Teachers Packing Guidelines

• One purse, or small backpack, or small computer case, or brief case. Only one of these.
• One carry-on sized bag (9x13x21) for clothing and personal items
• One large checked suitcase for teaching supplies and materials. Total dimensions 62 inches; total weight 50 or 70 pounds (depending on the airlines you fly) … strictly enforced. Overage is very expensive.

Rule of thumb is not to have more luggage than you can move by yourself. Although 2 checked bags are allowed by airlines for international flights, we STRONGLY URGE you to follow the above guidelines. Managing luggage is very difficult in China.  Also be aware that if you must fly within China to get to your teaching site, you MAY have to pay for excess weight over 44 pounds for all bags checked.  Cost is about $ 1.00 per pound for overweight.

Because of new security checkpoints at the airport, we recommend that you check your “carry-on” sized bag along with your large checked bag. That leaves you with only your purse, fanny pack or small backpack for carrying absolute essentials like prescription medications, extra glasses, (be sure an check TSA and airline restrictions for carry on items, www.tsa.gov), passport, traveler’s checks, cash, driver's license, credit card, extra passport photos, arrival and contact instructions from VFC, and maybe a change of underwear. These are items you MUST have if your luggage is lost!

CLOTHING: If it doesn't fit into a carry-on size suitcase, then you have too many clothes. Four or five outfits are enough, we promise you! Mix and match. We are so rich compared to our students; we don't need to show them how rich. We are not there to make a fashion statement. There are laundries available at our site; use them at your own expense, which will be inexpensive. You may wash your clothes by hand in a sink. Chinese White Cat detergent is wonderful!

NOTE: DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING THAT IS IRREPLACEABLE. Plan on leaving teaching materials with your teacher-students as gifts. This is not an exhaustive list. It is a suggested compilation from recent previous teachers.

PERSONAL ITEMS to take as desired: There is no need to take washcloths, towels, laundry powder, or soap unless you absolutely must have your special brand.

CLASSROOM/TEACHING: Chinese teachers are given a box of poor quality chalk and a blackboard for teaching. You will receive the same! If you find you need them, common office supplies (paper, tape, markers, paper clips, stapler, etc.) are easily found in China.

Below are the supplies not so easily found. Bring them only if you feel you will need them:
Putty for mounting pictures, maps, etc on walls
Index cards
Construction paper
Glue stick (Chinese postal stamps often have no glue, but glue is available at the post office)

Below are possible teaching resources you might wish to incorporate into your lessons. Do not bring them unless you have planned a lesson that uses them—avoid excess luggage! It is also advised that you coordinate these resources with your teammates to avoid duplication:

Set of real coins (one set per student) - penny, nickel, dime, quarter. Makes a nice Christmas gift.
Entire team should make a decision on doing this for all students!

PICTURES: From old calendars or magazines or 8.5x11 enlargements of personal photos. These may be used in dozens of ways in your lessons. Pictures of people, places, and things should relate to the lesson topics that include the following. Once more, plan lessons ahead of time and communicate with teammates to avoid unnecessary luggage and duplication. Pack them only if you plan to use them.

You obviously can't take a full set of pictures of each of these things, but a few well selected ones will go a long way in supplementing your lessons.

CLASSROOM READING TABLE: It is highly recommended that each classroom have a reading table where books, magazines, etc. can be checked out and returned during the summer course. No overt Christian materials should be used, i.e., Sunday School quarterlies or devotion books. Allowed are Readers Digests, Guideposts, easy English level copies of American classics, TIME for Kids, a bilingual New Testament (printed and purchased in China through Amity Foundation or from the local church). Reading materials should have a moral lesson or tradition of America. All reading materials can be given away to those who ask for them at the end of the course.

FOR THE PALATE: Chips Ahoy, Oreos, M&Ms, Snickers & Mars candy bars, Tang drink mix, gum, Ritz Crackers are available in China. If you have a special "must-have" snack food, i.e., Power bars, granola, dried soup, then pack it. Yet, you can probably find enough snack foods to sustain you without bringing so much with you. ?

CHINA TOUR BOOK: There are many choices at Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, etc. From past experiences the one that stands out is Lonely Planet China. It has more information about more places than any book we have used. No need to take it with you. Of course, the internet and local library are good resources. Learn as much as you can before going to China.

