Chapter 4 From Rome To The Moon

The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the classroom, casting a warm glow over the rows of desks where Lucy's students sat, their expressions ranging from curious to indifferent.

Lucy stood at the front of the room, her heart racing slightly but her smile steady. She knew this was her moment to make a good impression and to connect with these young minds who were about to become a significant part of her life in Shanghai.

"Good morning, everyone!" Lucy began, her voice cheerful and inviting. She could see a few heads lift slightly, eyes flickering with interest, while others remained slouched, giving her only the barest nod of acknowledgment. Undeterred, she continued, "I'm Ms. Lucy Hastings, your new English teacher. I'm excited to get to know all of you and to help you on this journey to mastering English."

The response was, as expected, a mixed bag. A few students offered polite smiles, while others exchanged glances that communicated a shared sense of mild dread.

"Now, I know learning a language takes a lot of energy," Lucy said with a chuckle, her tone light and reassuring. "But I promise, once we get to know each other and dive into some fun lessons, it won't be so bad. Who knows, you might even find you start to like learning English." This last part she delivered with a wink, which earned her a few chuckles from the front row.

Encouraged by this small victory, Lucy decided to start with an icebreaker activity. "To start, I'd love to know more about you all so, I want each of you to tell me your name and one hobby you love."

The students shuffled in their seats, exchanging looks of uncertainty. Finally, a boy in the second row with tousled hair and an air of casual indifference spoke up. "I'm Kevin and I like video games."

"Nice to meet you, Kevin," Lucy responded brightly. "What kind of games are you into?"

Kevin shrugged, as if he wasn't sure how much to divulge. "Umm... mostly strategy games. Stuff where you have to build things."

"Ah, a strategist, I see!" Lucy said with genuine enthusiasm."That's a skill that can take you far. Maybe we'll have to incorporate some strategy into our lessons. Who's next?"

As the students continued to introduce themselves, Lucy learned that they were a diverse group with interests ranging from sports to music to reading. Lucy made a point to engage each of them, showing genuine interest in their hobbies and using the opportunity to introduce some basic English vocabulary related to their interests.

By the time the last student had spoken, Lucy felt a better sense of the room.

"So," Lucy continued, clapping her hands together, "now that we all know a bit more about each other, let's dive into today's lesson. Don't worry, it's not going to be all textbooks and grammar drills. I believe learning should be fun and that's what I hope to make it. And speaking of fun, we just had summer, and you all had some holidays. So, let's draw inspiration from that for our first writing task and get to know each other even better."

Lucy then moved to the whiteboard and wrote out a simple sentence: "Describe your dream vacation." Turning back to the class, she smiled. "I want each of you to write a few sentences in English about your ideal vacation. Be as creative as you like-whether it's relaxing on a beach, climbing a mountain, or something completely out of this world!"

The students exchanged glances, some intrigued, others still skeptical. But slowly, they began to pick up their pens, their faces creased in concentration.

As they worked, Lucy walked around the room, offering encouragement and helping with vocabulary. She stopped at Kevin's desk and glanced at his paper.

"Building an empire in ancient Rome?"she read aloud, grinning. "That's quite the vacation, Kevin."

Kevin looked up, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I thought it'd be cool. You know, like in the games."

"I love it!" Lucy said. "Keep going-tell me what you'd do there. Maybe you could even teach the Romans a thing or two about modern strategy."

As Lucy moved around the room, she found herself increasingly impressed with the creativity of her students. One girl wrote about exploring the Amazon rainforest, another about visiting the pyramids in Egypt. But it was a boy named Leo's response that made her pause.

"I'd go to the moon," he had written, his handwriting neat and precise. "And eat mooncakes with aliens."

Lucy couldn't help but laugh, the sound warm and genuine. She read the sentence aloud, and the class erupted in giggles. "What are mooncakes?" she asked, genuinely curious.

At that question, the entire class seemed to light up. Hands shot into the air, and the room buzzed with excitement.

"Mooncakes are these round pastries,"one student explained eagerly."They're filled with sweet or savory stuff like lotus seed paste or red bean paste."

"And they have egg yolks inside!" another added.

"They represent the full moon and bring good luck."

"They're for the Mid-Autumn Festival,"Leo chimed in, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. "It's a holiday when families come together to celebrate the harvest, eat mooncakes, and admire the moon."

Lucy listened with interest as the students shared their favorite memories of the festival-lighting lanterns, spending time with family, and, of course, enjoying delicious mooncakes. She could see how much this celebration meant to them, and she was delighted that they were so eager to share their culture with her.

The room was filled with laughter and smiles now-a sign that Lucy was beginning to break through the initial resistance. She could see the students relaxing, their earlier wariness giving way to curiosity. They were engaging with the material, and more importantly, they were engaging with her!

As the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Lucy felt a sense of accomplishment. It hadn't been perfect-there were still a few students who remained distant, and some who clearly struggled with English more than others-but it had been a start. And for a first day, that was more than enough!

During the break, Lucy found herself in the staff room, feeling both exhilarated and exhausted. Wen Ting approached with a knowing smile. "How did it go?"she asked.

Lucy laughed, sinking into her office chair. "It was a mixed bag. Some were really into it; others looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. But I think I managed to crack a few smiles, which I'm counting as a win."

Wen Ting nodded sympathetically. "It can be challenging at first. Teenagers are a tough bunch, but they'll warm up to you, especially if they see you're genuinely interested in helping them and can get on their level."

"I hope so," Lucy replied, taking a sip of her coffee. "I didn't fly halfway around the world just to be a wallflower. I'm determined to make this work."

Wen Ting smiled warmly. "Just keep doing what you're doing. The students will appreciate your efforts-even if they don't show it right away."

As the weeks passed, Lucy settled into her new role. Each day brought new challenges and triumphs, from navigating cultural differences to finding ways to engage the more reserved students. But, with each lesson, she felt herself growing more confident. The students, too, began to open up more, their initial skepticism gradually giving way to genuine interest.

Of course, there were still difficult days. Some classes were harder than others, and there were moments when Lucy felt disheartened by a lack of progress or by students who seemed completely disengaged. But each time she felt herself faltering, she remembered Wen Ting's advice.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, she looked forward to experiencing it firsthand, knowing it would be another step in deepening her connection with her students and their culture.