WELCOME GUIDE Teach For China Program Overview

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome Letter from Co-CEOs .........................................

How To Use This Guide(And Where To Find More Information) .............................

Why I Teach For China ...........................................................

What Every Fellow Should Know ........................................

Mission .......................................................................................

Core Values ...............................................................................

A Day in the Life ......................................................................

My Team .....................................................................................

Life after the Fellowship .........................................................

Teach for All ..............................................................................

What Happens Next ...............................................................

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WELCOME LETTER FROM THE CO-CEOS

Congratulations! We are delighted to inform you that you have been selected to the 2012 Teach For China Fellowship. On behalf of our entire team, welcome!

Now is a critical time to join our movement to expand educational opportunity in China. In 2010, the world watched in awe as China catapulted itself to the position of second largest global economy – but the wealth and progress that some enjoy is not universal. Across China, more than 200 million children living in poverty have academic and, therefore, life opportunities that are dramatically different from those of their peers in more affluent communities. In fact, less than 2% will go on to college, compared to 70% from major cities.

Yet there is mounting evidence that this injustice has a solution. Every day, Teach For China Fellows are making profound and transformative impacts in some of China’s most impoverished communities. Children who had in past years fallen to the bottom of class rankings are now re-imagining the possibility of attending high school, and perhaps even college.

By succeeding with their students, our Fellows are demonstrating that children in China’s poorest communities can achieve at the highest levels. They are showing that educational inequity is a problem that can be solved – and that leaves no excuse for us not to contribute to providing all children with the education they deserve.

Over the next two years, you will face numerous challenges in leading your students to success. As you confront these challenges, your resilience, hard work, determination, and focus will be rewarded by the knowledge that you are making a difference in the life prospects of the children with whom you work.

We are embarking on an incredibly bold initiative at Teach For China, the likes of which has never been seen before in China. To reform education, we will need transformational teachers and leaders in each Teach For China classroom. We are confident that you have the talent, leadership skills, and dedication to become a transforma-tional teacher. Please join us in the movement to ensure that one day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

Again, congratulations and welcome to Teach For China. We look forward to meeting you in China this July!

Sincerely,

Andrea Pasinetti and Rachel WasserCo-CEOs of Teach For China

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HOW TO USE THIS WELCOME GUIDE(AND WHERE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION)

This Welcome Guide is meant as an introduc-tion to the challenges and successes of our Fellows. It is designed to provide you with an overview of what it would mean to join our movement and our team.

Details on the Fellowship offer – including your contract, benefits associated with the Teach For China Fellowship, and information on how your placement will be determined, among other resources – are available on the Teach For China website.

To find additional information about theFellowship, please visit: http://www.tfchina.org/matriculation.

Please Note: You must be logged into your TFC website user account in order to access the webpage

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I TEACH FOR TOM, ANNIE, JOHN AND LUCY Eleni Christidis Yale ‘11 Teach For China Fellow ‘13

WHY I TEACH FOR CHINA

Two of Eleni’s students in her classroom.

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A year ago I was probably a lot like you—a college senior, grinding out my thesis and living in dread of one ubiquitous question: “So what are your plans for after graduation?”

I chose Teach For China above other opportunities for two main reasons: The commitment to student achieve-ment, and to join a cohort of bright, adventurous, ener-getic young people, foreign and Chinese, who, like me (and in the face of our families’ doubts and fears), still thought it would be a good idea to leave everything behind and move to rural China for two years.

Two months ago, all my abstract ideas about adventure, freedom, learning, and giving back took the solid form of the sixty-three 7th graders of Class 140 at Xiaojie Middle School.

That first month, I realized there were things I could get used to: squat toilets, loud roosters, all manner of in-sects, spotty internet, chain smoking teachers, unpaved roads… All of these things were, actually, totally bear-able.

Not being able to communicate on a deeper level with my students, however – not being able to explain com-plex grammar points, to express my hopes and dreams for them without the aid of translation – that was heartbreaking.

Faced with the limitations of my language ability, I began to doubt myself. But I realized that the truth is, what defines me is not my poor Chinese or my excellent English—it’s the conviction that every single one of my students deserves a teacher who is invested in them succeeding, who believes they can succeed.

Now if you were to ask me, “Why do you teach for China?” I would say that I do it for Tom, for Annie, for John, and for Lucy.

I teach for Tom because he could have easily been just a mediocre to poor student, but now he’s one of my strongest. The day we went to visit his home, he started crying. No teacher had ever seen his house before. Now, Tom is so invested in learning that he gets better and better with every week.

I teach for Annie because she tries harder than anyone else. Even though she’s not the first to get a new con-

cept, she always wants to practice more and do better, and I can see the determination in her face and the joy in her smile when she gets the answer right. Annie deserves a teacher who is willing to encourage not only the top achievers, but the midrange and low-perform-ing students, too.

I teach for John because he is smart, although I doubt anyone has ever told him that. At first John seemed like the ringleader of a pack of chatty boys at the back of the class. He would look at a quiz and tell me, “Teacher, I can’t do it.” After a visit to his home, I told him I was counting on him to influence the others to start study-ing more seriously and he has made a huge turnaround. He answers questions in class, does better on quizzes, and finishes practice problems faster and faster every day.

I teach for Lucy because no one else will. Lucy has a learning disability and struggles to write in Chinese and in English. In fact, she barely speaks. I was told I should probably just let her go and not waste my time trying to help her learn. But I couldn’t do that. My goal for Lucy was to have her write English letters and for ev-eryone else in the class to treat her as an equally valued member of the team. After several days of practic-ing writing letters for 20 minutes a day, she showed a huge improvement. She came to the extra practice sessions and would speak and say words. At the end of that week, the highest-performing student in the class chose Lucy as the “most improved,” and the whole class cheered for her.

