Teaching Assistants

Teaching Assistants (TA) are an important part of KKCS big family. Thanks to every Teaching Assistant’s help, KKCS can achieve the goals of each class. The duties of Teaching Assistants include:

• Help students to do their classwork and homework

• Assist teachers with their students

• Collaborate with peers and TAs to provide direct instruction for students and curriculum planning

• Lead an indoor/outdoor activity

• Provide environment to encourage student participation in their learning process

• Maintain order among pupils

• Teach students good study habits, critical thinking, taking initiative, and self-discipline

Teaching Assistants also gained wonderful opportunities to acquire new skills, make new friends, and explore Chinese language and culture with a history of more than five thousands years. The following are some experience sharing papers from our TAs.

Experiences at KKCS

by Andrea Carney

 My experiences here have been so much broader than I ever expected and far more rewarding than I imagined that it is hard to convey them all in just a short essay. In some ways, it seems like the best way to explain what it's been like to be a TA and an English teacher at KKCS is this: Every day I spend here I learn something new, and every day I am happy to walk through the doors. That makes me grateful to have had the opportunity to volunteer here. I have spent my time teaching the students, but I think I learned more from the children than I could ever teach them.

 My beginning at KKCS happened in a whirlwind. I found out about the opportunity to volunteer just two days before the application deadline. I immediately called Dr. Zhou and asked if there were any positions left, although I was very worried that there wouldn't be. I almost didn't call, I was so sure that KKCS would be full up of TA's. Imagine my surprise when Dr. Zhou told me that they would be happy to have me! I was very excited and I prepared as best I could for the orientation – which was just the next day! At the orientation I did my best to absorb all of the information I would need to know for helping the students. Then, after the orientation Dr. Zhou and Dr. Miao asked me to be the English teacher as well as a TA. In the space of two days I went from just looking for an internship to being a TA and a teacher! It was exciting and a little scary, but I couldn't wait to start.

 On my first day I met my TA class, a combination of the 3^rd and 4^th graders. The students were very friendly, but what excited me the most is that they were all very curious. They asked a lot of questions, and when they got something wrong they usually wanted to know why they got it wrong, instead of just being told the answer. It was very heartening to see that they care about learning. They all try so hard.

 The teachers and staff were also very kind to me, and made my transition into the school very easy. They were supportive and understanding about the fact that I don't know Chinese, and even taught me some phrases – although I pronounce those words very, very badly. (The students love it when I try to speak Chinese because I usually end up using the wrong tone, making my sentences very funny!) I've also learned a lot about Chinese culture from the teachers and staff, which I'm very happy about. Not only does it make my interactions with the students better, the culture is so interesting! I hope to keep learning about it. Luckily, though, the students love it when I try to speak Chinese because I usually end up using the wrong tone, making my sentences very funny!

 Over the year, my duties at KKCS have changed. Instead of being a homeroom teacher, I am a TA under Mrs. Wang. That homeroom class is much smaller now, so that more attention can be given to each student. Instead of teaching English classes for students who speak English well, I now teach ESL classes for students who are very new to the US and know very little English. After all the changes, though, one thing has remained the same: I still consider myself to be very lucky to have volunteered here, and I will always treasure my experience at KKCS.

Andrea Carney gave a speech to the students at “Personal Development & Family Educaiton Semenar” in Afterschool Program

My TA Experience

by Jack Tan

        Being a teacher’s assistant (TA) at KKCS has been a very interesting experience for me. It gives me the chance to develop many skills, including leadership skills as well as responsibility skills. I have been learning something new almost every day and through working with students, I learned how to lead a group activity, and be organized.

I remembered the first day I walked in KKCS after receiving an invitation in the email from Dr. Hujie Miao. That was during the TA orientation/training, held on June 30^th 2010. I didn’t even know where the school is located. I keep trying to use the elevator to reach the second floor only to realize that it is disabled later on. As I was taken around the building by the very experience Henry Mei, it got my head spinning faster than a windmill.

On the first day of school, the craziness continues with kids asking me where they should line up. Only I don’t know there their lines are myself! I met up with my supervisor, Peter Kwok, who introduced me to Jessica Pullen, the NLC staff member I will be working with throughout the program. I was excited to be a teacher, but at the same time, I was a little nervous about dealing with conduct issues. On the first day, I met my classes, which consisted of grade 5 and grade 6, 7, 8, which turned out to be relatively well disciplined classes.

There are also many interesting things from this year’s summer program that I was able to pick up while working with the students. I remembered on the first week, I couldn’t even get a Chinese yo-yo to spin once and the students were pointing and laughing as the yo-yo dropped to the floor with a very loud and funny-sounding clank! Eventually, I was able to learn new tricks and now, I can balance the yo-yo and get it spinning.

As the program progressed, things get more and more interesting for me. I get to do stuff I’ve never done in my life, including choreographing of a dance for my Olympics team, teaching my kids how to cheerlead, and writing news articles as well as taking photos that would be released to the public through newsletters and newspapers.

I really enjoy my experience here at KKCS and I really appreciate everything the administration, Ms. Li Zhang, and the TA committee has done for me as well as other TA’s. Not only has it been an extremely fun summer for me, but at the same time, it allows me to develop many skills that I would not get anywhere else. I will be grateful for everything the school has done and the skills I learn will always be treasured.

A wonderful and fun experience

by Sandy Huynh

The 1^st year in Kwong Kow Chinese School has been a wonderful and fun experience for me! As a teacher assistant, I was able to learn many new things here and gain lots of experience with the kids. This was my 1^st time working here and I’ve been working with the k2 students for the past.. Hmmm… 8 months? Wow!! It’s been 8 months already.. That was really fast. Don’t you think?? Kekeke. The k2 students were really fun to work with since they’re the smallest kids in the school & I think that I am able to work with them better than the older kids.. Just because. Kekeke. Ahh, the 1^st time I came into the school I was at a lost. It was hectic! But these kids are very smart.. I don’t remember learning the things they are at their age.. It took a while to remember all the kids’ names, and who should be on the good list and the bad list ssshh.. But despite the troubles they may’ve caused me, they’ve been really good and I’m thankful for this! I think without the trouble some of the student’s caused, I wouldn’t be able to learn much either. Does that make sense? I hope it does kekeke. Thank you for those who’ve helped me get along with the school. I’m grateful for the opportunity the school has given me to work here and I will continue to work hard!!

Sandy Huynh with her TA-fellows in KKCS (Second row, first girl from left)