The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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  • Tanner Kent

    ChineseTeacher

  • NanjingChina

August 26, 2008

Teacher to bring China to Nicollet

By Tanner Kent

NICOLLET — Bing Bai’s classroom is, so far anyway, pretty sparse.

A dozen plastic chairs that look comfortable enough sit in in the middle of the room. White walls and empty dry erase boards peer in from the exterior. The teacher’s desk is cleared and empty and a swivel chair carrying a summer’s worth of fine dust awaits its first suitor.

“But I’m still decorating,” said a smiling Bing, who only weeks ago arrived in the United States and just this week glimpsed, for the first time, the Nicollet High School classroom where she’ll spend a good deal of the next 10 months.

The room’s single accouterment, however, is telling.

Just inside the classroom door, tacked onto a bulletin board, is a large map of China. The country’s several provinces are clearly delineated and names like Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Qingdao signify the distance, both culturally and metrically, from Nicollet, Minn.

Somewhere on that map, near the southeastern coast of the world’s most populous country, lies the ancient metropolis of Nanjing, a former Chinese capitol — and Bing’s hometown.

With roots than run throughout the entire depth of Chinese history, Nanjing is home to more than 7 million residents and a rich cultural tradition. And, as part of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, Bing is hoping to bring some of that tradition to the Nicollet School District and surrounding area.

“I want to experience American culture and, at the same time, share Chinese culture with America,” Bing said. “I want to be an ambassador.”

And she’ll get plenty of opportunities.

In 2006, Gov. Tim Pawlenty engaged the state legislature in developing a common curriculum for the teaching of Mandarin Chinese in Minnesota’s schools. Since then, the demand for Chinese language classes has risen sharply, and school districts have been starved to find teachers with the proper expertise.

Project SOCRATES, which provides classroom technology to a large consortium of south-central Minnesota school districts, has offered Chinese classes (as well as other language classes) through Internet-TV for several years. Even now, SOCRATES is planning to work with Bing to provide her class to other districts.

But, Nicollet Supt. Dick Orcutt said, a multimedia experience cannot replace a live classroom teacher.

“To have a Chinese teacher physically in our building is quite an honor,” Orcutt said. “It shows that things aren’t dormant here in the outstate area.”

At Nicollet, Bing will teach two Chinese courses for grades 7-12 as well as provide Chinese lessons to elementary students. But Bing’s job description also includes working with SOCRATES and giving cultural presentations in surrounding districts.

Bing, who is a university professor back home, said she is looking forward to her immersion into American classrooms.

“I’ll try in my own way to make the language simple,” Bing said. “I’m so excited for the first day.”

Bing’s arrival was precipitated by a diplomatic visit from several area educators to China a few years ago. Former Nicollet Supt. Todd Meyer was among the delegation. Soon after the visit, Nicollet applied for and received a grant through the Guest Teacher Program.

After a 10-day orientation at Stanford University, Bing arrived in Minnesota just weeks ago. So far, she said, the people have all been very gracious and welcoming. She did say the weather is much cooler than the humid summers she’s used to in Nanjing and she’s trying to adjust to the food.

“American ice cream is very delicious,” she said.

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