ComparingU.S.andChinesePublicSchoolSystemsInChina:ToBecomeaTeacher:InordertobecomeateacherinMainlandChina,itisnecessaryforsenior-middle-schoolteacherstobegraduateswithtwoadditionalyearsoftraininginaprofessionalinstitution[2].Primary-schoolteachersneedtobegraduatesofsecondaryschools[2].TeachingStrategies:DifferentteachingstrategiesareemployedinChinaascomparedtotheUnitedStates.InChina,ifastudentishavingdifficultygraspingconceptsinmathclass,theteachermayaskthestudenttocomeinfrontoftheclasstotrytosolveaproblemsothattheteacherandotherstudentscanhelpthestudenttocorrecthisorhermistakes.Ifthestudentneedsadditionalhelp,hewillstayafterschoolandworkone-on-onewiththeteacher.Thestudent'sparentswillalsobeinvolvedandwillhelphimwithhismathhomeworkwhenhegetshomefromschool,andontheweekendsaswell.DatashowsthatstudentsinChineseschools,studentsperceivetheirclassroomenvironmentstobecompetitiveandteacher-controlled.Studentsfeelthatthisisaproductiveroutetolearning[3].Studentsenjoyafriendlylearningatmospherewherestudentsandteachersworktogetherininterestingandchallengingclassactivities[3].Chinesestudentsfeelthatacollaborativelearningenvironmentpromotesdeeperandachievement-orientedapproachtolearning,whichtheyprefertootherapproachestolearning[3].IntheU.S.:ToBecomeaTeacher:TobecomeateacheratanAmericanelementary,middleorhighschool,itisnecessaryforallteacherstocompleteafour-yearundergraduatehighereducationprogram.Undergraduateeducationprogramsexist,whereafterfouryearsthestudenthasadegreeineducationandonlyneedstotakeateachingcertificationexaminthestatethattheywanttoteachintobecomeateacher.Forotherstudents,postundergraduateeducation,futureteachersneedtocompleteathirteen-monthtotwo-yearteachingcertificationdegree(dependingonthespeedofthecoursestaken).Thesefutureteachersaswellwillneedtotakeacertificationexaminationinthestateinwhichtheywanttoteachandpassittobecomeateacher.Manyelementary,middleandhighschoolteachersgoontogettheirMastersdegreeineducation,whichisanadditionaltwoyearsofeducation.AMastersdegree(MA)canallowateachertobepaidahighersalarythantheywouldotherwisereceive.Inaddition,itmaymakethemamoreattractivecandidatewhenapplyingforajobinaschoollocatedinahigherSESarea.InordertobecomeacollegeorUniversityprofessor,moststudentswillneedtocompleteanundergraduateeducation,aswellasgettheirMastersdegree.DependingontheUniversity,itmaybewisetogoonforanadditionaltwoyearstogetaDoctoratedegree(Dr.).Inmoreprestigiousuniversities,professorsareusuallydoctors(haveadoctoratedegree).Groupvs.Individual(China&U.S)TeachersinChinafocusonthegroupasopposedtoontheindividual.Ifonestudentislaggingbehind,theclasswillstopandhelpthestudent,andbringhimasquicklyaspossibletotheleveloftherestofthegroup.Itisbelievedthateverystudenthastheabilitytoachieveineverysubject,althoughsomestudentswillneedtoworkharderthanotherstoachievethesameresults.Teachersandparentsseemwillingtohelpstudentswhoarenot"naturals"atasubjecttolearnthetoolsthattheyneedtosucceedinthatparticularsubject,evenifitmeansworkingoutsideofschoolandontheweekends.InContrast,inAmerica,beingcalledinfrontofaclassandbeingcritiquedbynotonlyyourteacher,butalsobyotherpeers,couldbedownrightdamagingtoastudent'spsyche.IntheU.S.,educationfocusesontheindividual,andmaintainingstudents'self-esteemisconsideredcritical.Further,ifaU.S.studentislagginginhisorhermathclass,wehavethetendencytoattributethestudent'sfailuretohimsimplynotbeinggoodatmath.Studentsinthissituationwilloftenmoveintoalowerlevelmathclass(differentmathlevelsareusuallyassociatedwithmiddleschoolorhighschool).ImplicationsforSuccess:BecauseChineseteachersandparentsexpectthatallstudentshavetheabilitytosucceedinallsubjects,studentsthemselvestendtobelievethattheycansucceedaswell.Thisisasortofself-fulfillingprophecy,aswhenadultsbelieveinachild'sabilitytodowell,thechildinturnislikelytobelieveinhimselfaswell,andthereforeworktosucceed.BecauseChineseteachersandparentsexpectmorefromtheirstudents,studentssucceedmore.
