I am a student from China. I received nine years of traditional Chinese education and three years of mixed Chinese and Western education in China. In the traditional Chinese education system, respecting authority and following rules are important values that are passed down from elders to younger generations. When I attended an international high school, the mixed education environment felt new to me because it allowed for more freedom in the classroom. I thought high school classrooms were similar to classrooms in American universities, but after studying for nearly two semesters here, I have discovered many differences.
There are differences in the layout of classroom desks and chairs between China and the United States. Before coming to the United States, I thought that the layout of American classrooms was the same as the layout of Chinese classrooms and that the desks and chairs were arranged in rows to form a rectangle. In China, there is a saying that “without rules, there is no order”, and I thought that arranging desks and chairs in a rectangle was helpful in showing the order of the classroom. When I came to the United States, I found that the rectangular layout of desks and chairs was a stereotype of the layout of the classroom. In the United States, the layout of desks and chairs is relatively flexible, and some professors prefer to arrange them in a circular shape. A circular layout based on small groups can increase interaction between students and better achieve group activities such as group work. In terms of mine, I prefer traditional Chinese education more because it can effectively limit my tendency to get distracted or chat with other classmates during class.
China and the United States have very different views on leaving the classroom during class. In a Chinese classroom, if you want to leave the classroom during the lecture, you must raise your hand to signal the teacher and can only leave with their permission. The relationship between teachers and students determines this phenomenon. Because in the education that Chinese students receive, we need to show teachers enough respect, and teachers hold a higher-class position in the classroom than students. When I came to the United States, I found that students could leave the classroom during class without signaling the teacher. When a student needs to leave the classroom, they only need to stand up and leave quietly. In their view, their behavior should not affect other students, and in their impression, students and teachers are relatively equal. For me, I believe that the American attitude towards not leaving class early is better because I think it is impolite to disturb others for my own personal reasons.
There are differences in the rules for answering questions in Chinese and American classrooms. In Chinese classrooms, if no one raises their hand to answer a question, the teacher will randomly select a person to answer. This is because teachers think that this is one way to test whether students are paying attention in class. However, in the United States, whether teachers use random questioning depends on the individual teacher. Some teachers may use random questioning, but most teachers prefer to simply provide the answer without calling on any student. This is because, in the United States, teachers maintain the idea that they need to fully respect students’ autonomy in thinking, rather than simply focusing on whether they give the correct answer. Therefore, the American teaching style focuses more on students’ thinking and problem-solving abilities, rather than just knowledge acquisition. I prefer the method of American teachers because it can avoid making students feel embarrassed.
Overall, American classrooms are relatively freer compared to those in China. As a Chinese student, I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to receive an education in the United States because I experience the influence of a different culture, and I feel very lucky.
[Chinese]
我是一名来自中国的学生。我在中国接受了九年中式教育和三年中外混合教育。在中式教育的大环境下，规矩是长辈传输给晚辈重要的理念之一。在高中的时候我上的是国际高中，里面的混合教育让我感觉到新颖，因为在课堂上的自由度变得更高了。我以为高中的课堂和美国大学的课堂很相似，但是当我真正来到美国，并且在大学中学习了将近两个学期，我发现其中的差异有很多。
中国和美国在教室桌椅摆放存在差异。在我没有来到美国之前，我认为美国的课堂的桌椅摆放和中国的课堂教室一样，是以一列为单位，摆列成长方形。中国有一句话叫做：“没有规矩不成方圆”，我认为桌椅摆放成长方形有利于体现出课堂的秩序。当我来到美国的时候，我发现长方形的桌椅摆放实际上是一种对课堂的刻板印象。在美国，桌椅摆放相对自由，有些教授比较倾向于将桌椅摆放成圆形。以小组为单位的圆形可以提高学生之间的互动，可以更好的实现小组作业等以小组为单位的活动。对我来说，我更喜欢中式，因为这可以很大程度限制我上课走神，或者和其他同学说话。
中国和美国对离开中途离开课堂的看法有很大的不同。在中国的课堂上，当你在课堂的时候想出教室时，你必须要举手示意老师，得到老师的批准后方能离开。老师和学生的关系决定了这一现象。因为在我们接受的教育中，我们需要给老师足够的尊重，并且老师的在课堂中的阶级大于学生。当我来到美国后，我发现同学们可以在上课的时候出教室且不需要和老师示意。当同学需要出教室时，只需要起身轻轻离开即可。在他们的观念中，自己的行为不能影响到其他同学，并且在他们的印象中学生和老师是相对对等的。对我来说，美国对于中途离开课堂的看法值得我去借鉴，因为我认为为了自己的私事打扰大家很没有礼貌。
中国和美国的课堂回答问题的规则有差异。在中国的课堂，如果课堂上没有人举手回答问题，那么老师会随机抽取一人回答。因为在中国老师看来，这是检验学生是否认真听课的方法之一。但是在美国，随机提问取决于不同老师。有一部分老师可能会随机提问，但是大部分老师会选择直接公布答案。因为在美国老师的观念中，他们需要充分尊重学生们。我更喜欢美国老师的做法，因为这样可以避免让学生尴尬。
总的来说，美国的课堂相对比中国更自由一些。作为中国的学生，可以来美国接受教育很幸运，因为我感受到了来自于另外一种文化的熏陶，我觉得我非常幸运。