I also teach for Jim, Jeff, Steven, Randy, Samuel, and Car-la—because right now they are all still struggling and if left to themselves would probably just give up on school altogether. If I don’t try to push them to do better, who will?

It isn’t easy, not at all. It is exhausting at times, and frustrating. Every day, you will fail in some respect. But you will also encounter success. It took two months at Teach For China to teach me what four years of college never really did – that the only real failure is not the absence of success but the decision to stop trying. This is the message I want to be as true for my students as it is now for me. What defines us is not where we come from, or the circumstances we find ourselves in; what defines is what we decide to do with what we have been given.

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I TEACH FOR BERTHAChris ClaymanUNC Chapel Hill ‘11Teach For China Fellow ‘13

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I don’t regret naming her Bertha. It was early during the semester, on that special day when Mr. C awards English names. This was not a normal class, with stu-dents calmly but excitedly engaging with my English les-sons, my jokes, my games, and my songs. The kids took to this new naming like a rechristening, jumping out of seats to ask me how to pronounce ‘Jon’, ‘Brandy’, ‘Shel-ley’. Zhang Zhixian was impatient. She stomped up to the front of the class, dissatisfied. “I need a name, now!” she demanded. I sighed, pulled out another small pa-per, and scribbled ‘Bertha’. If she demands preferential treatment, I thought, I’ll give her a name that makes her stand out.

When I began my Fellowship, I must have thought that the only way to distinguish between the endless faces of eager schoolchildren was to give them memorable names. After two months in the classroom, I know how wrong I’ve been. A few Fridays back, the electricity was out in town, and while other teachers decided to head to nearby restaurants, I decided to tough it out in Ximu without any means to make myself dinner. Zhang Zhix-ian somehow sensed this. She asked me to come to her house and meet her family. I spent the rest of the day daydreaming of a home cooked meal.

When I got to Zhixian’s home later that night, she was standing in front of the house and smiling. “Where are your parents?” I asked. “They’re out working. They can’t join us,” she said. For farmers, a power cut is not a valid excuse to take the day off.

We eventually made a fire in her kitchen and cooked a bowl of mixian, or rice noodles. Zhixian told me about her parent’s work, about her aunts and uncles, migrant workers all, in the big cities. She told me that her favor-ite subject is math, and I tried not to be offended. She told me she wanted to be a doctor when she grows up. She said that although she works hard in elementary school classes, she’s scared about not being able to go to high school. When it got dark, I said my thanks, re-minded her of her English homework, and started back towards my house.

I’m most inspired by these small moments—a few min-utes to share a bowl of noodles with a student—when I can learn what makes my students tick. Zhixian is still Bertha, but when I call her name in class, I recall that Fri-day afternoon, and realize that each of my students has their own dreams, their singular path. I can only hope to share a bowl with each of them.

Zhang Zhixian (Bertha) in yellow at center.

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I TEACH FOR LAURENAmanda MitchellStanford University ‘08Teach For China Fellow ‘13

Lauren holds up her new English name tag in Amanda’s fourth grade class.

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I Teach for China because I love teaching, because of a continually developing interest in and attachment to China, and because I always wanted to do something simply because I believe it’s right, to have a job that re-flects my belief that all children deserve to have access to an excellent education. I Teach for China because of my co-Fellows, for the personal development, and for challenge. But really, I teach for my students. And most of all, I teach for Lauren.

Lauren is a student in one of my fourth grade classes. Today, when I was helping some students review after school, a student from the same class, Caleb, walked in, stole a marker from my purse and scribbled all over a poster I had worked hard on and hung up in our classroom. I was angry and upset, but when I looked up, I found another student, Carrie, was writing on the board, in English, “AmandaGoodTeacher.”

Needless to say, this class has its problem kids. But it also has a lot of smart, kind students, the sort of stu-dents who make any teacher love his or her job. But my relationship with Lauren is special in part because of her personality and in part because she and her family live on campus. Her dad is the gate guard, and he and Lauren’s mom run a small snack and drink business in-side their house. This means the family (six children; one child policy not enforced in this part of China) all live in one room, partitioned into a living room, bathroom, kids’ bedroom, and parents’/babies’ bedroom. Since her family lives a one-minute walk from my room, I am able to spend time talking with her almost every evening.

When Lauren comes to my room, she often brings some or all of her five younger sisters and brother, plus some of the other campus kids. They love to sit on my floor and color with the paper and pastels I bought at the local supermarket for them. She brings her textbook and we review. I’ve started to introduce new topics, and she can now conjugate verbs and explain the difference

between verbs in the continuous present and simple present. When we are at her house, her parents supply me with endless tea, served in the traditional Kong Fu Tea style particular to this region. In fact, “drink tea” and “teacher” were the first two words I learned in the local language.

For a ten-year-old, Lauren has to assume a lot of re-sponsibility for her siblings. While I was originally afraid her parents might require her to work to earn money for her younger siblings instead of going to high school, I’ve realized this is far from the truth. Although her par-ents only have a primary school education, they deeply respect teachers and learning and want Lauren to go on to high school and college. Her mom has an end-less supply of praise for me, from the color of my hair (dark brown, almost Chinese!) to my progressing Chi-nese language skills and the importance and devotion I attach to my job and students here.

I’ve encountered many obstacles here – difficult living conditions, poorly-written tests, naughty students like Caleb and some suspicious local teachers – but I also have Sophia, Carrie, Lauren and many other wonderful children.

I Teach for China because both the Laurens and the Calebs of rural China deserve to have the same oppor-tunities as their counterparts in Beijing and Shanghai. While I am here for all of them, and in some ways, es-pecially for the ones who have been left behind, getting to share a love of language with an adorable ten-year-old is that bright spot in even the darkest days, and my relationship with her family has given me a very strong tie to this place that is far away from everything familiar. This connection is not something I could experience through any other job, and that is why I Teach for China.

