Thursday

I'm tired and it's only Thursday.. and TGI's Thursday!.. a meeting tomorrow and it's the weekend!  Yippee!

But it has been a good week.. lots of schools visited.. lots of teachers observed.. lots of driving.  That's my new job.

It’s a good tired ..  a teaching tired. 

Kids are nuts you know.. doesn’t matter where in the world you are! And there are so many of the little fellahs when you work in a school.  They are everywhere.. mostly following me around and giggling I think - like the monkeys they are.. not like the real ones that usually scatter when they see me.  

The schools are all the same color, colors.. brilliant, mind glaring colors.. and with the maze of rooms and nothing really labeled it is not easy getting around: I am still getting lost.  The offices are upstairs, usually.. but hidden in a maze of concrete hallways and open foyers.  I have an office or desk at each school.. but as they are all in a variety of locations I can never seem to find my place.

There are twenty new teachers I have to learn the names of.. it is hot..

I went to one school on the wrong day.

Just one. 

And I did teach two lessons this week.  Yup, two.. and I am exhausted. 

The first went great.  I had planned it out to review a number of units that had already been covered by the teacher.  I interwove phonics and TPR.. threw in some of the movements from Jolly Phonics. I peppered them commands when they weren’t paying attention “Sit Down, Stand Up, Pick Your Nose.. ok.. I didn’t actually do that one..

not yet – not in a foreign language..

not in a muslim country..

the humour could get lost in translation.,, ya think? 

It's going to happen.  

I introduced a couple of new ‘routines’.  And, I read a story by Robert Munsch.  How can you lose reading a great piece of literature from a true Canadian Idol?  It was great.  I included open ended questions.. and an open ended activity.. it was a stretch, but ok.  I used the sentence starter: I like …  gave them some ideas but left the decision to them.. thought it was a good.   Apparently they don’t watch a lot of television.. but they like football –

the whole world, except it seems the Great White North consider football number one.  It appears that badminton is a hit. 

Ok.. so what happened with the second lesson??!  Same age group.. same lesson.. different school. 

Stuff was flying around the room.. kids were standing up.. but on their chairs.. The children didn’t like or do anything apparently.. lots of blank looks. Lots of blank sheets. The teacher’s watched as though I was from.. well.. some place very far away. 

I guess I am!  

It was probably just me.. and it is Thursday. 

Now what to do next week?