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Rhoslyn Kersten (11-4)
Ms. Fu, Masterman’s new Chinese teacher, could be the perfect opponent to an avid ping pong player. In China, where she grew up, it is not uncommon to become a teacher, as it is a highly respected job. Surrounded by teachers as a child, Ms. Fu watched her parents as they taught, and was encouraged to pursue the same career. Ms. Fu sees being a teacher as “planting seeds of interest in students' hearts,” and hopes for students to continue their learning throughout life.
Similarly to many Masterman students, Ms. Fu experienced stress in high school. She, too, had to prepare for college entrance exams, which took up a lot of her time. Unlike most schools in the United States, in China, students stay in the same classroom the whole day while the teachers move around. Expanding on that, Ms. Fu explained how one does not eat at school, but is given a two hour lunch break to go home, allowing them to take a nap. Once she came to America, she realized how much of a difference something so minor can make. After high school, Ms. Fu attended Jiangxi Normal University, a college that trains teachers, where she majored in Chinese Language and Literature. In her last year of college, she was a student teacher in a high school, where she began her career.
Photo courtesy of Ms. Fu
Teaching 13 seventh and eighth grade classes this year, Ms. Fu hopes to help her students learn how to introduce themselves, their families, and their hobbies in Chinese. Additionally, she wants her students to understand the culture behind the language. She explains her rationale, “Only if you understand Chinese culture can you respond appropriately when you talk with a Chinese person, or go to a Chinese speaking country.” Her biggest piece of advice for her students is to not limit one’s self, and to always find and push through challenges. In the future, Ms. Fu is hoping to expand the Chinese language course at Masterman, possibly adding in more levels in other grades.
With more classes comes more speaking. A teacher must be able to project their voice to a class full of students. In her free time, Ms. Fu enjoys practicing recitation, which is simply practicing speaking aloud. This helps her speak in front of a class clearly, while also helping her singing. Furthermore, she enjoys painting, specifically Chinese painting. She has been perfecting her skills for many years. Though it may seem frivolous, Ms. Fu has a knack for the game of ping-pong.
When Ms. Fu is not painting or ping-ponging, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring Philadelphia. Living in such a diverse city gives her the opportunity to meet new people and learn about different cultures, which is a huge difference from her homeland. Let us all welcome Ms. Fu to Masterman, and try to get her involved in some ping-pong games!
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