Today was not really all that remarkable, but I feel compelled to record a few items for the record. First, it’s amazing how different my classes can be. Some of them respond so well to my teaching methods and we have a really excellent time together, and some of them are just a headache…they don’t listen well, they don’t respond, and the time together is torture to both of us. Well, most classes aren’t that bad, but they can be challenging! I was thinking about this today because I did the exact same lesson for my 5-1 and 5-2 classes and it didn’t go over well at all in the first one and it was excellent in the second one. Part of this is probably due to the fact that I practice it one time first, but the 5-2 students are just more responsive in general than my 5-1 students. I’m not sure why. I think part of it is due to the fact that 5-1 has an English speaker in it and he tends to take over class. Some of it might have to do with the teacher, too. Regardless, it’s a joy to teach one and frustrating to teach the other. At least I end on a good note!
My fourth grade class, too, is a delight to teach. They used to be one of my worst classes, but they have quickly ascended the ranks. They have a seating chart which I think separates the troublemakers and a lot of my success probably has to do with that, but they are just an enthusiastic bunch now that I have learned to channel their energy! I have almost all my students jumping out of their seats to answer questions, and what’s more, they usually are right! It’s really gratifying to see this from my little prodigies. I just wish my other classes were more like them!
I think it would be a lot easier if I just had one class to teach, like a regular elementary school teacher. In this situation, of course, it is nice that I have an opportunity to get to know all the kids, because it’s not like I am a permanent fixture of the school. But on the other hand, I have so many names to learn and it’s really disjointing to rapidly move from class to class, topic to topic, so very rapidly. It’s hard to develop effective class management, because what works differs so widely from class to class (I think…for some of them, I haven’t found anything yet!) and I just don’t have the time with them to really get it together. I mean, I’ve spent about 20 class periods with them so far. That’s less time than the average Korean elementary school teacher sees her children in one week! Poor me…just bumbling my way through the day and scarring cute children in the process…
I was knitting today during lunch time because I feel I should spend time chillin with the other teachers but I like to do something besides listen to conversations I cannot comprehend a word of. They were ooing and ahing over my soon-to-be dress and Kyoung Hee Sam and the sixth grade teacher (who I LOVE but I don’t know his name) even untangled my yarn for me! The sixth grade teacher is tops in my book…he plays badminton with me, he’s helpful in class (though he hasn’t been there the last few times…grrr), and he helps me with other work, too, like cutting things out and untangling yarn. I feel that he doesn’t buy into the whole male dominance thing so much, where women do the work and men drink beer, and I like that a lot. Equality is in short supply here!