_____ 享受“Gateway to China” Roger Carter
Comm Ctr夏令营教学
史静梅
我本来今年暑假安排休息调整一下。人到中年，都更眷恋年事已高的母亲。好友张肃和徐萍都回中国陪伴母亲了。“Gateway to China” Roger Carter Comm Ctr夏令营一时没找到合适的老师。我这个老Roger Carter Comm Ctr出于对这个夏令营的深厚情感，只好一人坚守着这块“后花园”了。
“Gateway to China” Roger Carter
Comm Ctr夏令营像一个中文学校的“后花园”。它每年暑假接待着居住在哈维郡的不同家庭，不同的文化背景，从5岁到13岁年龄不等的小朋友。
我曾经跟徐萍老师分享：我之所以喜欢 Roger Carter Comm Ctr夏令营的教学，是因为孩子要在这里每天呆上近十个小时，至少要呆一周。而且更重要的是这里是小班教学，五个孩子就开营，最多不超过十五个孩子。这样我在这里才能真正地有足够的时间，了解孩子的心态性格，生活习惯，和学习动机。真正地因人而异“因材施教”
。 使孩子真正喜欢中国文化，使孩子从心里不感到学习中文是个负担。 由此，达到我中文施教的目的。 令人欣喜的是许多来过我们 Roger Carter Comm Ctr夏令营的小朋友都喜欢这里。希望回来，再回来。看到那来自中国家庭和美国家庭的小朋友，一周又一周地回来。有的从这里走向了中文学校双语班，有的去参加了中文“Star Talk”。还有的和父母一起满怀对中国文化的憧憬，去了中国。让我深深感到在 Roger Carter Comm Ctr夏令营的教学真是教书育人“ 胜似闲庭信步”，东篱采菊享受无限。一幕幕教学场景，让我久久难忘。
巧思独具的苗苗
6月23日，“Gateway to China” Roger Carter
Comm Ctr夏令营开营了，这期来了五个可爱的小朋友。两名姐弟是我去年在这里教过的孩子；一名是往年在这里教过的孩子的妹妹苗苗，还有另外两名新来的孩子。第一天结束，我收到苗苗妈妈的邮件附件是一幅画：
史老师：
这是苗苗回来后画的。 她说她很喜欢gateway
to china. 谢谢您！
我真是又惊又喜！苗苗画的是我坐在椅子上给孩子们上课。我的小助手萨世浩站在孩子们身后，关注着每一个小朋友。五个不同肤色的孩子，坐在地毯上专心致志地看着我。我从小苗苗这幅画上感受到了孩子们的爱，也感受到了家长们的期待。同时也为这六岁左右的孩子的敏锐观察力和精湛巧妙地艺术表现力所折服。
夏令营来了中文超好的营员怎么办？
第二个星期，夏令营来了一位中文超好的营员小陈。他在哈维中文学校，已经是学习完四年级《马立平中文》的孩子。而且他中文学习得非常好。为了不让孩子感到“Roger Carter Comm Ctr”夏令营枯燥，孩子妈妈专门给孩子带了中文书。让孩子无聊时自己看看中文书。
然而我们每期会根据孩子自身的情况，和中文学习的水平，因人而异地量体裁衣设计教学方案，选择教学内容。当我第一时间接到梁辉副校长发来的孩子们的注册信息。我就已经决定了给这个中文最棒的营员设计吴承恩的原著《西游记》文学欣赏教学的方案。
果不其然，孩子看过卡通，也了解一些西游。更知道下学期他将在五年级要学改编的《西游记》。而我以中文专业教师的敏感，给孩子直接灌输中国古代文学名著原著。很成功，我真的深深吸引了孩子。他们随着我深入浅出的讲解，不断地提出一个个生动有趣的问题，我一个个地为孩子们耐心讲解。第二天孩子爽快地告诉妈妈：不用带书了。我们在夏令营的课上都有啦！看着家长满意的眼神，我会意地笑了。
一周后，这期夏令营结束，我的中文超好的营员走了。可我有四个上周来的孩子又回来了。他们虽然中文只学到一年级，却每天吵着要我给他们讲《西游记》。我也将计就计：每天给孩子们讲《西游记》，就成了对他们中文学习的奖励。孩子们都成了孙悟空的粉丝，他们纷纷回家把家里有关《西游记》的小人书，《西游记》的卡通等翻出来。一遍一遍地翻看。这些小人书让所有的小营员喜欢，翻阅。一年级的子怡竟一本本地读着小人书上的每一个汉字。她还热情地翻译给美国家庭的小朋友听。一时间《西游记》热成了“Roger Carter Comm Ctr”夏令营的文化主流。孩子们通过故事感受着中国文化的真善美和假丑恶。我给孩子们的这种奖励一周周延续，一直延续到第五周这四个孩子离开夏令营，跟随父母去度假了。我相信孙悟空在孩子们的心田扎下了根。
可爱的印度小姑娘邹懿
邹懿是我用她的英语名字的谐音。她今年六岁，每次上课她都聚精会神地看着我。从她又黑又亮的眼神中，看出她对中国文化的极大兴趣！我们经过周一，周二两天的共同生活。第三天，星期三早晨，邹懿拿来一个人身象头的布娃娃。一见我就说：“你给我们讲中国文化。今天我也想给你分享印度文化。”看着她瘦小玲珑的身材，和坚毅恳切的目光。我反被邹懿的勇敢和思索能力感动了。我知道我讲的中国文化在她的身上融化了，小家伙要和我文化交流了。我高兴得说：“好！好！等一会儿，小朋友们来齐了，请你给大家讲讲你的印度文化，好吗？”
上课了， 我特意安排时间，让邹懿给大家讲讲她的布娃娃：象头神迦尼萨Ganesha是湿婆神（Shiva）与雪山女神（Parvati）之子，在印度，人们进行任何活动前均先礼拜象头神迦尼萨，因为他带来成功和幸福。印度教在举行仪式之前、结婚、朝圣前、出远门、拜师开学、开店都会敬拜迦尼萨，他是印度的家庭守护神。