I TEACH FOR HARPERTiffany LongUC Berkeley ‘10Teach For China Fellow ‘13

Tiffany asks all of her students to recognize and pursue their dreams.

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I Teach For China because it means something to me.

It was important for me to join Teach For China aligned with the organization’s vision. But I also personalized the fight.

Find your own meaning. Ask yourself, “Why is this important to me?” Because when you’re standing in front of the classroom in a rural Chinese village far, far away from your family and friends, it will be your own personal conviction that will ground you and keep you going.

My meaning: Harper.

Outside of the classroom, Wang Yingfu shoots a mean lay-up and makes a killer tomato and egg dish, which he brings to the fields for his parents every weekend. Inside the classroom, Detective Harper can often be found engaged in an animated conversation with all of his friends sitting in the back of the classroom. These are the kids who will most likely stay in the back of the classroom from one grade to the next. They are the ones that have already been deemed “not cut out for school” and are treated as such by their peers and teachers.

In my classroom, every detective is held accountable to the same set of expectations, regardless of their seating

assignments. And Yingfu knows that.

On the back of his Unit 1 Exam, Detective Harper drew banners displaying our class mottos. Later, when I asked Harper why he drew those banners, he replied, “To remind myself that I have a dream, Ms. Long.” He then shyly admitted to me that he wants to go to Tsinghua University and become a professional basketball player for the Chinese national basketball team. At that mo-ment, I was able to clearly see that Harper was not just “reciting” our class mottos, but he truly lived it and be-lieved it: “I matter. My dreams matter. I believe in myself.”

Our village is in a rural farming area and our school is small and quaint, but the kids here have big dreams and even bigger personalities that humanize this struggle for me. Long term, sustainable change in China’s educa-tional system will come from the students we nurture in our classrooms every day to empower themselves and their communities. It is Harper and his dreams that will ultimately inspire change and convert non-believers into allies in our fight for educational equity. This is my personal conviction. The future, long-term impact of this organization is still being written, but what we do to transform the lives of students in the classroom every day is real and immediate.

Why I Teach For China: Harper.

WHAT EVERY FELLOW SHOULD KNOW

The work we do is incredibly hard. Achieving dramatic results in your classroom is extremely challenging, and you should be prepared to do whatever it takes to help your students suc-ceed. Being an incredible teacher anywhere in the world is about being vision-driven, learning from best practices, doing whatever it takes and persevering.

Teach For China is an unparalleled opportunity, and it presents a number of challenges. Before joining the Fellowship, all candidates should understand the challenges of our program and be prepared to take them on.

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We are cross-cultural learners in every way: As a Teach For All network organization, we learn best prac-tices from locally and from around the world including the United States. We adapt them to our local context and as a team, we work together to figure out what works best. There are no straightforward answers in education anywhere in the world, and that’s true here as well. There are relatively few answers in this work (we’ll share what we know) and in fact, Fellows are the ones who typically “figure it out” for everyone.

The work we do is about people and lives. Each of us are in this critical work because of the chil-dren, families and colleagues we know, love and learn from. There will be many challenges we all face together, but throughout it all, stay focused on the people and lives that make this worth it.

Living standards are different in China. Although living conditions vary by placement school and region, Teach For China Fellows should all ex-pect living standards that are different from what they have experienced in the United States. Toi-lets are usually squat toilets, beds are hard, and showers are often cold. This is common in rural China, and the “basic” criteria we request from our partner schools is often considered a luxu-ry. Many of our schools extend many resources to provide Fellows with housing.

You will be held to professional expectations from Teach For China and your school. This is a professional position, and Teach For China staff – as well as the staff in your placement school – will hold you to professional expectations, just as in any other job.

This opportunity is unique. There is no other opportunity quite like Teach For China. Get excited to meet your children!

We have selected you because we believe you are a leader. This program will test you person-ally and professionally. In order to succeed, you need to be an independent leader who works well toward ambitious goals with a team. As a leader, we expect you to go beyond identifying problems, and actively work to help solve them.

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We are a new organization. We will be starting our fourth year in 2012. We are constantly striving to improve our effectiveness, and we have seen huge growth over the past years. But we are still learning and growing. Our Fellows should be prepared to confront the limitations of working within a new organiza-tion, and should be ready to help make this program stronger throughout the course of their Fellowships.

We operate in a very different cultural context. As a Chinese non-profit, we operate in a con-text that is radically different from the United States. We work closely with many government partners and things regularly change at the last minute. Our staff works hard to quadru-ple check everything, but you should anticipate many changes and last-minute adjustments.

We set ambitious goals and work relentlessly to achieve them. Your goals are our goals. We use assessment data to drive our work together and constantly improve.

MISSION

Teach For China seeks to effect deep and meaningful change in the Chinese education system in both the short and long-term:

SHORT TERMTransformational Impact on

Students, Schools, and FellowsFellows serve as core subject teachers for two years, equipping the students of under-resourced schools with vital knowledge, skills, and motivation need-ed to succeed academically. Armed with this enhanced skill set and taught within a culture of achievement, students have the opportunity to embark on dramati-cally improved life paths. Simultaneously, through the experience of teaching and working with local administrations, Fel-lows gain a deep understanding of the issues surrounding educational inequity, which equips them to serve as leaders in other settings.

Alumni LeadershipBy supporting former Fellows in their fu-ture career paths and creating a network of program alumni, Teach For China fos-ters the development of a corps of lead-ers who operate with the deep convic-tion that all children can achieve. Teach For China empowers these alumni lead-ers to continue to shape the educational landscape from a variety of professional spheres, including research, policy, civil society, and responsible business. These alumni leaders will have the power to bring about long-term, systemic change.

