:05-11:50: Fourth Period
11:55-12:25: Lunch
12:30-2:10: Afternoon Break
2:10-2:25: Afternoon Call (students go back to class)
2:30-3:15: 5th Period
3:20-3:30: Eyes Exercise
3:30-4:14: Sixth Period
4:25-5:10: Seventh Period
5:10-5:50: Break/Activities
5:50-6:20: Dinner
6:50: Evening Call (students go back to class)
7:00-8:40: Night Lesson 1/Study Hall
8:55-10:00: Night Lesson 2/Study Hall
10:20: Bedtime

Next time you hear students complain about their measly seven hours in school, show them this schedule. Moreover, if they think school is too hard, or long, or it simply "sucks", tell them it is okay. There will always be a smart and hard working Chinese student who will replace them in a University or job.

Also note that this is only a small part of the stress these students endure....testing, class placement, and filial duties are omnipresent stressful factors in their lives. Only the TOP students ever make it to a University....the rest are resigned to driving a bus, waiting tables, or working in retail. It saddens me that many students in America don't realize and seize the opportunities that are so readily available to them....if only everyone had our opportunities.