小邹懿的举动，引导着我也从新去学习了一下关于印度迦尼萨的传说。真是教学相长，受益终身啊！
天使般美国黑人男孩石瑞福
石瑞福是去年他让我给他起中文名字时。我按他名字Shreef的音译给他起的。从此他一直练习，他的中文作业签名就一直是“石瑞福”。去年他一周周地要求妈妈给他注册回来。所以一整个假期的夏令营都是在这里度过的。他是我的粉丝，他喜欢我的中国扇舞，更喜欢我的功夫扇。他喜欢写汉字，喜欢和我一起学汉语。今年我给他讲“颛顼帝喾”“尧舜禅让”的时候，他竟问我：“这些人是在修长城前？还是修长城后？”我说：“是在修长城之前。”“那是在后羿前后呢？”他又进一步问。我吃了一惊！因为我去年在这里给他讲了《后羿射日》的故事。我还让他表演了后羿。我以为经过一年他早忘了呢？没想到他还记得，而且在这儿等着我呢？他的融汇贯通能力让我欣慰。我赶紧告诉他：“后羿是在颛顼帝喾，尧舜禅让之后，又在修长城之前的故事。”如果说今天这个对中国文化有着浓厚兴趣的孩子让我赞叹的话。那第五周最后一天的早晨，他的问题让我对他更刮目相看了。这一天，我胸有成竹地来到了 Roger Carter Comm Ctr ，今天我准备给孩子们讲《张仲景制作饺子医冻耳》，并教孩子们包制饺子。课已经备好，包饺子的原材料也备齐。
没想将要上课了，正在玩耍的石瑞福突然很认真地对我们提出了一个问题：“美国的标志性国家动物是鹰； 那什么动物可以代表中国的国家动物呢？”我还没回答，孩子们就争执了起来，有的说熊猫，有的说是龙。面对这我毫无准备的问题？这朵孩子智慧思想的火花，让我心里真是一阵惊喜！我固然不能草率应付，因为我的三言两语可能给孩子未来的思考，和人生价值取向指引了不同的发展方向。我用最快的速度，在心底组织了一下腹稿。开始上课：
我首先认真地表扬了石瑞福能自己把美国文化和中国文化联系起来思考问题。他提了一个史老师非常喜欢的问题：“美国的标志性国家动物是鹰； 那是什么动物可以代表中国的国家动物呢？”
我告诉孩子们，中国五千年以上的漫长历史，产生了悠久的文化和无数的好听的故事，中国文化喜欢用不同的动物表示不同的文化含义，不同的生活场景选用不同的动物做标志。我一边讲，一边给孩子们看视频图像：如狗很忠实，我们用狗代表忠诚；猴子聪明，我们用猴子代表机智；牛代表毅力；马代表耐力和速度；蝙蝠代表福气；雄鸡代表吉祥；乌龟代表长寿等等。
中国人认为“凤”是百鸟之王；“虎”是百兽之王。中国古代的人就选择了自己的图腾是“龙”。所以中国人说自己是“炎黄子孙”是“龙的传人”。古代皇帝认为自己是真龙；皇后是真凤。所以我们历史的文化常常用龙来表现自己的民族。
让孩子们了解了凤和龙的形象和文化含义后，我又强调：但我们知道凤和龙不是一种真的动物。是我们中国人精神的象征。
我又给孩子们讲了“为什么中国人称大熊猫为国宝？”大熊猫为什么珍贵？为什么世界上现在只有中国有大熊猫？大熊猫是我们中国友好的使者。
因为中国的气候复杂，中国地形也复杂。中国国宝的动物除了大熊猫外、还有白鳍豚、金丝猴、红腹锦鸡、朱鹮、麋鹿、白头叶猴,小熊猫,褐马鸡,东北虎,华南虎,扬子鳄等很多种动物。所以国宝不等于国家标志性动物。
孩子的一个突发问题，我们一节课过去了。看到孩子们认真和满意的神情。我油然产生了一种完成作业式的轻松。我们带着这样愉快的轻松心情，开始了我们中国饺子的学习
… …
我在美国的汉语传播生涯，不是为用汉语教育盈利。我是为汉语传播而教汉语，为教书育人而教汉语。所以我的朋友常常叹惋：我和我的学生是教育行为，不属商业行为！古人云：鲜花送美人，宝马赠英雄。在这“Gateway to China” Roger Carter Comm Ctr夏令营我结识了一批又一批苗苗，石瑞福这样的小小有缘人，真是我人生之幸事也！让我乐此不疲，坚定不移“不管风吹浪打,胜似闲庭信步”。
Easy as a Walk in the Yard
______Experience “Gateway to China” Roger Carter Comm Ctr Educational Summer Camp
Writers: Jingmei Shi
Translator: Peishi
My original plan for the summer was to take a break and rest up, because at this age, I miss my elderly mother more than ever before. Two of my close friends Su Zhang and Ping Xu have both returned to China to visit their elderly mothers. As a result, “Gateway to China” Roger Cater Comm Ctr Summer Camp experienced challenges finding a suitable teacher, thus my devotion towards the Roger Carter Comm Ctr Summer Camp brought me back to this greenhouse. The truth is “Gateway to China” truly is like the greenhouse of the Chinese School. Each summer it hosts many families from many different cultural backgrounds with children’s age ranging from 5 to 13 years old.
