I currently teach AP World History and AP Economics at Newport High School in Bellevue, WA. When I first applied for the CE Trip I had hoped that I would be a good fit primarily for two reasons: Chinese history and the Chinese economy are an integral part of my curriculum, and over 40% of the students at Newport are of East Asian ethnicity. I was looking for a way to both learn things that would make my lessons on China more alive, and for an experience that would help me to better understand my students by seeing something of the background of many of their families. The experience satisfied both goals and more.
Though exhausting, the trip was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I learned an enormous amount about China and Chinese culture. But more importantly, I learned about the people. From our gracious tour guides, to the Chinese Americans in our tour group, to the amazing volunteers in Shang Hai, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as the other two teachers on the tour, the people I met during those 3 and a half weeks will be important to me forever.
This trip allowed me to experience so many aspects of China's politics, economy and lifestyle. By allowing us to see multiple cities in mainland China, in addition to Hong Kong and Taiwan, the trip allowed us as American teachers to more fully comprehend the diversity in what it means to be "Chinese." No one could ever return from this trip without a tremendous desire to continue to learn, explore and share such a complex and fascinating culture.