Let’s approach the whole subject of why I am actually in China. This is going to be a lot of boring teacher talk. This will probably of NO INTEREST to anyone aside from me when I look back on this…
 |
| Walk to the bus stop, catch the 505, walk down this road for a bit. Boom. One of my schools. |
I am not spending most of my time drinking and exploring, although I am certainly MAKING time for these things. No, most of my time, Monday-Friday from 7:20 (sometimes earlier if I am at one of the further schools) to 4:30, I am in a school. And let’s just talk about the schedule real quick. A’ight. Breakfast (free food. I shan’t miss out). is from 7:30-8:00.In the mean time, from 7:00-7:55, stuff is going on, early classes maybe, but I have no idea what’s going on. At School B, where I am writing from, first period runs from 8:00-8:40, second from 8:50-9:30. Okay. You THINK you see a pattern, but you would probably be wrong because after second period is eye/face exercises (?) for five minutes and then everyone does morning exercises on the field until 10:15. Classes start up again at 10:25, third hour (which is only forty minutes again), followed by forth class. So far, so good? Okay. 11:55, lunch time. Okay. And then STUFF happens I don’t get. Cleaning? Helping the elderly? Homework? Study? Playtime? I am not sure what the story is but lunch starts at 11:55 and then fifth hour picks up 1:30. Damn long bit of down time. Between fifth and sixth class, something happens that takes fifteen minutes. Sixth picks up at 2:25 and finishes at 3:05. That said, something else goes on and the end of the day is at 4:45. From my seat, in the auxiliary teachers’ room away from everyone else (echo, echo, echo), the kids have 480 minutes a day at school but only 240 of which, that would be half for you math majors, is actually spent, um, in class.
A’ight. Whatever floats your boat.
I’m in my second day of teaching, in the middle of that 1.5 hours I don’t understand what I am supposed to be doing with called “lunch.” I only have four classes today, not bad, all first grade. One more stands between me and the 505 bus back home. My school bought me a bicycle for School S (No idea what the name actually is. It seems to have 800 nicknames.) so maybe I can use that to get here in the future as well. The bus is 2.00 RMBs, which is almost 30 cents. So you know. Over the course of a month, coming to and from this school twice a week… that’s like, almost $3 a month. Ain’t no body got money for that. Ahhh, I love the cheap public transportation!!! I wonder if Chinese tourists freak out when they arrive in Vegas and drop five bucks on a DAY pass for the bus. Or is it more than that now?
 |
| Actually, I have a lot of TV families/friends in my classes. Now is my chance to ruin lives by assigning awful, nerdy names without having to stick around for the damage. |
19 classes, about 40 a class… 760 kids I teach a week. That’s hysterical. I am currently making name cards for EACH kid so each kid gets an English name. Sorry, kids. I can’t learn 760 names only seeing you once a week. Your name is now Payton and for the love of all that is good, keep that name tag visible on your desk. Actually, I am quite amused ‘cause I have a Sherlock, every friend in my phone book, a couple of musicians (Beck, Usher, Sia, Adele, and Florence make an appearance all in the same class), and this collection…
So, Dear Universe, hi. Yeah, maybe some people like the freedom of being told, “teach English!” like that is a logical progression of easy to comprehend vocabulary and sentences, but I am not that person. English is a big-ass language and I need SOME direction of here to go. Luckily, my boss gave the order this week that my coworker and I need to build a curriculum map of what we are teaching and when. Absolutely. This should be built BEFORE the year begins. I mean, just being my coworker is an experienced teacher who can make anything work, doesn’t mean I have that same skill set! (I mean, I totally do, but still. Mary from three years ago would have had a bad day today.)
Hmmm, the kids do kung fu after the last class. And, it’s 4:30. Surely I can leave here soon enough…
There are 480 minutes in the school day, I guess. Add on the 40 bonus minutes at the end and the 50 minutes I got here before eight for breakfast and just-in-case-the-bus-is-stupid, there were 570 minutes I was on the campus. But there were only 160 minutes I needed to do anything... Yeah, I got some work done on the 2nd grade cir. plan, and, yeah, I had a LOT of name tags to make (black marker is just about dead), but I feel so useless... la la la... did some journaling. Watched Ratatouille while working on second grade and starting next week's PPTs… I will bring more study books next time. I have five classes a day on Fridays and Mondays, though.
Day two, though, and I don’t hate my kids yet. And in seven weeks I get a vacation. Whew, after teaching a day and a half, yeah. I need a break.
 |
| Sweet, sweet freedom (of sorts. I am still in China and can't use Google or Facebook, in theory) waits! |
Actually, I am constantly amazed by the amount of…training… I received at my old job. Going to work within 40 minutes of needing prescription IVs. Teaching NINE classes a day some days (I think my light days were six classes). Getting no notice about new classes. Being expected to put on a dog-and-pony show at any time… Yeah, I only had 1-8 kids in a class, but still. I am in a different world right now. Let’s just say no one ever uses the phrase, “go take a rest” in the ekaiwa world and if I took a shot every time some one has said that to me here, I’d be in the hospital with alcohol poisoning daily. I do wish I brought more books and things this time. I might pick up some stuff over the summer.
4:45! Music is playing! I get to go home!!! Peace!
Comments
Post a Comment