I have mentioned to our fellow teacher Ms. Xu in the past that there are several reasons why I have such passion to teach in the Roger Carter Comm Ctr Summer Camp. For one, these children spend nearly 10 hours here each day for a whole week. More importantly, the class size is structured to be small, starting at 5 and ending at 15 students. This way I would have enough time to fully understand the students’ personalities, living habits, and motivations for their studies. With this information I would be able to tailor teaching strategies for each individual student in the Summer Camp. It helped the students appreciate as well as fall in love with the Chinese Culture, and greatly reduced the stress and discomfort for them to learn the Chinese language. This is how I achieve my objectives as an educator. What pleases me even further is that many children who have been here wish to return week after week. Of the students who started at this Summer Camp, some go from here to the bi-lingual class in the Chinese school, some joined “Star Talk”, some went to visit China with their parents as their dreams coming true. Watching these children grow and progress at the Roger Carter Comm Ctr has provided me the greatest pleasure as an educator. I deeply feel that my career as an educator is just as much of a joy as walking in the yard and gardening in the field.
The Ingenious Miao Miao
On June 23rd, “Gateway to China” Roger Carter Comm Ctr Summer Camp kicked off, and we have welcomed 5 lovely children this session. Two are siblings who are returning students from the previous year. One of is the younger sister of a former student, and her name is Miao Miao. Besides them, there were two brand new students joined us this session. When day one of the Summer Camp ended, I received an email from Miao Miao’s mother:
Dear Ms. Shi:
This drawing was done by Miao Miao after she got home. She said that she loved Gateway to China Summer Camp, and thank you for everything!
