First class terrors and errors

Li Shaowen, 29, joined the school in 2016

I gave my first lecture at the Party School after working there as a teaching assistant for six months. At first, I didn’t know how to communicate with the students and I trembled when I spoke with them. Later, I discovered they were kind and modest. I taught a regular case study course on law-based administration. I spent more than a month preparing, while senior teachers made suggestions about my lecture and told me about things that could confuse the students and the questions they might ask. I read my lecture notes often and thought about how to improve them, and often stayed at the office preparing till 10 pm. Sometimes, I rehearsed in front of a mirror to hone my expression and gestures.

Zheng Huan, 32, joined in 2012

After working as a teaching assistant for about three years, I gave my first lecture on the petitioning system and reducing social conflict. It’s a case study course. Some colleagues spent more than a month in Central China collecting examples, and we spent another three months choosing the right ones and we amended the lecture notes more than 20 times. I met with the students that would take the course when they entered the school and joined them in lectures. I felt good about my first class, and many students shared fresh insights — for example, one suggested a system for recalling officials who hadn’t fulfilled their responsibilities.

Yue Liang, 35, joined in 2012

In 2013, despite 10 years as a teaching assistant, I was anxious about my first class, which focused on ethnic issues, and started preparing about two months in advance. A week before the class, I knew the 20,000-word lecture by heart. In addition to rehearsing in front of colleagues, I went to the classroom in the evening to practice on my own. I thought about the questions the students might raise and how to respond. I felt a little nervous when I opened the door and walked to the platform, but I calmed down when I opened my notes. I delivered the lecture without a hitch, thanks to my good preparations.

Wang Xuebin, 36, joined in 2010

I gave my first lecture in 2012. I only had a week’s notice because a senior professor was too sick to deliver his lecture on The Analects by Confucius and I was asked to take his place.

Some young teachers are unable to sleep before their first class, but I didn’t have time for sleep. I stayed up all night preparing after my first tongue-tied rehearsal in my department. I rehearsed in front of colleagues at least five times. As I copied my PowerPoint presentation to the computer, a student asked me when the teacher would come. The lecture was not all that successful, but I was inspired by the students who made many positive suggestions.

Chen Qiqing, 37, joined in 2006

My first lecture was to a group of elite politicians who were young and energetic. I had worked as a part-time teacher before I entered the Party school, so I was quietly confident. However, I quickly realized that my confidence was misplaced as the students’ expressions showed they didn’t understand me well. Few made eye contact with me. Despite that, one came to me after and said I had shown clear logic, but the class was a little too theoretical.