Systemic ReformThrough the success of its model, TeachFor China is demonstrating that under-privileged students can succeed, and that educational inequity is a problem that can be solved. Working closely with local education authorities and government leaders, Teach For China ensures mean-ingful, long-term investment in a nation-wide education system that will provide all students with a high-quality education and that will empower its students to reach their full potential.

LONG TERM

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CORE VALUES Teach For China’s core values are a set of organizational beliefs that collec-tively inform our decisions and shape our actions, and propel the organization toward the ultimate realization of our mission to increase educational oppor-tunity in China. Teach For China’s core values reflect how we as an organization want our staff and Fellows to operate, individually and collectively.

Transformational ImpactWe seek to have a transformational impact on educational inequity in China by placing children in low-income communities on dramatically improved life paths and working toward an education system that affords educa-tional opportunity to all Chinese children. Every goal, decision, and action reflects our commitment to working strategically toward transformational impact. We recognize the magnitude of educational need and the urgency of our mission, and commit to the highest standards in achieving our goals.

Grounding in ContextWe understand that the non-profit model is new in our context, and as a pioneer in this nascent sector, we know that our impact is founded on close collaboration with the communities we serve. We integrate the re-sources and strategic guidance of supporters at the lo-cal, national, and international levels. We actively adapt our model to strengthen and perpetuate the program’s contextual relevance.

Sense of PossibilityWe set ambitious and feasible goals that push us to re-alize our vision that all students can succeed. We have the power to put students on new life paths and effect systemic impact in ensuring an excellent education for all Chinese children. We pursue these truths with opti-mism and boldness, and meet the challenges inherent in this pursuit undaunted by the scale of change we seek.

Humility and LearningWe constantly and proactively strive to improve our work, and remain cognizant of our individual and orga-nizational limitations. We continuously draw support and knowledge from our constituents and peers, and act on insights that enable us to become more effec-tive. We respect and value each other’s roles, beliefs, and experiences, appreciating individual contributions to our unified purpose.

TeamWe deeply believe that the success of our work is founded on mutual respect and collaboration. We ap-preciate and inspire each other in our collective effort toward our ambitious vision. The passion and energy we bring enable us to work together through successes and challenges and to support each other to grow as individuals and as an organization.

LIFE AS A FELLOW

There is no single Teach For China experience. From the dynamics of teaching teams to the rhythm of placement schools, each Fellow leaves the Fellowship with a unique set of stories and experiences. Here you can read about the day-to-day of two of our Fellows.

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A Day in the Life at 植英中学 (Zhiying Middle School)Wyatt BrutonUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ‘11Teach For China Fellow ‘13

My name is Wyatt Bruton, and I am a first-year Fel-low teaching Middle School English at Zhiying Middle School in Lugang Zhen, a village in the coastal region of Guangdong Province. I’m excited to give you a brief introduction to my life here so that you can gain some perspective on a region where you may have the privi-lege to spend your next two years.

Every weekday, I wake up and look out my window to see around 2,500 middle schoolers parking their bikes in front of our dorms. I get dressed, review my lesson plan, and head down to my classroom at 7:30 to help struggling students before class, which at this point is packed from front to back with 81 students.

Six times a week, Alex, my co-teacher and close friend, and I help guide our students on a journey around the world to learn English—a journey through which we want our students to believe deeply that they can achieve unprecedented academic and personal growth within just a one year period. Many of our students started the year with the perception that English is an irrelevant, impossible language that has no impact on

their future. In recent years, development in Guangdong Province has exploded as China has developed. Chanc-es are, the shoes you are wearing right now were made within bus distance of my village. Therefore, there is a high demand for factory workers. Many students at my school see the chance to make money for their families as an enticing option that seems much more important than staying in school. That’s where we come in—our goal is to inspire students that English is a tool for them to set and achieve big goals in this ever-changing world.

Due to the overwhelming amount of students at this school and the extremely fast pace at which local teach-ers teach, many students are left behind and sometimes even encouraged to drop out of school. Though most students begin studying English in Guangdong Province in third grade, we learned the first day of school that one of our students didn’t even know the alphabet. As I began to sit down with him for tutoring every morning before class, he told me that a teacher had never sat down with him one-on-one before to help him. “I’ve been ignored by every teacher I’ve ever had,” he said.

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My heart broke, but after just three weeks, he could read, write and say the entire alphabet. This semester, we are implementing different methods of differenti-ated instruction and assignments to meet every student in our class right where they are.

I believe that investment in the lives of students should take place in and outside of the classroom. I am very excited to say that I’ve started the first ever Glee Club in Guangdong, China! Every Sunday afternoon, 20 of my students come to our classroom, where we learn Eng-lish and Chinese songs! Many of our most apathetic stu-dents show up every time eager and excited to learn a song in English!

Though the situation here is extremely challenging, I wake up every morning with a sense of purpose and resolve, knowing that with every class, every home-visit and every interaction with one of my students, I have a chance to impact their lives and inspire them to ful-fill their dreams. What an amazing feeling, and what an amazing job.

Wyatt and his students.

A Day in the Life at 忙怀中学 (Manghuai Middle School) Caitlin MossGeorgetown ‘11Teach For China Fellow ‘13

7:00am: I wake up to my alarm. I feel refreshed after savoring the extra hour I get to sleep. Two mornings a week, I get up at 6:00am in prepara-tion for class at 6:50. So 7:00am feels late to me!

7:15am: After boiling water in the kettle on my hotplate and making myself an easy breakfast of oatmeal with honey and instant coffee, I settle in at my desk to check emails and catch up on some news.

7:45am: I am dressed and ready to go. I open up my lesson plan for the morning’s class, and review my plan to teach my students some new vocabulary words, including table, desk, TV, plant, chair, drawer, bookcase, sofa, dresser, and bed.

