The second staff meeting of the school year started off on time, although two teachers were unable to make it due to logistical issues. We met at 1:30, and the attendees were ready and raring to go! 

We started off with our usual opportunity for teachers to share their feelings about their schools and their teaching issues. There was less to say this time around, as teachers have been able to settle into a routine and gotten some experience under their belts. The themes for this month's staff meeting were "New Experiences in China" and "PPTGames". Kathleen started the ball rolling with a quick summary of things to remember when going to a Chinese hair salon or getting a manicure or pedicure in Nanjing, while Tim had some useful advice about sending money home to the USA. In fact, there was a lively discussion about ways to send money home, which is always a hot topic among foreigners in China. John finished our mini-talks with some excellent WeChat hacks and ways to stay connected in with your smartphone.

Tony and Jaf had some great tips on how to use PPTs to make awesome games for the classroom, although it was with sorrow that it was announced that Waygook is no longer free… The remainder of the staff meeting was more along the lines of housekeeping – procedures and professional behaviours regarding Open Days and other duties were reiterated. Teachers were reminded of the deadlines for introductions, testimonials, and articles.  

All in all, it was a very productive staff meeting. Hopefully teachers were able to get a cupcake from the office before leaving!

Wuxi teachers had their second monthly meeting on Friday October 27, 2017, whereby they met their new colleague Paul, a teacher from the U.K. who just moved to China. This meeting was the first of a series of themed meetings. The teachers decided to use the monthly meetings to share their knowledge, their teaching skills and material as well as talk about useful things to know about living in China and Wuxi in particular. This month's topic was PPT games and New Experiences in China. Val and Julie showed several useful PPT games to use in the classroom and Tom, Danny and Tim shared information on outdoor living in Wuxi, useful websites such as Taobao, for anything from groceries to furniture, JD.com for electronics, and Didi, the Chinese Uber. It was very productive and informational. This themed meeting format is very promising!