Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

  • Letter to Parents——Dec 10th, 2013

    Date: 2013.12.10 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,

    One month went by quickly, and the drawing ability of our students has also been increased quickly.  During this period of the course, we drew and colored an African giraffe.  Not only is the giraffe naturally pretty, but also is the African plateau beautiful.  We also drew and colored night woods’ owls.  Not only are owls cute and friendly, but also are night woods quiet, peaceful and beautiful, too.  We also drew and colored a cartoon turkey which is colorful and pretty, in correlation to cerebrating the Thanksgiving holiday.  Kids did wonderful artwork on these subjects.

    Furthermore, we had two demonstrations of an advanced level of pencil drawing of human portraits and human figures.  I invited to the classroom two high school students who happen to be specialized in these two areas.  They demonstrated in the class their artworks of the portraits and figures and their ways to make them.  While their drawing ability and their artworks are the model for my students in the class to learn, they personally and physically are the role model for my students to be.  All will encourage and stimulate my students to study the visual arts not only today, but also for many years coming. One demonstration is done by my TA, Zhang, Fan, a senior student from Wellesley high school.  She is specialized in human portrait drawing. She brought her sketch book to my attention and I found that many drawings of ears, eyes, mouths and whole portraits are very impressive.  Her time, effort and skill in drawing the portraits are clearly noticed. She has been my teaching assistant in past one and half year and has been learning and practicing drawing for a long time. After my introduction of portrait drawing,  she did a wonderful demonstration with my help without any difficulty.  My young students accepted it very well. The other demonstrator, Yu, Xianger, is a student of the 10th grade Chinese class and a 11th grader in Mansfield high school. Coincidentally and independently Yu, Xianger also brought her sketch book to my attention and I found that she spent a lot time and effort to draw human figures, many different dancer posts, beautiful and artistic.  Many pages of the figure drawings are impressive, too.  The previous portrait demonstration reminds me that human figure drawing demonstration will be worthwhile, too.  As a result, it turned out good.  The attendance for both demonstrations is unprecedented full, 坐无虚席,even having a trying student and parent from other classes. We all watched,  after my brief introduction, the demonstrator carefully to draw a dancer figure  folding the up and low half body together, a nice post.  Even though she still has a lot of room to improve her drawing skills, her function to the class is well performed.  The demonstration is successful.  All kids watched carefully, listened carefully and tried their best to practice, but resulted artworks were not satisfied, which is reasonable.  I did not expect them to do well and only expected them to observe the drawing procedure and be exposed to advanced levels of drawing subjects and the visual art world.  In the last half class, I demonstrated the drawing of Santa Claus and required the students to do it.  Overwhelming information pushed kids back a little bit, but some kids made a wonderful colored Santa Claus.

    I also showed many my human figure drawings and colored by oil pastels in the class.  I will instruct students how to draw and color them in the next year and next semester.

    Regarding to the homework, coloring and contouring of 12 pages in the homework folder should be done now.  From now to the end of this semester, I will request free drawing something interesting kids find or copying from the 12 pages of home work sheets.

    As the Christmas and New Year holidays kick in, the Christmas holiday atmosphere will fill out our classroom, too.  So that next Sunday, we will draw a Christmas tree, a wreath, and a bell.  After this session, the school will have a holiday season break.  We will resume the class in a new year.

    As the registration procedure is on the way, I do not have email addresses to email you any more.  Hope that this letter will serve the communication well.  If you have any questions, please feel free let me know.

    Happy holidays!

    Michelle Yu, Teacher

  • Letter to Parents——Nov. 8th, 2013

    Date: 2013.11.09 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,

    I would like to take this chance, monthly letter to parents, to summarize what we have done, where we are and what we are going to do next.  So far we have had 8 sessions of the class. We drew and colored balloons, oysters, ducks, flamingoes, apples, pumpkins, and giraffe. The subjects are varied in a big range, and we have been doing great.  The students have settled down, and got used to my style of drawing and teaching.  They start to know that drawing and coloring are fun to do and they get interested in drawing and coloring.  They focused on their drawing carefully during the class, following my instruction step by step and made wonderful artworks.  I am really happy to see their concentration and enjoyment when they do their work.  They are happy to come to the class, make them ready for the class and put their homework on the table and waiting for me to go through their pages and pages of homework. They are so proud of their work and I am so proud of this class of students.  Of course, there is always one or two outliners, which is very typical and normal.

