Interview by Sadie Biehl
Mrs. Wang is the Mandarin teacher here at MMHS and this is her third year teaching in Mashpee. The Falconer wanted to sit down with her to explore how teaching has changed since the pandemic. We also learn more about who she is outside of school.
The Falconer: Can you tell me about where you grew up in China?
Ms. Wang: I grew up in Beijing, China. I was born in Beijing and was there until I turned 24.
The Falconer: What inspired you to move to the United States?
Ms. Wang: Nothing, it was because my husband wanted to come to the United States to finish his PHD. The United States has the best university, also research and the best professor. So this is why my husband wanted to continue his education and find this famous professor to get his PHD. So this is why I followed him and came over, by that time I had no plan and I just followed him.
The Falconer: Do you still have family in China?
Ms. Wang: Yes, my old family, my parents, relatives, my husband's family. They are all in China.
Mrs. Wang is the Mandarin teacher here at MMHS and this is her third year teaching in Mashpee. The Falconer wanted to sit down with her to explore how teaching has changed since the pandemic. We also learn more about who she is outside of school.
The Falconer: Can you tell me about where you grew up in China?
Ms. Wang: I grew up in Beijing, China. I was born in Beijing and was there until I turned 24.
The Falconer: What inspired you to move to the United States?
Ms. Wang: Nothing, it was because my husband wanted to come to the United States to finish his PHD. The United States has the best university, also research and the best professor. So this is why my husband wanted to continue his education and find this famous professor to get his PHD. So this is why I followed him and came over, by that time I had no plan and I just followed him.
The Falconer: Do you still have family in China?
Ms. Wang: Yes, my old family, my parents, relatives, my husband's family. They are all in China.
The Falconer: What do you do to stay in touch with them?
Ms. Wang: My older brother is in the Philippines and my parents are in China. Every week, we use WeChat, which is an app, to talk to each other, and sometimes facetime. Twenty years ago, we didn’t have that, so we had to write letters. We would spend months trying to connect to each other. Phone calls are super expensive, like one dollar per minute. So this would not happen too often. But now we have an app that is free where we can talk to each other.
The Falconer: Have you always wanted to be a teacher?
Ms. Wang: No, when I was young I never thought I could become a teacher. At that time, I wasn’t patient with kids and I had really no heart for teaching. Until I had my own daughters, I watched them grow up with their education, and I thought that was interesting. Then I had this opportunity and found out someone was interested in learning mandarin. So I became a teacher and I found out that the kids love me. So now I enjoy being a teacher, but that was not the original plan.
The Falconer: What were you doing before teaching?
Ms. Wang: Oh, I had so many careers. My first degree was for engineering. I learned about technology, at that time there were big computers, huge. I needed to put every part together to create one computer, you know? So that's the thing, to fix computers was my first job. Later on, we move to another area, then I think maybe I want to become an accountant. So I switch to learning accounting. I was thinking about the future, if I have kids, I can quietly sit down and I don’t need to travel. Because before I had to travel, but accounting is more quiet, you just sit there and do the numbers. I am very good with math. So then after that, I came to the United States and felt everything was starting from zero. My language, my culture, all is different, so I want to learn a lot. Finally, I became a teacher.
The Falconer: From growing up in China to living here now, what is the biggest difference you have noticed between American culture and Chinese culture?
Ms. Wang: You know, this is hard to say because America really doesn’t have one culture. Everybody brings their own culture from some part of the world and they mix up. I really can not use one thing to say ‘oh, American culture looks like this’. American culture is from all of the people together because of the diversity. The only thing that is different is that culture is different from east to west. In east culture, we say big things then get smaller. For example country first, then community, then the person. But here, we say things small to big.
The Falconer: What's your favorite part about teaching in Mashpee?
Ms. Wang: Mashpee, I think, is very unique. There is a lot of diversity compared to other communities. For example, here we have a lot of Native Americans, which makes this community so unique. Another thing is, in Mashpee, I love my classroom! Also the technology and new toys, I love it. Here, most of the kids are pretty sweet.
The Falconer: How do you think Covid has impacted your classroom and you as a teacher?
Ms. Wang: Before, we had lots of handout work and physical activities. It was so fun, we would have so much fun. At the beginning of the year it was a huge challenge. I didn’t know how I could teach. Over the summer, I was thinking ‘what can I do?’ We lost so much fun with the physical movement. I used a long time to plan. And now, we have found Gimkit. We have so much fun software. I have really learned a lot and developed a lot. I have reached a new normal where I try to make it fun. It’s different. Sometimes you learn things when you lose things.
The Falconer: What do you miss most about life before the pandemic?
Ms. Wang: I had already bought a ticket and planned to fly back to visit my parents. Every summer I go back, but last summer I couldn’t. I miss that so much. Even this summer, I might not be able to. If you go to another country, it is another quarantine for fourteen days before you go, then when you come back there is another fourteen days. Then a whole month is gone in quarantine! Maybe not this summer, but I miss my parents so much. It will be two years since I have seen them.
The Falconer: How do you feel about students returning to school full time soon?
