Brenda Hackbarth: From a Farm to the Capital 从农场到首都

https://v.qq.com/txp/iframe/player.html?vid=x05654uezvd&width=500&height=375&auto=0In this week’s Teacher Profile, we highlight Brenda Hackbarth, K2 teacher in the YCIS Beijing Early Childhood Education (ECE) Learning Community. Originally from Minnesota in the United States, Brenda shares the story of what inspired her to leave behind their family farm and move around the world. She also recounts the tears shed during her family’s first night in Beijing, as well as her memory of a young boy’s heartfelt goodbye.

在这周的教师简介中，我们将为您介绍幼教部学习社区的两岁班教师Brenda Hackbarth。Brenda来自美国的明尼苏达，她将和我们分享她离开家族农场、走向世界的动机，以及她家庭第一次到访北京她激动的心情，以及一个幼儿离开幼儿园时感人的回忆。

First Night in Beijing

北京第一晚

In the US, Brenda had been working with many ESL families, all of whom had come from different countries and shared with her the challenges of their experience living in a foreign country. She felt that she could relate to them on many levels, such as being a wife and a mother, but she wasn’t able to relate to their experience of living abroad. This was the first impetus in her journey to travel – to better relate to her students. She decided to complete a master’s degree in ESL and then decided to move.  

在美国，Brenda和很多英语作为第二语言的家庭一起工作。这些家庭来自不同的国家，并时常和她分享他们在外国的生活经历。Brenda觉得她能体会这些家庭很多方面的感受，比如她也是一个妻子和妈妈，但是她却不能体会在海外生活的经历。于是，她决定完成一个英语作为第二语言的硕士学位，然后移居海外。

“Moving to China was professional development,” Brenda says. “Of course, I’d always had a passion for travel, but the inspiration to take action came from my interactions with students.”  

“来中国促进了我的专业技能发展。”Brenda 进一步解释道：“当然，我很热爱旅行，但是最终促使我做出这个决定是源自我和学生的交流互动。”

Because her family had a farm in Minnesota, she had imagined they’d stay there forever.  “But when I told my husband that I wanted to move,” Brenda continues, “he said that if I wanted to go and experience this, he’d support me every step of the way.”

因为她家在明尼苏达有一个农场，她曾想象过他们会在那里呆上一辈子。“但是当我告诉我的丈夫我想搬家的时候，我丈夫说如果我想走出去体验海外生活，他会极力支持我。”

To read the rest of Brenda’s story, including more from her family’s first night in Beijing, please click “Read more” below.

详情请点击“阅读原文”。

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