Well, I am trying, indeed... Things have been hectic from the start, with only the first week a "normal" one...then it's been combining my timetable with a million covers, and more covers, and finally a teacher deciding to go on maternity leave some 5 months earlier than planned, although I totally sympathize with her choice, since now I have her classes and they're simply scattered around the week, making it hard for a "normal" person, I can only imagine the strain on a pregnant woman! Anyway, at least they're actually lovely classes which I am enjoying thoroughly, and even though I'm annoyed that the last one is on a freaking Friday night until 9 (hence no returning home every other week for band practice..), I certainly like them more than my kiddies (although only 3 weeks left of them, thank god) and than my elementary class, which I would enjoy, I would, I promise, but my boss is in it! And she scares me!! Anyway... at least it's only once a week for a couple of hours, so it's not that bad.
I am starting a new class of kiddies tomorrow, real kiddies these ones, not the 11 and 12 I am currently dealing with once a week, but 8 and 9 years old! Their teachers must be off their heads, because the programme they would have liked us to prepare includes stuff like "learning how to get around in London, and how to ask information"...ehm....to 9-year old children?? Would you really send them around London, of all places, on their own??? Seriously, this is amazing, and not in a good way. Claire from Bournemouth, the young learner expert, has already had a class in this school, and unsurprisingly she told me that they don't know a single thing, they can barely ask you "what's your name", and maybe a few other simple questions...I doubt that in 6 lessons (because thank god it's only 6 lesson with them, and only an hour each) we'll get much further than "what's your favourite food" or something... Anyway, I thought I would maybe start looking at things today, but as it is, I can't be bothered, and since tomorrow it's the only class I have, I can get to school at 12, prepare a few things there, and then leave by 13 (the lesson is at 14)...wish me luck though, I have no idea how it will go.
And this probably what drives me mad, that I have all this kiddies classes with no idea how to work with them! I think next academic year I'll ask for two things: one, no classes that end after 8pm...mostly because getting the bus back home later than 8.30 freaks me out, too many weirdos, drunks, and generally scary people around unleashed...and two, no kiddies please! Or a limited number, not 6 classes! I have decided that I DON'T want to be a young learner expert, no sir, I'd rather stick to exam expert, that suits me fine thank you very much.
And this is actually all for now...I would love to post on ideas on how to teach young learners and whatnot, but I simply have no idea how I managed these past month and a half with them, and not even sure I've done such a good job of it, in spite of the smiles and thank-you's of the teachers, and great appreciation of the material and activities I bring to the class...It's certainly been hard work, and I keep feeling that I am not prepared for it, and that while I would like to be more knowledgeable, on the other hand I simply don't care. Mostly because teaching kids has never been my aspiration, I've always preferred teens or young adults, or adults, even the annoying ones, even the fastidious ones.
Anyway, this is all for now, as I said. Due to lack of time and on Saturday examinations, I wonder if I'll ever be able to keep this blog regularly as I had hoped I would be able to do now that the DELTA is finally done, and with a clean pass, and that I have a bit more of a regular job...but we'll see, as always...
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