i have an hour between classes this morning and still have to go back to my room for some stuff before the next one begins.
just had a terminale class at 9 am. luckily the teacher was in the room, too. good lord. it's not that the kids are mean or terrible, it's just that they don't care one iota about speaking in english. so they mostly chat to their friends. i can't blame them, either. i am still trying to get used to being in front of a class, being interesting for them, talking slow enough, thinking of things to say, etc. mostly i'm just awkward. or someone will ask me something so esoteric and philosophical that i have no idea how to answer it. like, one girl asked me, "what do you think of the american dream?" good lord, where do i start? that could take a couple of hours with your friends over drinks. how can i begin to think about that in a nice, 10 words or less, little wrapped up package in simple enough english?
i think today i spoke too fast and no one is used to my accent. the teachers here teach with a british accent. so when i say "class," the kids are used to hearing it as "clahhhss."
i don't want to become cynical after only 3 days, but i know some of the kids don't give a shit... and i don't give a shit about them either. it doesn't bother me if they don't want to speak english, it just makes it easier for me if they do. i think i am much better in smaller groups when i have something specific to discuss and the kids aren't as rowdy.
this is all still on simmer. sometimes i wish i had more teacher training; other times i think training is superfluous in the sense that it's difficult to try to train someone how to be a teacher, you just have to go and do it.