    I have posted some of students’ artworks in my blog.  You are all welcome to take a look. Because of space limit, I can not post everyone’s work.  I only chose what was available to photography.  They are not the best and are randomly picked up.

    There are 12 pages of homework in the homework folder.  Almost half the students have already finished all and for some of their favorite pages, the students did multiple copies.  This speed is a way ahead of me and my teaching plan.  So I asked parents to increase quality to help kids精益求精,好中更好 . If students do one page of homework, or multiple copies of that, it is already above my expectation.  However, there is one maybe two kids who have not done any of homework.  家长,得加油咯!
    In the next 4 sessions, we will continue to increase the level of difficulty to draw, mixed with interesting subjects.

    Thanks,
    Michelle Yu, Teacher

  • Letter to Parents——Oct 21st, 2013

    Date: 2013.10.26 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,
    
    We had a good session yesterday. I talked about impacts colors play in the painting 
    and how we use them skillfully and intelligently by using 成语‘五颜六色“. This topic 
    will repeat over and over again.  I also distributed 4 more pages of homework to every 
    student and hope that parents can help punch holes and pile them up into the homework 
    folder. If your kids like to do them, just go ahead to do them, and keep them in the 
    folder.  I will check their folders in the classroom. For the students who missed the 
    class, please come to me next Sunday to get four pages of homework. 
    
    Best
    
    Michelle Yu,Teacher
  • Letter to Parents——3rd, October, 2013

    Date: 2013.10.03 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,

    I would like to take this chance to tell you that we have had a wonderful start of this school year for 绘画一乙班.  The class has many talents who are good at drawing and coloring.  Almost all students enjoyed the class so much as they forget a need to go to bathroom and were actively involved in discussion.  Their sharp thinking and their responses surprised me often. Here is a question for parents to ask your kid, “ why and how do flamingos have a pinkish orange color?”  I told a story about this and most students listened very carefully.  I ensure you that kids will give the answer.
    Most students worked hard in the homework.  I reviewed their art works in the classroom and educated the whole class by adjudging them what is good and what is not. If your kid has not done the first two pages in the homework binder, please finish it up this Sunday.  Any art works done by students should be collected and three-ring punched and piled up in the homework binder, of course with parents’ help.  As I said in the first class, we not only teach students how to make art works, but also train them how to manage their art works and review them over the time. This is very useful skill that will be needed in their future studies and in schools, and also is one way of education.
    I would also ask for parents’ help in teaching kids to start drawing in a sketch book from the beginning to the end when they draw, not to pick up a random page to draw. I have emphasized this several times in the classes.
    Over the past four sessions of  drawing and coloring,  students gradually learn how to draw and start to show their interest in the subjects, and their interest in which part of the particular subject.  Next drawing subject is apple.  In the coming Sunday, we will draw and color apples, enjoying the apple picking season.

    Best regards,

    Michelle Yu, teacher

  • Letter to Parents——Sept. 6th, 2013

    Date: 2013.09.07 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear parents,
    I hope you all have had a wonderful summer vacation!  Now it is time to get back to classrooms to fill  into our kids’ mind another layer of study.  The new school year will start on coming Sunday, Sept 8th.  As usual, I will be the teacher for 绘画一乙班. I can not wait to see you all in the classroom and show you what I know about drawing.  After four years of teaching, I am sure that I will be a key to open a door in every student’s mind towards the art world.

    Based on the registration so far, we have a full class, 20 members of students. Some more are on the waiting list. So I would like to remind parents of preparing your kids better for drawing and coloring. Here is a list of supplies each student should bring into the class:

    1. A pack of crayons(24 colors)

    2. A pencil and eraser

    3. A sketch drawing notebook

    Let us work together and make another successful year!