8:25am: I hear the bell ring. It’s time for sec-ond period! I head to my classroom 10 minutes early to prep the blackboard.

8:28am: I reach the classroom, where students are finishing up work, chasing each other around the room, throwing paper airplanes, and gener-ally wreaking havoc.

8:35am: The bell rings, and my students all rise and greet me with a chorus of, “Good morning, Miss Moss!” I greet them back, and then we’re off. I start class with a quick dictation, and then it’s time for our new material.

9:20am: The bell rings, signaling the end of class. My students know it’s not over until I say it’s over, though! With a “下课！” I release them. Chinese pop music blasts over the loudspeak-ers as students file out.

9:50am: I sneak into the back of my co-Fellow Karman’s classroom to listen in on his class. I help out by checking up on the students who are sitting near me in the back.

10:35am: Karman and I debrief for a few min-utes and discuss how to teach this week’s tricky grammar points.

10:45am: Once I’m back in my room, I hop on-line for a quick Skype date with my little broth-er. Staying in touch with folks at home always brightens my day.

11:15am: My teammates knock on my door for lunchtime; we all head down to the cafeteria ahead of the rush of hundreds of students who will soon storm it. We beat the line and get some food while it’s still hot! Today for lunch I have white rice, potatoes, bean sprouts, and tofu.

12:15pm: I dig into some grading, working on the dictation that I gave my students this morn-ing. After I grade all 53 of their dictations, I track the results on an excel sheet so I can see their progress in numerical form.

2:30pm: I start fleshing out my lesson plans for Tuesday, which is my heavy day, with four classes in total. Although I’ve gotten the basic content of each lesson nailed down over the weekend, now it’s time to think about the specific prac-tice questions we’ll use and how I will assess students.

3:30pm: I change into a t-shirt, running shorts, and sneakers. After grabbing my iPod and keys,

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I’m out the door for a 6km run by the scenic Lancang River. I run along the paved road until I reach the point where the water turns from brown to blue. When I return, I pass a farmer herding his cows down the road, and count the landmarks (an old factory, a brick maker, and a gas station) that bring me closer to Manghuai Middle School.

4:35pm: Time for 体育课, or sports class, which I help supervise. I teach a group of interested students how to play the basketball game “horse,” but we switch in vocab words that they have already studied, like “pen” and “notebook.” See? I can even sneak English in during sports time.

5:00pm: Still sweaty from my run and basketball, I go back to my classroom. I told my students that I’d have my door open for tutoring from 5 to 6 today, so I stick to my promise. Thankfully, my students don’t mind that I’m stinky! They only shower once a week themselves, so they don’t seem to notice.

5:30pm: Ten students from my class come by to review the vocabulary we learned this morning and talk about the review sheet from last week. I help correct their spelling and pronunciation as they practice writing and saying the new words.

6:00pm: Dinner time! Karman and I decide to take a break from the cafeteria and cook for ourselves. I throw some rice in the rice cooker, Karman washes veggies, and I start chopping garlic. We make fried tomato and

eggs, a foreigner favorite in China, and potatoes, cab-bage, and green beans.

7:00pm: I FINALLY get a shower in. Lucky for me, Man-ghuai has installed brand new solar heaters on the top of the shower facilities, so we usually have hot water. This is not the case for many Teach For China schools.

8:00pm: I finish prepping my lesson plans for Tuesday’s classes, and start looking over my Monday night plan, just in time for...

8:50pm: Night self-study class, a.k.a. 晚自习. I usually use this time to give my students some extra practice with the material we learned earlier in the day.

9:35pm: Karman and I walk back from class in the dark together, and we start discussing our Christmas plans. It’s only October, but we’re already excited. There will be stockings, Christmas lights, gingerbread, and home-made cookies from America involved!

9:45pm: Back in my room, I check emails again and prep my materials for my morning lessons. Once I have ev-erything set to go, I catch up on the phone and on gchat with a couple of other TFC fellows at other schools.

10:45pm: After brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed, I start reading The Glass Castle on my Kindle and set my alarm for 6am before drifting off to sleep. It’s been a long, but satisfying day.

Caitlin Moss takes a picture with one of her students.

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OUR COMMITMENT TO CROSS-CULTURALCOLLABORATION

Teach For China works to strengthen US-China relations by fostering future lead-ers who are equipped and qualified to solve problems cross-culturally. This value is re-flected in all aspects of the organization, in-cluding our bi-cultural Board of Directors, staff, and dual registration in both the US and China. As these Chinese and American Fel-lows work together – to discuss classroom management, design lesson plans, and in-spire students – they are pioneering a bilat-eral approach to addressing global challenges. To strengthen its role as a conduit for Sino- American collaboration, Teach For China has

formed a partnership with the US-China bilat-eral “100,000 Strong” initiative to dramatically increase the number and diversity of young Americans working and studying in China.

Teach For China’s partnership with the effort was formalized at the US-China High-Level Consultation on People-to-People Exchange in April 2011, hosted by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and State Councilor Liu Yan-dong. Engagement with “100,000 Strong” will provide a sturdy platform for Teach For China to forge lasting and meaningful government partnerships in both in the US and China.

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Michelle ChoHarvard ‘10Teach For China ‘13Yale Law ‘16

MEET MY TEAM

From left, the Teach For China Fellows of Huxi Middle School: Wong Qiong, Ryan, Wenying, Danwei, Michelle, and QQ.

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Welcome to Huxi!

My name is Michelle Cho and I teach 7th grade English at Huxi Middle School in Guangdong, and it is my absolute privilege to introduce you to my co-Fellows. One of the most important reasons all Fellows—Chi-nese and foreign alike—are so attracted to Teach For China’s model is unquestionably the chance to live and work in cross-cultural teams. As a novice Chinese speaker, I knew that I, especially, would have to rely on my team for everything from ordering dinner to ex-plaining difficult grammar points to my students. And oh, how they have stepped up. I am in love with them, and now you can learn why!

