My name is Eddie Mills, and I've been teaching in Hainan Province since 1993. My wife and I have enjoyed teaching in Hainan and we highly recommend any school in Hainan. At the invitation of the Hainan Provincial Government, I was asked to form an association to help Hainan's Schools with their English programs. Therefore, in the year 2000 the International Education Exchange Association, Inc. (IEEA) was founded with the sole purpose of assisting the province English programs in the various rural and city schools of Hainan. We accomplish this by helping qualified native English teachers find employment at certified schools of Hainan, holding summer English programs for Minorities of Hainan, and poverty relief programs for poor county schools.

After being selected for the "Model Teacher Award" in 1997, we had the honor of dining with the Vice-premier of China. Throughout our eleven year stay in Hainan, we have met with various officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and Hainan Province as well as other officials from various provinces of China. I've received the "Coconut Island Friendship Award" in 2000, which is offered by the Foreign Affairs Bureau to those who have contributed to education in Hainan. During these past eleven years, I've had the honor to visit each county of Hainan and to visit almost every key middle school in Hainan. My students are found in almost every primary and middle school of Hainan and now in several colleges.

With this said, this blog probably won't win any awards for being humorous. My purpose is to provide information from experience so that newcomers will have something to fall back on and not have to solely rely on information from the novice who might not realize what is actually happening around them. Much of what I will say will probably contradict what's usually found on various ESL sites concerning teaching and studying in China. Hopefully, it will be easy to understand by all who wish to be informed from experience instead of hearing from the six month novice, who is like a flea jumping from one school to the next inflicting pain and anguish.

Fred Schneiter, Hong Kong based Vice President for Market Development in China of US Wheat Associates, takes a more direct approach in saying. "Today, the philosophy enjoys a following among newcomer who (unfamiliar with the terrain) seem disinclined to believe the counsel of those who've trudged the road. The only advantage in that is the thrill of making your own personal discovery of the difference between what seems to be going on and what is going on. Those who indulge in scant preparation, muddling along in feeble fashion, quickly fall-in with our walking wounded. Typically, they're often unaware they are in need of a tourniquet, a stitch or salve, much less having the foggiest notion of where such should be applied. It's difficult for the neophyte to correctly read his or her progress chart in the flickering light of smiling pleasantries and platitudes from Chinese counterparts. Overcoming our initial ignorance comes slowly because our heads are so clouded with the dust and cobwebs of our accumulated misconceptions."

After eleven years, which is a short time in China, I agree with the above statement. I continue to see a reoccurrence of events that relate to ill prepared newcomers. It's like the old joke about Peat and Repeat sitting on the fence. Peat fell off, who was left? Now it's newcomer and old timer sitting on the fence. Newcomer is sent home, who is left? With newcomers constantly being sent home for the same issues, you would think we would catch on. It's almost useless to mention to some that after eleven years I've probably seen it all, heard it all, and mostly realize that many of the problems that expats face in China are largely due to the "rumor mill" that is running crazy in China. The "he said/she said" or "I heard this" has probably caused more confusion in China than anything else. Rumors create more problems. Why not consider that many problems stem from the wrong EXPECTATIONS prior to arrival.

For the newcomer, it's very important to have proper EXPECTATIONS prior to arrival. The expectation list can cover hundreds of topics. I do not intend to write a book concerning all of these, but to list some thoughts that have brought the most trouble in China. Later, I will list more that cover a different spectrum of ideas concerning expectations in the classroom, food, friendships with the Chinese, Chinese students, and fellow Chinese English teachers.

Since you are a guest in China, let's begin with some expectations that the Chinese have concerning Western teachers and also what your realizations should be prior to arrival:

EXPECTATIONS/REALIZATIONS:

1. You are a teacher not a tourist - Realize you are coming to China to teach and not to be a full time tourist. This does not mean you can not go sight seeing. Give proper time to prepare lessons and by all means enter the classroom prepared.

2. You are considered an expert, so behave like one. Realize if you are not qualified to teach ESL or English, by all means prepare before arrival. There is no excuse for not being prepared prior to arrival. Teaching ESL isn't as easy as it looks. Preparation will save you a lot of embarrassment.

3. You are expected to follow China's laws and regulations. Realize if you have trouble with rules and regulations, don't come. It's expected for you to conform. It is useless to complain about a contract that you signed and now you want to break. If you signed it, live by it. Later I will discuss measure to take when the school breaks their end of the contract.

4. If you want to study Chinese, come as a student and not as a teacher. Realize schools hate a teacher who shirks his/her duties in order to study Chinese. Don't be a freeloader. Does this mean you can not learn Chinese? No! It means if you are a teacher, earn your pay. If you want to be a FULL-TIME student do not free load as a teacher.

5. If you want to preach Christianity from the classroom, realize teachers in Western countries can't, so do not try here.

6. If you want to promote some form of politics in the classroom, realize you will find yourself in serious trouble with the school and possibly on your way home.

7. If you love to complain, realize the school officials and teachers won't listen. The key here is "Love to". Teachers who grip about everything are avoided like the plague. There are proper ways to deal with certain situations that arise. Being LOUD and ANGRY never works. You would be surprise what a smile and a sense of humility would do.

These are simple thoughts but if you are not careful, you will arrive in China, visit the local expat hang-outs, hear the various troubles at schools, and without realizing what's really happening, you will fall into a trap of paranoia that will affect your stay in China. Many novices unload their grief on some unknowing Chinese because of their lack of knowledge of Asian Culture. Be careful. When you meet the chronic gripper, befriend him/her and maybe they will recognize the culture shock that they are experience. Try not to fall into the mode of sarcasms, complaining and constant state of finding fault with everything around them.

There are many who only see the down sides of a developing country instead of the rapid changes of developing country. Do your best to overlook what you can and to see the richness of ancient China.

Make friends with your FAO -- Foreign Affairs Officer. He or she will be surprised that you are willing to ask questions, especially if the other foreigners are misbehaving. Seek out the Dean of the English Department. Find out what their expectations are and what you can do to correct any situations that might be left over from a previous expat.

Most of all be willing to be an ambassador for your country. Behave yourself, act like you have an education, be civilized and willing to learn from an ancient civilization that is rebuilding its country. If you act right, the Chinese officials will act in accordance to your efforts. If you behave childishly, wildly, drunkenly,

angrily, or unprofessionally, don't expect your stay in China to last or to be happy.

Most of all realize that BLAMING others is a weakness of our Western culture. Westerners are so quick to blame others without regard to their stumbling efforts to teach in China. If you stumble, fall over their cultural ways, or step into your own pitfalls, than by all means accept the blame.

Make your stay pleasant, informed, and friendly.