I was so surprised! Because in the drawing, I am sitting in the chair teaching a class, my Teaching Assistant Shihao Sa is standing behind the students, keeping an eye on them. The five children in our Summer Camp are from a different ethnic group, yet they are all sitting side by side on the carpet and paying attention to my lecture. From this drawing, I could sense the appreciation of the children as well as the expectation of their parents. At the same time I was so proud of such detailed observation and crafted presentation of this 6 -year -old.
There is an expert in Chinese joining our Summer Camp! What should we do?
Week two, a new student by the name of Chen joined our Summer Camp, and he spoke excellent Chinese. He had already completed the 4th grade course work under Maliping Chinese Series at Harvard Chinese School. His level of Chinese language was at a point where his mother asked him to bring a book that was written in Chinese to read during his spare time at the Roger Carter Comm Ctr Summer Camp.
As mentioned before, we tailored our teaching objectives based on the current Chinese level of each individual student, so when I first obtained the registration information of the students, I already decided to use the Chinese historical literature written by Cheng En Wu “Journey to the West” as the textbook for Chen.
As it turned out, Chen has seen Cartoons on the literature, and he also has basic knowledge on the story. Chen knows for a fact that he will be taught the new edition of “Journey to the West” in the upcoming semester of the Chinese School as he enters the 5th grade. From the keen observation of an educational professional, I only knew it was a good idea to introduce this Chinese literature to a student like Chen. The strategy met its mark; Chen was very involved with the stories told in the literature. Later, the more detailed information I provided, the more outstanding questions I received. And most certainly, I made sure he fully understood all of my answers to his questions. The very next day Chen told his mother, “I no longer need to bring a book to the class, because the teacher provided a great textbook for me!” Right at that moment, I can only appreciate the satisfying look of his mother.
A week later, the Summer Camp ended, Chen left, but the other four students came back. Although they have only finished their 1st grade in the Chinese school, they were expressing much interest and curiosity in the “Journey to the West” literature. Assessing the situation, I came up with a plan, each day the students are to be awarded with a story from the “Journey to the West” as the bonus of their studying effort. Soon after, the children all became the fan of the Monkey King. Once home, they dug out their comic books along with cartoon videos on “Journey to the West” to watch over and over again. Those comic books shortly became class favorite at our Summer Camp; everyone continuously shared and circulated them with one another. Ziyi from the 1st grade even read the Chinese characters out loud from the comic books, and she also patiently translated them for other American children. As “Journey to the West” became the mainstream culture of our Summer Camp, the students were stirred by the good and evil evolved out of the Chinese Culture. I then continued to provide this rewarding bonus to the students week after week, all the way until the 5th week when they all left the Summer Camp to go on their own family vacations. I firmly believe at that point, these students will never forget about the Monkey King.
Zou Yi the Sweet Indian Young Lady
Zou Yi is the transliteration of her English name into Chinese; she is six years old, and very concentrated in my lectures. From her bright eyes, I can apprehend her deep interest in the Chinese Culture! Day one and day two has passed, on the morning of the third day, Zou Yi showed up with a doll completed with an elephant head and a human body. When she saw me, she said, “Since you taught us about Chinese Culture, today let me share some Indian Culture with you.” Watching this tiny figure with her confident eye engagement, I was touched by her courage and contemplation. That minute, I knew for a fact the Chinese Culture I once taught her has blended into her World, and now she is demanding cultural exchange. As a result, I gladly grouped the students together to pick up what she had to offer.
When the class started, I arranged time for Zou Yi to present her doll. The doll represents Ganesha, who is the son of Shiva and Parvati, and they are all gods in Hinduism. In India, the practices of all traditional events begin with worshipping Ganesha, because he brings everyone success and happiness. These events include wedding, pilgrimage, traveling, school opening, business opening, etc. Ganesha has been further respected as the protection of families in India.
It was because of Zou Yi that I ended up going back to review the legend of Ganesha, and I have benefited a lot from it.
