Teaching in Beijing has been a fulfilling and rewarding experience for me thus far! The staff and coworkers of my school have been supportive, friendly, and welcoming. As an English and Drama teacher, I feel so lucky to have students who are energetic and enthusiastic about learning every day! It’s exciting to be able to teach them about my culture and native language. The students are bright and focused on improving their English skills. They’re also eager to try roleplaying activities and acting different plays in the drama class.

I’ve improved immensely as a teacher through developing new curriculum for the drama, ESL, and elective classes at my school. It’s been so rewarding for me to create and adapt my own lesson plans for the grade three to grade six students. I enjoy creating interactive group activities, plays, games, and presentations to ignite the students’ love of learning! Interacting with my Chinese co-workers in the office and classroom has allowed me to form a lot of new relationships and friendships too! My school provides many opportunities for collaboration and discussion among teachers through open classes, teaching demonstrations, and group meetings. Recently, I did a teaching demonstration for the drama class, which was open to all primary school teachers at my school!

I’ve had the opportunity to attend numerous events with my school, such as Sports Day and field trips to an amusement park and petting zoo.

Daily life in Beijing, China is much different than my hometown in Minnesota, and I’ve loved the adventure every day brings! Although I’ve been here only a few months, I’ve had so many life-shaping experiences! As an avid outdoorsperson, I’ve been able to find so many ways to enjoy nature here! I’ve been fortunate to go on several awesome hikes in the Beijing area.  These include hikes in Mentougou, Xiangshan, and even a remote section of The Great Wall! The weather here is usually sunny and dry which makes it great for being outside in the mountains! I’ve had a lot of fun biking around Beijing which has an extensive infrastructure for biking with many bike lanes and paths connecting the city. I’ve found it’s a convenient and fun form of transportation in daily life! I’ve also visited several beautiful sights around the city such as The Temple of Heaven, The Summer Palace, and the Forbidden City.

Food in Beijing is a definite highlight for me! Whether it’s kung pao chicken, Peking duck, hot-pot, or dumplings, there’s something for everyone here. I’ve found the food to be much more flavorful than food from back home, and spicy too! I love trying out new restaurants with friends and learning how to say the local dishes in Mandarin. My partner and I have even learned how to cook some local food! Ordering food at the restaurant is also a great way to practice Chinese and interact with local culture.

All of my experiences in Beijing wouldn’t have been possible without the guidance and support from TLD! Due to their organization, responsibility and advice, my time teaching in Beijing has been a joy! If you’re thinking of taking the step to teach abroad in China, TLD is a great choice for you!

TLD was a helpful agency that guided me through the application and visa process. They assisted me with everything from picking me up from the airport to getting a SIM card. TLD has been a great support throughout my transition to life in Beijing, and I am grateful for their assistance.