The two weeks I spent teaching in Shijiazhuang was an experience unlike any other, and I feel enormously privileged for it to have been a part of my summer. From the moment we landed in Beijing, my anxiety about being so far away from home in a continent I’d never visited before was dispelled by the warm welcome that we received from the school, and from Jinduo, who took care of us throughout the entire trip. We had three days to adjust to the jetlag and talk through planning lessons with the teachers who would be supervising us in the coming week. We were also shown around the school, which had an incredibly diverse and exciting range of teaching facilities, from woodworking and design studios to AI and robotics labs. A particular highlight for me was walking through the music rooms and getting to see the students play so many instruments from both Western and Chinese traditions. Looking through pictures of past performances of Chinese opera that the students had done, it was clear that so much time and effort went into the study and appreciation of music from both the students and teachers.

During the following weeks, we rotated four classes each week, resulting in two separate final sessions where students presented materials that they had been working on in their favourite classes. My lessons involved guiding students to try to create a ‘magical’ guide to Shijiazhuang; to reimagine their favourite places and things to do in the city through a fantastical lens, and to use English accurately to describe these places appealingly. We also played some classic classroom games to try and keep engaging with English in a more casual and verbal way – Splat and Two Truths and a Lie were some favourites of my students, but nothing beat Hangman. The word ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ was a favourite for its length, although its definition remained somewhat hazy (from both students and teachers). I was continually amazed by the creativity of the students, and astounded by the originality and humour that they could inject into their guides. Seeing their final presentations was an incredibly proud moment, and I was so happy to see them grow, even if it was just a little, in their English speaking abilities and confidence in themselves.

Outside of teaching, we were exposed to parts of Chinese culture that we never would have been privy to as tourists. Part of this was being taken out by students and their families, an experience which was truly a highlight of my time in China. I was taken to make traditional Chinese art with two students from my class, and taken to the home of another student to talk with his family, prepare tea and have dinner with them. I felt truly honoured to be welcomed so warmly and easily by the students and their parents, and it quickly became one of my most special experiences.

The food was another part of the trip that took some getting used to, but it was also one of the best things about my time in China. On the first night we grew particularly attached to the sweetened bread and ice cream dessert, which regrettably didn’t appear again in our trip, but was definitely a highlight. From classic hotpot and delicious Sichuan and Cantonese dishes to more interesting ones like pig feet, jellyfish and chicken kidney, the food was continuously amazing, and I feel somewhat more confident in my chopstick abilities now!

We were taken on a range of expeditions and excursions, from hot springs and a spa to the ancient mountain village of Baodu Zhai, with fortified temples and underground tunnels. The Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Market and the Zhengding Ancient City were some of my favourite spots, and going to watch a football game in the Yutong Sports Center was a terrific experience. At the end of our time in Shijiazhuang, I was so incredibly grateful to the teachers who made us feel so welcomed and at home, and it was so lovely to receive the many gifts given to us by students and teachers alike as memorabilia of our trip! We ended with a few days in Beijing, seeing and walking on the Great Wall of China, and ambling around the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. It was definitely a bittersweet goodbye as I boarded my train to Shanghai. The time I spent in China was incredible, defined by the most lovely and hospitable people and some wonderful places which I will never forget. It has absolutely inspired me to travel further in the future, and to use education as a way to see the world in a very different light.