The African-American Angel Shi Ruifu
Last year Shi Ruifu asked me to give him a Chinese name, so I translated his English name Shreef by its pronunciation into Shi Ruifu. He has been practicing writing his Chinese name ever since, and he has been using it as his signature on all school works. He spent a whole summer at our Summer Camp last year. He was a fan of my Chinese Fan Dancing, and he had even more interest in my Kung-Fu Fan. Shi Ruifu admires both writing and learning Chinese. This year, when I taught him “Zhuan Xu Di Ku” (two of the earliest tribe leaders in Chinese History) and “Yao Shun Shan Rang” (a story of one tribe leader pass the position onto someone talented outside of his own family), he asked whether these events took place before or after the construction of the Great Wall. I told him it was all before the Great Wall era. He then asked if they were before the story of Hou Yi (a hero from ancient Chinese history who arrowed down nine suns and saved the lives on earth). I was very impressed by his questions, since the lesson on Hou Yi was given last year, I was surprised he still remembers and able to connect it with the new materials. I patiently answered, “The story of Hou Yi was after “Zhuan Xu Di Ku” and “Yao Shun Shan Rang”, but before the Great Wall era.” From there forward, the surprises just kept coming. Five days later, I prepared a lesson on “Zhang Zhongjing cures frozen ears syndrome with Dumplings” (Zhang Zhongjing is the inventor of Dumplings in the Chinese history). As part of the lesson, I was planning to physically teach the students how to make Dumplings.
Right before the class started, Shi Ruifu came to me with a serious look, and asked me a new question. His question was since eagle is the animal that best represents America, what is the animal that best represents China? Before I answered, the children begun to argue, some said panda and others said dragon. The truth is I was not prepared for such a question, yet I am shocked by such intelligent expression. Surely I cannot pitch out a quick answer, as to consider its impact on their future development of moral and value. So I promptly developed a plan in my heart, and then class was in session.
In the beginning, I made a commendation to Shi Ruifu for making an insightful connection between the American and Chinese culture. Then I told the students, “With over five thousand years of Chinese history, various cultures and stories emerged. This shaped out the case that Chinese Culture utilizes different animals for different symbolic meanings. I will show you some pictures to follow as I speak.” Then I continued, “For example dog is loyal, so dog became the symbol of loyalty; monkey is smart, so we use monkey as the symbol of intelligence; bull represents perseverance; horse represents endurance and speed; bat represents luck; rooster represents auspicious; turtle represents long life, etc.”
To Chinese people, phoenix is the king of all birds, and tiger rules all of the rest of the animals on land. Chinese people have chosen Dragon to represent them a long time ago. This is why Chinese people call themselves the offspring of “Yan Huang” (two of the very first tribe leaders in Chinese history), as well as the descendants of dragon. Back in the Chinese Feudal Society, Emperors thought of themselves as actual dragons, and empresses thought of themselves as actual phoenixes. Later, dragon became a commonly used figure for Chinese people to represent their ethnicity and nationality. Once the children had a grasp on the cultural meaning of dragon and phoenix, I clarified that dragon and phoenix are not real creatures; they’re only representations of the spirits of the Chinese people.
As the lecture went on, I explained the reason why Chinese people view Giant Panda as their national treasure as well as why Giant Pandas are only found in China within their natural habitat. I stressed that Giant Pandas are presently the friendly envoy of China.
Due to the complex geography and climate of China, the animals enlisted as national treasures of China besides the Giant Panda also includes Lipotes Vexillifer, Golden Monkey, Chrysolophus Pictus, Nipponia Nippon, Elaphurus Davidianus, Semnophithecus Francoisi Leucocephalus, Lesser Panda, Crossoptilon Mantchuricum, Panthera Tigris Altaica, Panthera Tigris Amoyensis, Alligator Sinensis, etc. This is why a national treasure does not necessarily equate to a national symbol as we speak.
Just like that, a sudden question from a student triggered a discussion that covered a class period. By observing the seriousness and satisfying look on each of their faces, I felt the relief of finishing a big assignment. Afterwards, we carried on to the lesson on how to make dumplings in this relaxing and joyful atmosphere.
… …
My Chinese educational career here in America simply comes down to spreading the seed of Chinese education. I am doing so with the hopes that our future generations can benefit from the knowledge and the values. Practically, no part of my career geared towards profiting off of our scholars. Some of my friends always say that my career is fully an educational practice instead of any type of business practice. As the old saying goes, “May the beauty of the flower be gifted to the beauty of the lady, and shall the best of the horses belong to the best of the warriors.” At “Gateway to China” Roger Carter Comm Ctr Summer Camp, I am fortunate enough to meet groups of brilliant children like Miao Miao and Shi Ruifu. Such fascinating experience motivates me down the path of my career, regardless of the challenges and hardships ahead. For me, to overcome the obstacles for the future of my students is only like a walk in the yard.
