Nichole Cropp: An English Teacher’s View of 21st Century China

Nichole Cropp will present her observations and experience as a teacher of young people in China: what she has seen of her students’ values and aspirations, and their view of the world. Topics to be discussed:
• Acclimating to Chinese Culture: Expectations of Foreigners in Education Settings
• Western and Eastern Cultural Exchange: Share Experiences, Don’t Import Foreign Ideas/Beliefs
• The Three T’s: Never Discuss Them with Chinese Citizens … on or off the school campus
• Collective Education Mind set: Academic Success Translates into Building a Powerful China
• China’s Century: Students’ Expressed Sentiments on Issues of the Day (pollution, fast economic growth, increased political power, China’s relations with neighboring countries, and China’s large Muslim population in Xinjiang Province)
Nichole Cropp started her U.S. teaching career as a New York City Teaching Fellow over 15 years ago. Teaching Fellows devote themselves to the children of New York City’s struggling public schools. Nichole selected an elementary school in the Bronx as the beneficiary of her commitment to addressing the inadequacies of urban education. She taught English as a Second Language (ESL). While doing so, she earned her master’s degrees in elementary education and literacy from CUNY’s City College of NY.
As she began work on her doctorate, she became fascinated by the sustained academic performance of the Asian community. In such communities, scholastic excellence was a common goal and students were driven to incredible levels of achievement. Nichole wanted to conduct real-time research in a classroom of Asian learners on their turf. She chose China as her destination because of her previous work with Chinese students in Queens, NY, communities. For four years, she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at a large private science and technology university in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China.
After her university stint, she taught SAT preparatory classes at a foreign language high school in Henan Province. The students’ rigorous courses prepared them to earn high scores on the SAT exam and gain admittance into a prestigious American or UK university.
During her final years in Central China, she taught elementary (kindergarten and grade 1) and middle school ESL classes. Having taught at all education levels in China, Nichole obtained full insight into the phenomenon of Chinese excellence. China is indeed rising!