Keystone Magazine The_Keystone-07 | Page 45

Meet Our Teachers “I enjoy each 40-minute session with the children. climbing, skiing, and skateboarding.” During that time, I don’t need to think too much. All I need to do is to focus on teaching them new knowledge in a better way. Every kid is an indepen- In the Wushu Classroom dent individual and they each have their strengths. At Keystone, Mr. Mao teaches Wushu from kin- Even though I sometimes face difficulties in my dergarten to Grade 10. Teaching Wushu to school teaching, seeing my children grow up gives me a children isn’t easy, however. Children sometimes sense of achievement,” he said. find it difficult to concentrate and lack will power, both of which are key to success in Wushu so teach- Mr. Mao has a unique teaching method to pique ers need to dedicate a lot of time and patience. interest in Wushu in the children. Take preschool children as an example. Mr. Mao combines Wushu “For all these years, I have never once been bored,” Mr. Mao said, his eyes sparkling. with Tang Dynasty poems. For example, there is a boxing set called “Ode to Goose”, which combines the poem “Ode to Goose” with the movements It’s hard to imagine that someone wouldn’t be of boxing. The children read out the poems while bored after teaching the same course for ten years, learning the movements. This not only reinforces but for Mr. Mao, every day and every lesson brings their memory of the poems but also stimulates their something new. Sometimes, the children are interest in learning Wushu. It helps them to feel naughty and even a simple movement will need to the rhythm of Wushu and master the coordination be corrected many times. However, Mr. Mao said he between the movements and the pace of breathing. cherishes the time spent with the children. The Keystone Magazine 41