Frederick Reppun – TWB-China 2006
Intern-Assistant – Harvard University ‘07

Initially I signed on to the TWB-China project for the chance to conduct surveys and interviews with the 200 Chinese teachers that were to attend the workshops. I hoped to get information about China’s recent efforts to implement environmental education, and write it up for an undergraduate thesis. I was unclear of my role as a “TWB Intern/Assistant,” but by the end of the first workshop day in Jintang, it was clear to me that I was incredibly lucky to have this ambiguous role.

Belonging to neither the science nor the English group, I got to meet all the teachers from both groups. As an assistant to TWB teachers, and as one who sometimes sat with the Chinese teachers during classes, I was privileged to observe the workshops from multiple points of view. I gained an appreciation for how difficult it is to be a teacher in China, and how difficult it is for an outside organization or an individual within the Chinese educational system to bring about a positive change. But I was also hopeful based on the number of enthusiastic and forward thinking people I met, both on the TWB team and among our Chinese colleagues. Many of the teachers and administrators expressed frustration with bureacracy, but there was never an indication of quitting or disinterest in their jobs.

As guests of the Chinese teachers we enjoyed and appreciated their hospitality, and as colleagues we all felt a certain sense of camaraderie. However, the main joy of the workshops for me was being in the presence of, and if I was lucky, meeting those individuals who stood out because of their efforts to improve themselves for their students. These people participated in the workshops with all their hearts and with, what seemed to me, an almost desperate attitude. These are the ones who will do everything possible to improve the lives of their students, and these are the ones I keep in my thoughts.

With the rigid testing structure, it is difficult to bring about change within the Chinese educational system. Therefore I am hesitant to say that the workshops were hugely successful in that regard. However they had another, perhaps more important impact. I have learned that in education, a single powerful experience can alter a student’s life. For example, some teachers told me of a project that some students did which addressed local water pollution. With the aid of their teacher, the kids eventually took their findings to the local government officials, and caused polluting industries to either clean up their waste or move away from the lake. For the rest of their lives, these students will view the problems they face in a different light. That is the power of a single experience, and that is what the workshops were for me and many others.

Will the inquiry method of teaching science really get implemented in Chinese classrooms? No one can say. Will TWB have a long-lasting and fruitful relationship with its Chinese partners? It’s too early to tell. Will I go into teaching? I don’t even know what to fix for breakfast in the morning! All we can say is that for a small group of people, the China workshops opened up new friendships and gave life new direction.