    Michelle Yu, Teacher

  • Letter to Parents——August 9th,2013

    Date: 2013.08.09 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 115

    以下转载的是一位校长在2013届本科生毕业典礼上的讲话, 这对我们牛顿中文学校的毕业生来说,也可诫用。

     

    转载:

    同学们,大家上午好!(掌声)

    今天,我们在这里举行一年一度的本科生毕业典礼,

    虽然每年的校历都镌刻着这个日子,对教师们来说习以为常,但对你们来说却非同寻常。因为这是你们人生中一个重要的标志,是你们人生征途中的一个里程碑。不瞒你们说,这次毕业典礼对我来说也是极为特别的,因为这次毕业典礼恰逢本届校行政领导班子履职期满,这是本届领导班子最后一个本科生毕业典礼。(掌声)几个月来我一直在想,我该在这最后一次的演讲中向你们传达一些什么信息?我回想起我毕业后的工作与生活,回顾了我的人生轨迹。今天,我在最后一次以校长名义所做的毕业典礼演讲中,要向毕业生们奉送一个锦囊,以陪伴你们行走四方。这也是我 今天的演讲题目:“临行奉送锦囊,人生追求‘六好’”。

    “第一好”是指要有个好品德。“地势坤,君子以厚德载物”,北邮校训的第一个词语就是“厚德”。因为“德”是做人之本,也是指导我们思维、行事的灵魂所在。一个人的善或恶、好或坏、成或败、瘦或硕,无不源自于其品德。要注意你所想的,你的想法会变成你的语言;要注意你所说的,你的语言会变成你的行动;要注意你所做的,你的行为会变成你的习惯;要注意你的习惯,你的下意识会变成你的性格;要注意你的性格,你的本性会左右你的命运。而所有这一切,其源头就是取决于你的品德。我个人对自己的要求是:“举事为先、待人以诚,开拓进取、善善恶恶”。当然,我也知道“善善恶恶”并不适合于领导者,因为做领导的不能简单地爱憎 分明,而需要普惠众生,包容丑恶;领导者可以“善人以善”,却不宜“恶人以恶”。

    “第二好”是指要有个好本事。“本事”何来?是从学中来,从干中来。北邮校训第二个词语就是“博学”。《礼记?儒行》云:“儒有博学而不穷,笃行而不倦”,就是说学者应该学无止境,锲而不舍;要苦于学习,勇于实践。当今时代是知识爆炸的社会,是新知识、新技术层出不穷的时代。——量子计算、3D打印、自动内容识别、自动驾驶、自然语言问答、语音翻译、大数据、NFC支付、手势控制、物联网安全、云安全、高级持续威胁(APT)等等,都在等待我们去探索,你们需要去选择性地掌握这些知识。但是,只有拥有真本事才能驾驭这些领域。英雄气概是以“本事”为资本的,敢说“可上九天揽月,可下五洋捉鳖,谈笑凯歌 还”,那是需要有真本事的!

    “第三好”是指要有个好谋划。北邮精神的第二条是“追求卓越”。要做到追求卓越,首先就是要善于规划自己,不能浑浑噩噩,做一天和尚撞一天钟。《礼记?中庸》云:“凡事豫则立,不豫则废。言前定则不跲,事前定则不困,行前定则不疚,道前定则不穷”。没有事前的准备与计划,就不能取得期望的成果。你们应该想清楚今年我要做什么,要达到什么目标?要谋划好在现在这个岗位中要如何做,应该追求什么目标?所谓“人无远虑,必有近忧”,也是指没有长远谋划,做事必定没有章法,势必以疲于奔命的方式来应付眼前遇到的每一件事情,不能做到“有所为,有所不为”。荀子曰:“计胜欲则从,欲胜计则凶”,就是告诉我们这个道理:谋事在先就会顺利,随心所欲行事 极易失败。

    “第四好”是指要有个好态度。好态度首先表现在奉献和敬业中。北邮精神的第一句是“崇尚奉献”,北邮校训的第三句是“敬业乐群”,这就是号召大家对事业要严谨、认真,要有奉献精神。荀子曰:“凡百事之成也必在敬之,其败也必在慢之,故敬胜怠则吉,怠胜敬则灭”。就是说,是否敬业将会决定你自己事业的成败。宋代大儒程颐说:“所谓敬者,主一之谓敬;所谓一者,无适之谓一”。就是说,凡是做一件事,便要专心于一件事,将全副精力集中到这件事上头,心无旁骛,这便是敬。梁启超先生说:“所以敬业主义,于人生最为必要,又于人生最为有利”。敬业包含爱业、勤业、精业、创业等多种境界,我们应该具备为社会发展而奉献的价值观。