VOLUNTEER TRAVEL INSURANCE:  Each volunteer will be enrolled in a supplemental international travel insurance specifically designed for Volunteers that provides comprehensive travel assistance while traveling overseas. You and the entire group will automatically be enrolled. The insurance cost is covered in your total trip cost.

SHOTS/IMMUNIZATIONS: It is recommended that you talk with your local County Health Department or personal physician about any shots and/or immunizations you should have for this China trip. From past experiences, it is very probable that you will be directed to update your tetanus/DPT/pertussis , typhoid, polio booster, hepatitis (vaccines for long term protection or gamma globulin for short term resistance). Ask about your need for the pneumonia shot,

shingles and or the meningitis immunizations.

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationChina.aspx

TRAVELERS CHECKS, CASH, CREDIT CARDS: How much money should you take to China? It depends on you. This is a three or five week trip and only you know your own spending habits! A good guess is 3 hundred dollars in Travelers Checks, and 1 to 2 hundred dollars in cash. Credit cards and cash cards like VISA and Master Card can be used in Beijing sometimes. We do not know the service fee. Take only one card so as not to worry about them. Think of this trip as no different from your going on a tour trip of three or five weeks anywhere. You would not leave home without emergency cash.

FREQUENT FLYER ENROLLMENT: If you are not enrolled in the Frequent Flyer Program for the U.S. airlines you are flying, then call their 800 phone number or go to the airline web site and enroll. You will get an ID number and card. As soon as you receive your number, call the airline and ask them to enter it into your flight record. ALSO WHEN YOU CHECK IN, ASK FOR A RECEIPT COPY OF YOUR FLIGHT. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE IT WITH YOU.  E-tickets have been known to get lost in cyberspace! Give the number to the agent when you check in for the first flight of this trip to China. Why have a frequent flyer number? It's good stewardship! You will get about 16,000 miles for the round trip flight to China. It only takes 25,000 miles for a free domestic ticket on most airlines. You can give the ticket away or use it.

TOASTING AND RELATED ISSUES:
You as honored guests from the USA will be treated to some official dinners and banquets as a way of showing appreciation for your coming to help China improve oral English. During the banquet, it is traditional for the Chinese hosts to offer toasts throughout the meal. There is a whole toasting culture! You should reciprocate by toasting about the quality of the food, the excellent accommodations, the kindnesses shown to you and the team, etc. The "sticky" toasting concern is that the Chinese will often use alcohol for toasting and will encourage you to do the same. Don't start! Once started, it is very, very hard to control.

Many of us have differing opinions about the moderate use of alcohol. Some condone it as a personal choice; others think it is absolutely wrong. Both groups use scripture to justify their positions. We are not trying to change your opinions on the issue. We are asking that you not be a stumbling block to your fellow team members. The use of alcohol during toasting situations has caused much ill will between members of a team, and such tension can easily be sensed by the Chinese school leaders. This is counterproductive in that we are to be models of Christ. Because of this we are asking that during this assignment you refrain from the use of alcohol. You will be asked to sign a responsibility statement stating that you will abstain from alcohol and smoking while on this trip. From retired career China workers Ron and Ina Winstead come this statement: "Those who have been before and have used the Chinese wine to toast may have a little problem using something else, but if they understand the problem, they should cooperate."

Toasting with Coke, Sprite, water, tea, etc., instead of alcohol is acceptable to your Chinese hosts though they will often insist that you use alcohol. Be firm, but kind. You can simply state that it is not your custom or it is not good for you or you made a commitment to not drink alcohol during the project. Your team facilitator can head off problems by talking with your school contact before every official dinner and ask that the team members not be served alcohol.

DO NOT PANIC! It is natural to want to know every detail yesterday. That is just not possible. Any schedule plans we make here can easily be changed by our host schools when we arrive and even before. When you use the Tool Kit, you will see how easy it is to plan lessons. Begin gathering materials as suggested in Part I of this document. FLEXIBILITY is the operative word for this project! Remember this beatitude:

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape!

Have we mentioned that you need to be flexible? Satan is very crafty. He will attack us at our weakest points. Praying is what you need to do. It’s what all of us need to do now.

• Pray for your Christian witness while in China.
• Pray for each of the teachers and students going to China.
• Pray for the students who should come to this English training.
• Pray for those who will actually come.
• Pray for yourself and your fellow volunteers.
• Pray for the leaders of the different programs where we will serve.