我是美国明尼苏达州奥格斯堡学院社会工作专业的副教授，约两年前得悉有一个在UIC任教一学期的机会，我立刻生出了无限向往。其实，2001年我曾来过中国，非常享受那次时光飞速流逝的旅程。这次又有机会来中国，还能够住上几个月，真是太好了。
到目前为止，我已经有8年的大学任教经验，一直很喜欢学生，以及在自己的 专业领域和兴趣相投的朋友一起阅读和学习。但是，有时候还需有一个机会可以让我重新焕发活力。在新的环境里教学，就对我提出了考验。我审视自己以往的教学方法，并开始学习和尝试新的方法。在UIC，和来自世界各地的教育者在一起，从他们，还有学生身上学习新的思想观念，开阔视野，是一个在教学上自我更新的机会，这正是我期盼的。
我在UIC负责教学的三门课程中，"环境正义与社会变迁"是一门关注环境问题的课程，尤其是人类和环境对接层面的问题。我们开始研究，是否环境资源和负担在全球分配不均，以及什么中介变量产生这些差异。而在"社会工作和家庭"这门课中，我教大四社会工作专业的学生如何成为一个家庭社会工作者。我在研究的同时也进行这项工作。在我考取博士学位之前，曾花费8年时间在明尼阿波利斯和芝加哥的一些家庭进行社会工作。我同时也教"人类行为的社会环境"。在这门课里，我们了解人类经验以及促使我们成长、改变和适应的重要的价值观。
无论是对于我还是我的家人，在珠海生活都是奇妙的经历。我丈夫为他在美国的公司远程办公，那就是说他每天要在我们的住所对着电脑工作好几个小时。我的两个女儿，一个11岁，一个8岁，都在珠海国际学校上学。她们在美国曾上过英华学院，这是一所汉语专修学校。看着她们在中国说汉语非常令人高兴。
我们都受到了UIC师生的热情欢迎。这里的每一个人都非常体贴和包容。谢谢你们，UIC，我乐在其中！
翻译：王韵 摄影：刘安明（大二 国际365best体育官网入口）
英文原文：
A teacher and learner at UIC
by Dr. Christina L. Erickson
I am an associate professor of social work at Augsburg College in Minnesota, USA. About 2 years ago I learned of the opportunity to teach at UIC for one semester. I was immediately intrigued. I had been to China in 2001 and really enjoyed my trip - the trip had gone way too fast! It seemed that the chance to return to China, and to live here for a few months, was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
I have been teaching at the college level for 8 years. I always enjoy the students and the opportunity to pursue reading and learning about my discipline with people who share the same interests. However, I also felt that a chance for rejuvenation would be good for me. Teaching in a new environment tests my ability to try new things, causes me to question my teaching methods and begin to learn new ways of teaching. The chance to teach at UIC, with educators from around the world, to learn from them as well as from my students, is turning out to be what I hoped it would; a chance to reinvigorate my teaching with new ideas and perspectives.
I teach 3 courses at UIC. Environmental Justice and Social Change is a course that looks at environmental issues, especially those in relation to the human and environment interface. We begin to determine if environmental resources and burdens are shared differently around the world and what the mediating variables are that create this difference. In Social Work with Families I teach year 4 social work students how to be a social worker with families. While I have studied families extensively, I have also worked with them. I spent 8 years working with families in Minneapolis and Chicago before I earned my PhD. I also teach Human Behavior in the Social Environment. In this course we study the entire life span of the human experience and identify important variables that help us grow, change and adapt as humans.
Living in Zhuhai is not just an experience for me; my whole family has joined in the adventure. My husband is tele-working for his company back in the USA. That means he works on the computer in our apartment for several hours each day. My 2 daughters, ages 11 and 8, are attending Zhuhai International School. In the United States they attend Yinghua Academy, a Mandarin immersion school. It is a joy to watch them practice their Mandarin in China.
We have been generously welcomed by staff and students at UIC. Everyone has been very thoughtful and inclusive. Thank you for the warm welcome UIC.I am happy to be here!
（本文转载自《四维首印》第29期第七版）
