how good to be a student again!

     I graduated from school in 1997. During the past 17 years I have been teaching in the same university and never entered a college as a student any more. I love my students and I love to teach everything I know to them,both knowledge and life experience. Actually I had been quite engaged in my teaching work and I think most of students acknowledged my effort paid in my teaching. At the same time I had been quite engaged in my family. I had my child to raise and cultivate; I had my parents and parents in-law to tend to, many of the things are trivial but important. As time went by, I pass my 30s, and then 40s.  I feel I have been drained both physically and mentally. I felt I am more and more  in short of energy and knowledge. Secretly in the middle of the night I wished to have the chance to go to campus and absorb knowledge and breathe some fresh air...
       This summer my dream came true. How wonderful it is to be a student again and come to think of it, it is in Yale, the distinguished university in the world! I and my colleagues soon had teachers, two very nice ladies, dear Siggy and Carrie, they are so wonderful teachers that I couldn't help my admiration of them. Every morning after I  put on my backpack, I set off to the classroom in English language institute.On my way to the classroom the street is lined with beautiful old trees which give quite a lot of shade,  the birds sing to me, the neighbors sit at their porch and greet us friendly by saying simple Chinese "Ni Hao"(English means "hello") and neighbors sometimes ask us " Are you a Yale student?", I nodded proudly to them, how good it is to be a student again!  

                                                            on the way to the classroom


       Every day we observe the classes of  English teachers in Yale and we learn  both knowledge and different teaching methods and approaches from them too. I am especially excited when I learn a new teaching technique from them and I also learn a lot about cultural differences.  After class observation, Siggy and Carrie organize us to share what each of us learn from the classes we observe  and I and my colleagues communicate very eagerly with Siggy and Carrie and sometimes we have different opinions and even argue or debate, how fun it is to study. To study is like absorbing new energy and I feel very refreshed after the class although we feel tired physically. But every day there are so many things which are so new to our ears and eye that we don't feel tired any more!  With my backpack, I  went to the library, went to art gallery, went to every corner of Yale and took a lot of pictures wherever I went. I may be an old student in Yale but who cares!

on the lawn before the library

on the lawn before the dining hall