    “好态度”也可用于诠释“团结、 勤奋、严谨、创新”的北邮校风。在此,“创新”是第一要义,开拓进取是我们努力追求的目标;“严谨”是核心,“规格严谨、功夫到家”是锤炼优秀科研人员的基石;“团结”是基本要求,团结协作是能干成大事的前提条件;“勤奋”是根本方法,兢兢业业是获得成功的根本保证。你们应该做到“眼勤、脑勤、手勤、腿勤”,要热爱岗位、笃学求精、献身创新,在平凡的岗位上做出不平凡的事业来。

    “第五好”是指要有个好心气。这就是你们一定要有一个健康的心理,要提高自己的抗压、耐挫能力。我作为校长始终倡导我们的教职员工“对待学生要像对待朋友的孩子一样”加以关怀,所以我一直对你们就像敞开我的邮箱一样敞开心扉,有言必达、有信必回。但是,我的这一要求并没有得到教职员工的广泛认 同。不赞成者认为学生从家庭到大学,就是走向了社会,他们需要认识社会,需要感受社会残酷的一面。这个残酷现实的主要表现就是,你已脱离了家庭的中心地位,社会上无人会拿你当宝,甚至能够认可你的存在就不错了。如果我们把学校仍旧打造成一个温室,温室的花朵今后焉能承受住社会的风霜雨雪?从真空进入大气中,焉能有抗毒能力?有个毕业生回校感言:“老师,过去你们对我们太好了,我以为社会上都是这样子。工作后我做了甲方,没想到乙方居然敢跟我拍桌子瞪眼。你们为何不早些告诉我社会是这个样子呢?”

    我收到过一个学生的邮件,向我抱怨说“学校的大叔大妈为什么总是大吼大叫的?”我在向他表示需要改善学校服务态度的同时,也告诉他要学会不受干扰,不要让此类事情烦心自己,别 忘了自己的本意是来读书的,不是来生气的。其实与人打交道是一种学问,既要追求自己有个好心情,也要给对方一个好心情。我身边有这样一个真实案例:两个人去喝咖啡,每一杯咖啡赠送一包薯条。其中一个人想再要薯条,但不要咖啡,可是服务员说薯条只赠不卖。这个人就拿出钱来协商,同意只要比买咖啡便宜就行。服务员正在犹豫到底该收多少钱好?这时另一个人冲过来说,“象征性收一些就行了,你这个人怎么这么死脑筋呢?”服务员立即把钱退回说:“我不是死脑筋,按照规定就是不能卖!”这一来单买薯条是不可能了,相信你们也明白了其中的缘由。

    总之,凡事一定要清楚自己原本的目的是什么,要学会掌握心理抗压的能力,要让自己在任何情况下都能hold住。你们好比是高速运行中的星体,不要 让飞来的石子改变自己的轨道。要记住:不被他人所激怒也不去激怒他人是一种包容力,“海纳百川,有容乃大”;不被他人所左右不随意改变既定目标是一种定力,要善于步入“不管风吹浪打,胜似闲庭信步”的儒雅境界。

    “第六好”是指要有个好身体。健康是人类的财富,要注意锻炼身体、劳逸结合,要养成良好的生活习惯。我很赞成这样的说法:人生是一个巨大的数字,其中身体健康是最前面的1,人的事业、荣誉、地位、财富、家庭、朋友等等都是1后面的0,显然0越多数值就越大。但是,一旦前面的1没有了,这个数字就真的成为零了。只有保持住了身体的这个1,后面的0积多了才有意义,才能体现出其价值。我们说“身体是人生的本钱”。本钱是用来投资的,不是用来挥霍的。所以你们不要随意突破自己 的身体极限,任意浪费自己的本钱。不仅如此,你们还要努力增加自己的本钱。我曾经有一个很好的身体,轻易就能连续自由泳两千米。但由于过度透支自己的身体,同时也没有拿出足够的时间来补充,所以一场大病让我失去了能够熬夜奋战的资本,不能再像过去一样双肩同时挑起学术、管理两副重担。这也是我向主管部门提出不再连任北邮校长职务的原因。没有一个健壮的身体,我只有放下一副担子。而你们都有着长远的未来,有着家庭、事业、孝敬父母等多副担子,所以一定要爱惜自己的身体,一辈子都要健健康康的!(热烈掌声)

    同学们,今天我想跟你们说的主要意思就是:要想做人,就要有好品德;要想做事,就要有好本事;要想成大事,就要有好谋划;要想取信于人,就要有好态度;要想取信天下,就要 有好心气;要想勤耕不辍,就要有好身体。希望你们记住:凡事要沉稳,要避免草率决策;做事要恒心,要勇于承担后果。

