Monday, March 21, 2011

Will this ever get easier?!


I'm struggling a bit with this teaching thing.  I thought every weekend would get better but as I found out yesterday that's not the case.   I felt like Sunday was my worst day so far.  It didn't help that I was being assessed in 2 of my classes.  I realize I'm doing something totally new that I've never done before - in a completely new country where they speak a completely different language.   I'm out of sorts in almost every possible way.  Still - I don't like the feeling of not knowing how to do something.

A few things that frustrated me this weekend:
-Kids were just bad.  I think maybe it had to do with the rain.
-No one seemed to understand me - Obviously this happens a lot in class but this weekend I never seemed to be able to get my point across - no matter how much I mimed or drew on the board.  Maybe they just like to see me frustrated.
-I got sooo many blank stares.
-I still can't remember student's names.  I'm even struggling remembering faces.  I don't recognize my kids in the hall before class.
-In one of my 2 hour classes I did my entire lesson plan in the first hour.  On break I asked other teachers what else they do in this class so I was able to gracefully recover but geez. I spent time preparing!  I guess I'm still getting used to how I actually need to prepare.
-I had to jump around like a rabbit with 5 year olds - while their parents were watching and I was being assessed.  
-I had a class of 4/5 year olds that collectively went insane.  The parents did nothing.  It was like as a group they all linked together and decided how they could be as bad as possible.  It was a ball of screaming, bad 5 year old Chinese kids. They were literally all on the floor fighting for toys.  So much for the fun games I planned.
-I have a terrible class of older students that are usually pretty out of control.  This week I kept them in their seats for most of the time and they were quiet.  I'm glad they weren't bouncing off the walls or hitting each other but I don't know if they learned anything.  They all had a kind of glazed look in their eyes.

Wow, that was more than a few things!  I'm sure if I wanted to keep thinking about it I could come up with a list double that.  Yikes.

After a weekend like this it's hard not to want to throw in the towel.  I have to remind myself why I came here.  Teaching was obviously a big reason. Sometimes I wonder if that's actually what I'm doing though.  I feel like I don't get to know these students.  I feel like I'm teaching kids that don't even want to be in my class but are there, on the weekend, because their parents make them.  I've never taught before!  Are these kids learning anything??

There's a girl in one of my classes that keeps asking for my phone number.  I always forget to bring my phone with me to class and I don't know my number.  She put this in her notebook for me to see when I graded her homework.
Yeah I drew a stupid heart.   I had like 2 seconds and as most of you know I can't draw!  She asked me when she should call.  Is she really going to call?!  I mean her English is ok but what could we possibly talk about on the phone?    ANYWAY - I need to walk away with something positive from a weekend filled with lots of frustrations so I think this is pretty good.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes! It'll get easier! :) I can't imagine what it's like to try to control a class from a completely different culture. Don't worry too much, it's only been 3 weeks, right? I have the same problems in a class of mine and I've been doing this for 8 years and all of my kids speak English. :) You'll be fine!

Patrick

Joy said...

Thanks for the positive comment Patrick! Hopefully this weekend will be at least a little better.

Linder said...

I'm so sorry you're struggling Joy. I know it will turn around for you and until then please be gentle with yourself.
A friend of mind reminds me often when I start a new adventure that "First we do it and THEN we do it well".
You're in my thoughts...hang in there!

laurie said...

Joy...OMG! You are awesome! You are doing something so total out of your comfort zone, keep working it one day at a time. It's going to get better. In any case, you have the best stories! When those kids are driving you nuts just remember all people back home who love you and think, no matter what,you're doing a great thing in China! xoxo Laurie