The characters in this drama:

- Michelle (me!). Teaches: 7th grade English. Hometown: Seoul, Korea. Graduated from: Harvard University. Strengths: Making oatmeal in a teapot. Weaknesses: Chocolate.

- Wenying. Teaches: 7th grade Chinese litera-ture. Hometown: Zhongluotan, Guangdong. Gradu-ated from: Sun Yat Sen University. Strengths: Cooking the most fantastic meals armed with nothing but a rice cooker and a will to make it happen. Weaknesses: Blouses with ruffles.

- Wong Qiong. Teaches: 8th grade Biology, Phys-ics. Hometown: Guangzhou, Guangdong. Graduated from: Zhongnan University. Strengths: Picking up new languages; wiping our tears. Weaknesses: Insects her students capture in bottles and bring to her as gifts.

- QQ. Teaches: 8th grade Biology, Physics. Hometown: Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Graduated from: Shandong University. Strengths: Unflappability. Weak-

nesses: A perplexing emotional attachment to his bike, which is really much too small and far too slow and is just all-around a terrible little bike.

- Danwei. Teaches: 7th grade Math, 8th grade Geography. Hometown: Maoming, Guangdong. Gradu-ated from: Guangdong University of Business Studies. Strengths: Leadership and long bike rides. Weaknesses: Wanderlust.

- Ryan. Teaches: 3rd grade English, 4th and 5th grade Oral English. Hometown: Chicago, IL. Graduated from: Columbia University. Strengths: Open-minded-ness. Weaknesses: O.P.I. nail polish.

While most teams comprise two Chinese and two foreign Fellows, I am lucky enough to be in a larger team, with four Chinese and two foreign Fellows. I could write an encyclopedia of the things we do to-gether and for one another, but quite simply: we help each other teach, and we provide each other with emotional support. Both will be invaluable to you over the next two years, and your fellows will provide copious amounts of each.

When you are challenged every single day to do the hardest job you will ever love, it will be the people around you who, in sharing in both the good moments and the bad, will give you the strength to face each day with energy and gratitude. Every day, I am over-whelmingly thankful that I am not alone, but that I am living this life and experiencing this experience with my co-fellows, together. As Wenying wrote in a letter she gave me last week, “We are a family.” We did not start out as a family, but we have definitely become one. Rural China will make a family of you and three or five strangers. Look forward to it. You are so lucky. It will be one of the best things to ever happen to you.

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LETTER FROM A CHINESE FELLOW

Letter from 肖璇 Sophie Xiao

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亲爱的诸位，

展信佳！

首先祝贺你们凭借着非凡的决心和超群的实力，突破层层选拔，加入到“中国教育行动”大家庭中。在此，我谨代表“中国教育行动”2010-2012届所有中国项目成员向你们致以最诚挚的问候和最热情的欢迎！ 教育不平等至今仍是牵制人类社会进一步发展和繁荣的重大全球性议题；而在今天的中国，贫富分化显著，城乡教育间的差异尤为突出。难忘四个多月前，亲眼目睹学生们的父母背着巨大的木板（用作床板）赤脚走上3-6小时的崎岖山路送孩子们前来报名的情景；无法忘记摇摇欲坠的土坯小楼中，看到五个男学生挤着两张破败不堪爬满跳蚤的草垫床入睡的一幕。全校40余名教师，包括校长，没有一位上过高中，更不论接受专业师范院校的教育；他们虽然尽心尽力地工作，却难以负荷1000余名学生的日常教学工作；学生基础薄弱，成绩远远落后于全县水平，加上家庭经济条件普遍困难，继续升学的可能性微乎其微。

从那时起，我开始意识到“中国教育行动”录取信背后，寄托着一份沉甸甸的社会责任。而这份责任正是我们，中美一流

高校的毕业生们，应该勇敢面对和肩负的。唯有跨国界的紧密合作才能帮助解决困扰着当今世界的种种严峻问题；改善教育不公平的现状更需要我们——未来的世界领袖——. A放下一己之私，投入到这份意义深远的事业中。

在过去的一学期中，我和美国队友Chris-tine以及Phoebe建立了深厚的友情：校园内，我们一起切磋教学，分享经验，为学生们带来学习成绩和能力的显著提高；课堂外，我们积极申请图书项目，引进大量图书，同时寻求资金援助，设立奖学金，改善社区的饮水困难和垃圾污染状况。每一点滴的努力都带来了意想不到的丰硕回报，这更加鼓舞我们把这份美丽的事业传递下去，以便更多的农村学子都能享受到优质的教育和丰富的社会资源，大胆地创造和实现自己的梦想。

行胜于言。奇妙的旅程即将开始，希望你们架起友谊之桥，跨越教育不平等的鸿沟；期待你们在彩云之南的土地上，用饱蘸希望的画笔，为孩子们勾画出美丽的明天！现在到了你们出发的时候了。

肖璇 Sophie XIAO中国教育行动2010-2012项目成员云南省临沧市云县茂兰乡哨街村学校

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Hello!

First of all, congratulations on joining the Teach For China family! On behalf of all Teach For Chi-na 2010-2012 Fellows, I want to express our sincere greetings and a warm welcome to you!

Educational inequality is a critical global issue that impedes human progress and prosperity. In China today, there is a huge gap between the poor and the rich, most notably in educational discrepancies between rural and urban areas. I will never forget when I saw students’ parents carrying large boards to be used as a bed. They were walking barefoot with the boards along a bumpy mountain road for 3-6 hours in order to register their children for school. I will never for-get seeing 5 students asleep on two flea-ridden straw mattresses in a small hut.