    同学们,我愿意最后一次以校长的名义告诉你们大家:我会永远用真心祝福你们!(掌声)我,爱你们!(长时间的热烈掌声,欢呼声,学生们起立鼓掌)

  • Letter to parents——July 2nd,2013

    Date: 2013.07.03 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    学生通常觉得多音字难掌握,可是真正难理解的是同音同字同句子. 它们在不同场合描绘完全不同的含义。例如:学生最好不要对老师说:“请你再说一遍。”   老板最好不要对请假的员工说:“你看着办吧。”

     

    转载:

    1.冬天:能穿多少穿多少
    夏天:能穿多少穿多少

    2.剩女产生的原因有两个,一是谁都看不上,二是谁都看不上。

    3.地铁里听到一个女孩子大概是给男朋友打电话,“我已经到站了,你快出来往地铁站走。如果你到了,我还没到,你就等着吧。如果我到了,你还没到,你就等着吧。”

    4.单身人的来由:原来是喜欢一个人,现在是喜欢一个人。

    5.想和某个人在一起的两种原因:一种是喜欢上人家,另一种是喜欢上人家。

  • Letter to Parents——June 18th, 2013

    Date: 2013.06.19 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,

    Time goes so fast that we are coming to the end of the semester and also of the school year. This moment is always challenging for me to face a fact that students who I have cared for, loved for and taught for in the past two semesters are leaving me . I have to say good bye to them which is hard for me to do it. I am happy to be your teacher and hope you the best.  If students learned something from me,  I feel very happy and am sure it would be carried on to their future life.

    As we are visual artists and we make visual arts, we need vision to compose a wonderful piece of art work.  This vision comes from experience, from education and from persistent practicing. To close out one year art drawing and coloring course, in the last two classes as well as in the next class, I introduced the drawing skill  to 3-dimentional landscape, 3-dimentional patterns(abstract). I explained what it is, how you feel it and see it, and how to use a pen or crayon on a piece of paper to draw to generate illusion of depth and distance of objects.  This is very hard topic.  Some students was able to copy my landscape painting, but did not know what skills used to draw it. Some students was not able to copy it. In drawing the 3-D patterns(abstract), I repeated explanation of the skill in a more explicit way. Some students partially understood it and some did not.  No matter what, students who had a chance to expose this skill will benefit in their future study. If they did not get it, they do not need to worry because it is beyond their age and ability. They will have more chance to expose it.

    Finally, as usual, at the end of the school year, I ask parents to email me your opinions and suggestions about the class. I will improve it as always. I wish all of you have a happy summer vacation.

    Best regards,

    Michelle Yu, Teacher

  • Letter to Parents——May 23rd, 2013

    Date: 2013.05.24 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents,

    I would like to send you a note to remind you that we do not have a class in the coming Sunday due to Memorial holiday. We will resume class in 6/2/13.  Hope you all have a good long weekend.

    I have updated the students artwork page in my blog.  You are all welcome to take a look.  They are not best, and they randomly picked up.  Some of good art work may not be here because they may not be available during photographing . You can obviously get a sense of what we are doing in the class.  Now you can believe me that students are getting much better in drawing and coloring.

    If you have any questions and suggestions, please feel free to let me know.

    Thanks,

    Michelle Yu , Teacher

  • Letter to Parents——April 5th, 2013

    Date: 2013.04.05 | Category: Uncategorized | Response: 0

    Dear Parents:
    Easter Sunday is over and I hope that kids picked up a lot of Easter eggs. April 1 st was also passed by with no joke.  Spring is finally coming, noticeably seen here and there.  April 7th we will have next drawing and coloring class and we will do a Panda.
    I have loaded some artwork from students in my blog. You are welcome to take a look.  Obviously you would find that students’ drawing and coloring skills are getting better.  Most importantly,all the kids being so involved in creating a wonderful piece of artwork really impresses me. They are prepared and happy to come to the class and ready to do their best in drawing and coloring.  This attitude drives  the students to make  a progress!
    After the next class, we will have a Spring break and will not have a class on April 14, and 21, 2013.  We will meet on April 28, starting another level of drawing toward the end of the semester.
    Best regards,
    Michelle Yu, Teacher