Classroom Monitor

Before I arrived in Wuhan I learned from another Saint Martin's teacher (Thanks Jon!!) that on my first morning of teaching I should ask who the class monitor is. It's key to gaining access to what you need at the school. I didn't fully appreciate the depth of this statement then. I do now.

There's some discussion among the teachers here how a class chooses the equivalent in the states of a class president, of sorts. Some have been told it's the best student in terms of grades, other classes claim it's by class voting. However the monitor is chosen I learned of mine that first morning.

Inquiring for that person to claim the distinction, she introduced herself and promptly strode to the classroom PC and found the listing of my 15 students. As she dragged it off of the classroom PC and dropped it into my memory stick, I couldn't help but marvel at the difference in receiving a class roster. I never really thought about the role of classroom monitor again...at least until this, my last week here in Wuhan. I learned of her power, for lack of a better term.

On Monday when I arrived I quickly noticed the lady with the key had forgotten to unlock the PC from its wooden stronghold. I asked an early student arriver if she knew where my morning greeter was...no, but our class monitor has a key. My student was on her cell phone to tell the classroom monitor to make a quick entrance to the classroom, which she did and unlocked the computer so I could prepare for the morning's lesson.

The next day I gained yet another level of understanding. Never tardy, my class monitor arrived 30 minutes late. Opening the metal door she stepped through the raised entrance and held a small, white device in her hands and waved it triumphantly. The students went berserk. I really didn't know just yet what was going on. Everyone talked excitedly as one student fished out two batteries from her backpack as a donation to cause and another student inserted them into what looked like a remote device. It's then it dawned on me.

We have heat! The wall heaters here are operated with a hand held devise, much like a TV remote. That's what this was. Another student pointed it at the heater near me. It purred on. Next, he pointed it at the heater in the back of the room—the one that mocked me each day previously as I remained bundled in my four layers and one layer of gloves. It rose from its hibernation.

Dumbfounded, I said to no one in particular, "The heaters work???" A student heard me and said, "Yes." Still mesmerized by the heat belching out its warming effects from both ends of the classroom, I tore my jacket off and inquired, "Why are we just now getting this remote?" The answer I received was this: the sun isn't out so we can run the heat.

A good lesson for me: always inquire what all your class monitor can do for you, beyond providing the class roster.