Ms. Wang: That’s a big topic. First of all, I can not make the decision. It is the Massachusetts governor's decision and we just follow. Even if we don’t know what to do, we have to find a new way to deal with the change. I think it's good, that I can see the whole class face to face. The other side, the safety side, I don’t know how to work it out. The students don’t have their vaccines yet and they will be so close together.
The Falconer: Is there anything else you want to tell me about yourself?
Ms. Wang: I think that I would just tell the students, because this generation has mostly had an easy life until this time, don’t be afraid because you can overcome it. You can not back down, life is like a marathon. So you have to keep going, you know? When you persevere, you really already win, because you just keep going, even if it is slow. Some people get stuck there. So I just tell you, this is the same thing I tell myself, keep going. You have an opportunity to come back up. Some people who face new challenges always find a new way, but some people just come up with excuses and become stuck. So that’s just how I feel.
Ms. Wang: My older brother is in the Philippines and my parents are in China. Every week, we use WeChat, which is an app, to talk to each other, and sometimes facetime. Twenty years ago, we didn’t have that, so we had to write letters. We would spend months trying to connect to each other. Phone calls are super expensive, like one dollar per minute. So this would not happen too often. But now we have an app that is free where we can talk to each other.
The Falconer: Have you always wanted to be a teacher?
Ms. Wang: No, when I was young I never thought I could become a teacher. At that time, I wasn’t patient with kids and I had really no heart for teaching. Until I had my own daughters, I watched them grow up with their education, and I thought that was interesting. Then I had this opportunity and found out someone was interested in learning mandarin. So I became a teacher and I found out that the kids love me. So now I enjoy being a teacher, but that was not the original plan.
The Falconer: What were you doing before teaching?
Ms. Wang: Oh, I had so many careers. My first degree was for engineering. I learned about technology, at that time there were big computers, huge. I needed to put every part together to create one computer, you know? So that's the thing, to fix computers was my first job. Later on, we move to another area, then I think maybe I want to become an accountant. So I switch to learning accounting. I was thinking about the future, if I have kids, I can quietly sit down and I don’t need to travel. Because before I had to travel, but accounting is more quiet, you just sit there and do the numbers. I am very good with math. So then after that, I came to the United States and felt everything was starting from zero. My language, my culture, all is different, so I want to learn a lot. Finally, I became a teacher.
The Falconer: From growing up in China to living here now, what is the biggest difference you have noticed between American culture and Chinese culture?
Ms. Wang: You know, this is hard to say because America really doesn’t have one culture. Everybody brings their own culture from some part of the world and they mix up. I really can not use one thing to say ‘oh, American culture looks like this’. American culture is from all of the people together because of the diversity. The only thing that is different is that culture is different from east to west. In east culture, we say big things then get smaller. For example country first, then community, then the person. But here, we say things small to big.
The Falconer: What's your favorite part about teaching in Mashpee?
Ms. Wang: Mashpee, I think, is very unique. There is a lot of diversity compared to other communities. For example, here we have a lot of Native Americans, which makes this community so unique. Another thing is, in Mashpee, I love my classroom! Also the technology and new toys, I love it. Here, most of the kids are pretty sweet.
The Falconer: How do you think Covid has impacted your classroom and you as a teacher?
Ms. Wang: Before, we had lots of handout work and physical activities. It was so fun, we would have so much fun. At the beginning of the year it was a huge challenge. I didn’t know how I could teach. Over the summer, I was thinking ‘what can I do?’ We lost so much fun with the physical movement. I used a long time to plan. And now, we have found Gimkit. We have so much fun software. I have really learned a lot and developed a lot. I have reached a new normal where I try to make it fun. It’s different. Sometimes you learn things when you lose things.
The Falconer: What do you miss most about life before the pandemic?
Ms. Wang: I had already bought a ticket and planned to fly back to visit my parents. Every summer I go back, but last summer I couldn’t. I miss that so much. Even this summer, I might not be able to. If you go to another country, it is another quarantine for fourteen days before you go, then when you come back there is another fourteen days. Then a whole month is gone in quarantine! Maybe not this summer, but I miss my parents so much. It will be two years since I have seen them.
The Falconer: How do you feel about students returning to school full time soon?
Ms. Wang: That’s a big topic. First of all, I can not make the decision. It is the Massachusetts governor's decision and we just follow. Even if we don’t know what to do, we have to find a new way to deal with the change. I think it's good, that I can see the whole class face to face. The other side, the safety side, I don’t know how to work it out. The students don’t have their vaccines yet and they will be so close together.
The Falconer: Is there anything else you want to tell me about yourself?
Ms. Wang: I think that I would just tell the students, because this generation has mostly had an easy life until this time, don’t be afraid because you can overcome it. You can not back down, life is like a marathon. So you have to keep going, you know? When you persevere, you really already win, because you just keep going, even if it is slow. Some people get stuck there. So I just tell you, this is the same thing I tell myself, keep going. You have an opportunity to come back up. Some people who face new challenges always find a new way, but some people just come up with excuses and become stuck. So that’s just how I feel.