Hannah Wilson (RKH teacher and RES past pupil)
What a start to my teaching career. Never did I expect to spend my first year as a qualified teacher, in China. This experience allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone in so many different ways, but it was so rewarding and worth-while. The support I received from the staff at Rainey Kindergarten made joining the team so seamless and enjoyable. The resources are of the highest quality, reflecting the kindergarten’s professionalism and reputation in the wider area.
The relationships I built with my pupils were so special and I certainly learned as much from them as they did from me. Watching each of their individual personalities develop while witnessing the progress they made in the English language was truly inspiring as they all achieved their own goals at different stages.
I’ve also got involved with extracurricular activities such as the after-school choir class I started. This really challenged me and forced me to think outside the box as I navigated how to teach Disney songs to a group of 4/5-year-old Chinese children.
Aside from work, I’ve had opportunities to travel and explore such a huge, diverse and beautiful country. So often I would explore a new province or city and found myself saying “how is this China?”; it’s a country that really does offer a little bit of everything. From Shanghai’s German Christmas markets, to the famous Yellow Mountains in Huangshan, to the Snow and Ice Festival in Harbin, to the tropical beaches of Sanya (hopefully by the time you’re reading this I will have made it to the Great Wall in Beijing). These are only a few of the places I visited amongst many others as the amazing public transport makes it so accessible and convenient to travel.
While there were times when Mid Ulster felt very far away, I am so glad I took the step to come to Hangzhou and join the family at Rainey Kindergarten. It’s an experience I would recommend to anyone as you will come home a much more resilient, adventurous and outgoing person.
I’m going to miss the friends I made and the children I taught, but I will most definitely never forget any of them and thank each of them for making my experience what it was.