The 40 teachers at my school last year, includ-ing the principal, have not attended high school, let alone received any professional training. Al-though they work tirelessly, it is hard for them to meet the demands of teaching 1000 students. Students have a weak academic foundation, and their scores lag far behind their counterparts in urban areas.

In addition, most of the families in the commu-nity are under economic stress, which makes it almost impossible for their children to continue in school.

Since I have begun teaching, I understand the deep social responsibility behind the offer letter I received from Teach For China. It is a respon-sibility that we, university graduates from both

China and the US, must accept. Only through the close collaboration beyond the limits of na-tions can we find solutions to the pressing glob-al problems of today. The movement to elimi-nate educational inequality needs us, the future world leaders. This is the time to forget about our own interests and fully devote ourselves to this critical mission.

Over the past year, I have established profound friendships with my American team members. On campus, we discuss teaching methods and share our experiences in order to help students improve. Outside of the classroom, we launched a library program to bring many books to the school. At the same time, we have sought finan-cial support to create a scholarship program, and are working to improve local water quality and solve pollution problems in our community. All of these small efforts have translated into unexpected rewards and have encouraged us to continue the cause so that more children in rural areas can enjoy a quality education and abundant social resources. We want our stu-dents to dream big and realize their dreams.

Actions speak louder than words. I hope you will build the bridge of friendship and help eliminate educational inequity in China. I look forward to meeting you in China, where we can work to-gether to create a better future for these chil-dren! Now is the time to begin.

Sophie XiaoFudan University ‘10Teach For China Fellow ‘12

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LIFE AFTER THE FELLOWSHIP: ALUMNI IMPACT

Your impact does not end after two years in the classroom as a Teach For China Fellow. In fact, it is only begin-ning…

Teach For China supports its Alumni to become lead-ers in a wide variety of fields after the Fellowship. The Alumni Impact team ensures that every Fellow receives career guidance and has the opportunity to take ad-vantage of partnerships with employers and graduate schools. To date, Teach For China has developed an in-ternship program with employers as diverse as Save the Children, The American Chamber of Commerce, and The New Yorker, just to name a few. Teach For China Alumni also have access to partnerships with graduate schools, such as Tufts University Fletcher School of In-ternational Law and Diplomacy and deferral programs with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Govern-ment, Stanford School of Business, and others.

As an alumni of Teach For China, your contribution to our movement will continue long after your two-year Fellowship. As a member of Teach For China’s interna-tional network, you will have access to expanded op-portunities, as well as the resources and connections necessary to develop your career and to continue to make a meaningful impact after the Fellowship.

ALUMNI PROFILE

“I entered Teach For China knowing I wanted to go to law school and eventually work in international law and policy. Teach For China gave me space to think about how the issues in which I was interested actually impact people in developing communities. I also think partici-pating in Teach For China made me more sensitive to the role that culture plays in shaping international ne-gotiation, cooperation, and relations. Having Teach For China on my résumé signals to people that I “get” China and have in-depth experience in its social system. For someone who is interested in working on China from a policy angle, this is very valuable.”

Sam BirnbaumSt. Mary’s College of Maryland ‘09Teach For China Alumni, inaugural classHarvard Law School, Class of ‘14

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“Because of my work and time with Teach For China, I have changed the way I conceive of working in this world, of giving back. My career trajectory has been heavily influenced by Teach For China. I have been given opportunities to develop professionally and personally that I never would have been able to access without Teach For China. To have such amazing opportunities so young in life has been a true gift and one that I remain thankful for every day.”

Colin PfeifferPrinceton University ‘09Teach For China Alumni, inaugural classTeach For China Executive Director, Yunnan Region

“After working with Teach For China, I decided to switch my career from international development and business to education. To my own surprise, while with Teach For China in China, I found that I loved working with children and teenagers. Two years later, I continue to use all my creativity and energy in the teaching profession. Work-ing with Teach For China not only helped me decide on my career but also gave me the experience I needed to have confidence working in the classroom. The experi-ence I gained with Teach For China also gave me the opportunity to apply to other international teaching programs: I just completed a Fulbright English Teach-ing Assistantship in Ecuador and am currently enrolled in the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Masters program at Teachers College in Columbia University. Without my time at Teach For China, I would never have applied for these opportunities and certainly would not have had the necessary background to be granted these awards.”

Amanda McDonaldThe George Washington University ‘09Teach For China Alumni, inaugural classFulbright Scholar ‘11Teachers College of Columbia University, Class of ‘13

“Working with Teach For China helped me discover how rewarding (and challenging) working in the non-profit sector can be, particularly in an environment like China where non-profit infrastructure is still in its na-scent stages. It is thrilling to be pioneering a culture of service and it has been a privilege to continue to do so through Teach For China. Working on the frontier of the non-profit sector in China has proven to be a great platform for engaging inspiring thought leaders and a growing pool of China-based philanthropists, all of whom care deeply about expanding educational op-portunity in China’s neediest communities.” Gregory RootHamilton College ‘09Teach For China Alumni, inaugural classTeach For China Managing Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations

Teach For China is a member of Teach For All, an international network of independent social enterprises that are working to expand educational opportunity in their nations by enlisting the most promising future leaders in the efforts. Partners of the network aspire to the vision that one day, all children will have the opportunity to attain an excellent educa-tion.

Teach For All aims to increase and accelerate the impact of partnering social enterprises by sharing the best practices and resources of the network to help network partners over-come challenges and maximize impact.

