Name: Karla M. Gurley
Country of Origin: USA
Occupation: Kindergarten English Teacher
Years in China: 4/Four
Let’s be honest, every little girl wants to grow up to be a princess. We all do! I know I sure did. As a child in Texas, I often found any excuse to don a fancy gown with a matching tiara. As an adult I have made numerous treks to Disneyland with friends and family. So, imagine my excitement in the fall of 2017 when Disney English (“DE”) selected me to teach!
DE was a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company designed to use immersive educational programs to teach English to children across China. I learned about them while researching opportunities to teach abroad. When DE selected me, it began the adventure of a Texas girl packing her bags to go to the other side of the world to be a princess. Dressing as Princess Tiana, the first Disney princess who looked like me, brought me so much joy, a joy I regularly share with children in Shanghai. Daily, it all feels surreal.
Karla dressed as Princess Tiana from the Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog”
I had a lovely time working for DE, where I spent a year using the magic of Disney’s inspiring stories to teach English to children across Shanghai. It was a childhood dream come true!
After my time with DE, I transitioned to a traditional school where I could use my educational training and expertise more naturally. I have a Master’s in education and spent years teaching in various settings in the US.
In December of 2018, a little more than a year from when I first packed up and moved to China, I became a bilingual kindergarten teacher. Someone once said, “It takes a big heart to shape little minds,” and I am honored to shape little minds here in Shanghai. It has given me a plethora of beautiful experiences and opportunities!
I never thought I would enjoy teaching people under four feet so much, but I do. I planned on leaving China in 2019, but these children have captured my heart. To quote my all-time favorite Disney movie, POLLY, when I walk through the doors of my campus, “I am profoundly inundated with maximum pleasure” teaching my kindergarten students.
As you can see, I love teaching, but I also greatly enjoy living life to the fullest. There is always something to do here. From cooking classes, street fairs, cultural events, restaurants from around the world, yoga in the park, the Black EXPO, galas, book clubs, charity events, and volunteer opportunities, it’s all here, and I have had the chance to do them all. I would have never dreamt of such things while in Texas or California (the two US states where I lived the longest).
Karla showing off the “Black Panther” comic book she found in China.
In short, living in Shanghai has been a wonderful adventure. One of the best parts of that adventure is having made lifelong friends here to join me along the ride. I’ve met dozens of tremendously kind and accepting people who I would never have met if I did not live in Shanghai. For example, when the city reopened after the pandemic, I attended a block party in Jing’an. While there, I noticed a group of people talking and, one person signing (yes, signing, not singing as I am often corrected by others). This caught my eye because in the US I was an ASL Interpreter at my church, so I introduced myself to the group.
Since this wonderful chance meeting I have attended a Chinese Sign Language (CSL) workshop and I recently started CSL lessons. For those who are wondering sign language is different in different countries though some words can be very similar. I am so excited to learn CSL! This was such a great experience because sign language was such a big part of my life at home, and now it’s also a part of my life in China.
Finally, hiking to the summit of Yellow Mountain in Anhui was another unforgettable experience I have had living here. I hiked Yellow Mountain with several friends last summer. I anticipated the hike would take about four hours. It took six! It was a beautiful, yet challenging hike, and I’m grateful to have done it with great friends. The view from the mountaintop made each grueling step worth it.
Karla sharing her love for sign language.
Karla at the Yellow Mountains in Anhui
My life in China is reminiscent of the famous phrase from Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you’re going to get.” Everyday has been an adventure, one befitting a princess.
Now, here’s a fun and random fact about my hometown, Dallas, Texas. You love Happy Hour and adult beverages-right? The frozen margarita machine was invented in Dallas, Texas in 1971. YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
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