2 weeks have passed! I've lost the idealistic tone of new teachers. Bumped into Minna the other day. She told me she's decided to become a teacher. I discussed it with her like I've seen it all, the jaded sort.
Okay, a bit exaggerated but then, it's partly true. 2 weeks ago, I imagined what it would be like on Monday the 27th, first day I stepped into the classrooms. 2 weeks on, and things are not what I had imagined. For the better, mostly for the worse. Not that things are bad, but more perhaps I imagined things a little too rosy. Now having been through 2 weeks of the real thing - no more imagination - my feet are firmly on the ground.
Students are not as enthusiastic as I thought they might be. I'm especially disappointed by the Sec 1s. Don't get me wrong - they are mostly angels (simian ones perhaps). It's just that I got my hopes too high, and when their response to the lesson is lukewarm, I feel a little let down.
Faced with 5 classes unanimously complaining that Literature is boring, I had a brainwave to liven things up and perhaps get them to like Lit a little more by using popular music to teach poetry, in place of William Blake and friends. For the Express classes, I even taught them simple songwriting, thinking that they would be utterly excited at the prospect of writing their own songs. Sadly, it seems like more than half of them just sees it as homework, and are hardly thrilled. Hmph. Well, it's due next Monday. I really hope there will be some excellent work out of the lot.
Sec 4s are a headache. While I enjoy a comfortable relationship with them (i.e. they don't hate me), they are simply uncontrollable! My gosh, I dread going for sec 4 classes, and I see them everyday! Told Cheryl today that it feels like I'm running a day care centre, or perhaps playschool. Haha, yup, they're 16-year-olds and they behave like children. Both the good and the bad sides, of course. The hyperactivity, the uncontrollable noise, running around, playing (silly things like splashing water at each other). It gets really amusing, but then I'm always worried that they will cost me my job by being so rowdy! Yup, relief teachers get fired for not controlling their classes. Hmph.
Well, 2.5 more weeks. I think I look forward to the end of the job, not because I'm sick of it or tired of it. Nope, I'm still alright with the job. I look forward to when I can sever the official teacher-student ties with those jokers, and perhaps become friends with some of them. Already quite chummy with some, but the teacher(even though just relief) role does limit how far I can go now. Oh well, we'll see...
