Purely to Show How Cute My Students Are :)

I was recently talking to my sister about China, and the difficulties I had with my school, and how I honestly didn't miss it very much. But, after working on this blog, I certainly DO miss my precious little students <3 While it was so much fun laughing and talking with my middle-schoolers, and hugging and goofing around with these kindergarteners, I get frustrated sometimes because I can't fully express to anyone else how much fun I had with them, and what a delight it was to be part of their lives. I hope these pictures can at least capture part of that!

Sadly not the best picture of her, but this cutie in the green looked like a little doll to me...huge sparkly brown eyes, tiny nose, little stature, and pure innocence. When my friend Jess visited the school, I asked her if she could guess which student I thought looked like a doll, and she immediately pointed this girl out as well.

This picture was taken a few seconds too late to capture the full effect, but kiddies from this and a couple other classes would RUN up to me and "attack" with hugs and kisses after we said goodbye each week. Adorable? Yes, beyond words :)

Doin' my teaching thang with the "Strawberry" class. They were quite into volunteering for this lesson.

Cherry's birthday party--they always busted out huge cakes and cut into classtime to sing and eat. Oh, and the birthday girl's the one with the frosting-painted face :)

Tina, a sweet and friendly little cutie.

This, my "middle class," was full of "active" (aka naughty, but cute) boys. They were usually quite attentive and would fight over who got to do the in-class examples.

The guy on the way right in the tan coat? Absolute darling. Teensy little eyes that all but disappeared when he smiled, clever and comparatively well-behaved, and would tell me he missed me after my longer periods of absence :)

It's a shame he isn't flashing his token smile in the pic, but the boy on the front, way-left is one of the things that got me through my first month or so at school, when I hated it and got nervous every morning. His smile and bright "Good morning Julie!" put me at ease each time. Just goes to show, you never know the impact you could truly have on another person's life!

More students from my "biggest" class.

Missy, the girl in red, had some of the best English of any of my students--she must've had an outside tutor, or English-speaking parents. And the cutie on the left is flashing another of those signature smiles...he was one of the sweetest, most adoring and lovable kids I ever got to teach!

Fascinated by the camera.

Chinese parents really enjoy dressing their identical twins up in identical clothes--it's cute, but I feel sorry for all the teachers who have to keep them straight ;)

I think they were about to grab the camera out of my hand in this one :)

Don't know why they're screaming--well, I guess I get why the GIRLS are screaming...I would too if I was in such a tiny majority of girls, surrounded by naughty boys!

I loved the "Winnie the Pooh" classroom!

Saying goodbye to some of the "Strawberry" students.

Handing out candy for the last day...they were greedy!

Girls from the Cherry Class!

My last day was a bittersweet one, of course, but I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with these little angels/devils! It was super-cute too...as I left on my final day, a bunch of students shouted at me, "Julie, ni shi zhong guo ren!" (Julie, you are Chinese)! So, maybe that was their way of honoring me and sending me off...making me an official Chinese-person ;)