RELATIONSHIP WITH TEACH FOR ALL

“I’m writing from Guangdong, the new province where Teach For China is placing teachers this year. It is amazing to see the progress Teach For China has made since I visited less than a year ago -- in its programmatic approach, the strength of its team, the support for the pro-gram in the private and public sectors. I’m leav-ing China struck again by the power of time and perseverance in this work, and so inspired by the hearts and minds of the people who are drawn to this cause…”

Wendy KoppOctober ‘11Founder and CEO, Teach For AmericaCo-founder and CEO, Teach For AllBoard Member, Teach For China

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FIVE COMMON PRINCIPLES UNIFY PARTNERS IN THE TEACH FOR ALLNETWORK:

Recruiting and selecting as many as possible of the country’s most promising future leaders of all academic disciplines and career interests who demonstrate the core competencies to positively impact student achievement and be-come long-term leaders able to effect systemic change.

Training and developing participants so they build the skills, mindsets, and knowledge needed to maximize impact on student achievement.

Placing participants as teachers for two years in regular beginner teaching positions in areas of educational need, with clear accountability for their classrooms.

Accelerating the leadership of alumni by fos-tering the network between them and creat-ing clear and compelling paths to leadership for expanding educational opportunity.

Driving measurable impact in the short-run on student achievement and long-term on the de-velopment of leaders who will help ensure edu-cational opportunity for all.

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Learn more about Teach For All and other partner organizations at: www.teachforallnetwork.org

“I was thrilled to be selected for the 2011 Teach For All Synergies Conference in Mumbai, India last January! Being a part of Teach For China not only gives me the unique chance to work and teach in China but it also connects me to a larger network of teachers around the world who are also working towards finding solu-tions to ending educational inequity in their own coun-tries. It’s going to be such an incredible and amazing experience and I’m so grateful for this opportunity.”

Monica KimSt. Mary’s College of Maryland 2009Fulbright Scholar 2010Teach For China Fellow 2012

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXTAs you prepare for your move to China, you probably have many questions and concerns. We have prepared a compre-hensive list of logistical considerations, as well as ways to being preparing for the challenges of your classroom as a Teach For China Fellow.

Submit Documents OnlineDUE: March 26, 2011To secure your spot in the 2012 Teach For China Fel-lowship class, you must log onto your Teach For China account to complete and submit the following docu-ments: Employment Contract, Release and Hold Harm-less Agreement, Emergency Contact Form, Medical Disclosure, Request for Medical Insurance, and Financial Aid Request.

Mail Your DepositDUE: March 26, 2011To confirm your place in our 2012 Fellowship class, we require a $250 USD deposit check, postmarked by December 18, 2011. Your deposit will NOT be cashed unless you fail to complete Summer Institute. Deposit is payable by check only. Please do not send cash or money orders.

Contact Student Loan AgencyDUE: March 26, 2011Teach For China facilitates loan deferment, and most Teach For China Fellows with loans are eligible for de-ferment. Before confirming the Fellowship, please con-tact your loan agency to ensure that your loans can be deferred during the Teach For China Fellowship.

You are eligible since your salary is a local Chinese sal-ary and therefore less than the federal minimum wage in the United States.

Please let Teach For China know if you need a loan deferment by contacting recruiting@tfchina.org, subject: Loan Deferment Required. We will send you further instructions and documentation for deferring your loan.

Book Your FlightDUE: March 2012Teach For China will mail details regarding how to book your flight to China in March 2012.

Secure Your VisaDUE: April 2012In order to work in China you will need to obtain a Chinese visa. Teach For China will contact all Fellows in April 2012 with detailed instructions and required documentation for securing your visa. As paperwork is required, Fellows should be prepared to set aside time

during this period to compile all documentation. In anticipation of your visa application, please make sure you have a passport that is valid for the entire term of the Fellowship. If you plan to travel during your Fellowship, please make sure you have plenty of extra passport pages to hold all of your visas.

Visit Your DoctorDUE: April 2012You should use the time before the start of the program to prepare for your Fellowship. The Teach For China Fellowship is a challenging po-sition, and you should be responsible for looking after your health and wellbeing.

Medical and Dental Check-up: Teach For China strongly recommends that all participants re-ceive a full medical and dental check-up prior to their arrival in China.Immunizations: Contact your local student health service or health care provider to find out about recommended immunizations. Keep in mind your travel plans for the two years of the Fellowship and not just the time you will be spending in China. Some immunizations you received as a child may require boosters, such as Tetanus/Diptheria, Measles/Mumps/Rubella, and Polio. Most Fellows should be immunized against the following diseases as well: Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis. Please check the CDC webpage (www.cdc.gov/travel/) to learn more about health precautions for China and other regions where you may plan to travel.

Prepare for Summer InstituteDUE: Ongoing from May 15Beginning May 15, the Training and Support Team will be the point of contact in prepar-ing all Fellows for arrival at Summer Institute. You should be prepared for a significant amount of pre-departure work to help prepare you for the rigorous approximately six-weeks at Sum-mer Institute.

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TEACH FOR CHINA CHECK LIST:

CHECK LIST ITEM DUE DATE

Complete and Submit Documents Online:1. Employment Contract2. Release & Hold Harmless Agreement3. Emergency Contact Form4. Medical Disclosure5. Request for Medical Insurance6. Financial Aid Request (if applicable)

To submit your documents online, visit: http://www.tfchina.org/matriculation

March 26, 2011

Mail Program Deposit, as well as signed original copies of your Employment Contract and Release & Hold Harmless Agreement to:

Teach For Chinac/o Teach For America315 W. 36th Street, 5th FloorNew York, NY 10018

March 26, 2011

Contact Student Loan Agency (if applicable) March 26, 2011

Email Teach For China at recruiting@tfchina.org, subect: Loan Deferment Required (if you plan to defer loans) (if applicable)

March 26, 2011

Book Your Flight March 2012

Secure Your Visa April 2012

See Your Doctor April 2012

Prepare for Summer Institute May-June 2012

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