So, I started teaching 4ish (I think) weeks ago. I wish I had written a blog my first day, because I don't remember exactly how I felt, but I do remember how awful it was. Nick had prepared me a little for what classes would be like, and I observed a class or two before my first day. However, as I was walking into my first class it really hit me that i had NO IDEA what I was doing. I have no idea how to teach. I was an education for a hot second in college, and I never got to the actual "teaching" part. So, not only do I not know how to teach, my students speak very little English. They know some, but for the most part they can't understand me. And I talk way too fast. After my last class of my first day I walked down the street and cried, so that was super pathetic.
After my mini-breakdown, things got much, much better.
I like my students a whole lot more when I'm not teaching them. When I see them in the halls or on the street, I love them. They're funny and nice and really entertaining. However, in class they're a bunch of little assholes. I have one class who demands movies every time. That's not annoying at all. I would say each class gives me about 20 minutes (of a two hour class) to actually teach. The rest of the time they just yell and don't pay attention. That's been the most difficult thing. They just never shut up. They just scream at each other. Thai students only have one volume, and it's LOUD. They're always late, they never pay attention, and they're just all-around pretty annoying. Most of the time they spend their time talking on their cell phones and putting on makeup. The amount of makeup that is applied during class is amazing. I didnt know people needed to wear so much makeup. Mostly I'm a babysitter. More babysitter, less teacher.
This is a pretty standard class:
I think the most important thing I've learned about teaching is that it is much better if I don't care. I have learned to teach the six students in every class who actually want to learn. So I just focus on them, and ignore the rest. I do love some of my students very much. Like a girl named Jiraprapa. She is fantastic. This is her.
So, I feel like I should have a lot more to write about teaching, but...it has just become my normal routine. I like it sometimes, I hate it sometimes, but I'm glad I'm doing it.
Here are the main things students say:
"Teacher! Toilet?!" (I swear, they go to the bathroom every three minutes)
"Allai Wa?" -What the F...
"teacher! Check name!" (They are obsessed with attendance and it is annoying)
Okay, that's all, I guess.
ps, after I just wrote all that bad stuff about my students I had two classes of extremely well-behaved kids. Karma.
