Final 10th grade classes - Today was a good day

Tuesdays always start earlier than the other days. I don’t think I’ve gotten used to getting up so early just to go to work. I finished reading my book today. It’s a good book and I feel like shit. It’s opened my eyes on looking at something differently. Even though I thought that way before, it’s a refreshing look at myself from the 3rd person. I like that I could see it, but now I just need to formulate a plan to put it in motion. I need to put the trust into myself as well. I have decided that I really shouldn’t look back anymore. I want to return to San Diego for this spring break, but something is holding me back. I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s something that I’m not looking forward to. Not only do I not want to go back, I feel as if there is nothing I could do to help things back at home. I got rid of problems as well as built new problems with my departure.

The first class today was the 9th graders. They were like usual, spaced out. Some were talking and some weren’t. I’ve learned that many of the teachers don’t like teaching this class. I think when I was teaching it, for the first time, I really enjoyed it. But when I’m not in front of the room and CP is running the show, she isn’t able to control the room. They are beginning to become like the 10th graders with ESki. She was a good teacher filled with different ideas, but I don’t believe they are able to get control of the room. I think most of the girls are afraid if I raise my voice, and for those who know me, I really can raise my voice. But besides that, they did what we wanted them to. It took a little while for them to get going on things though. This is the last oral communication lesson before they actually go to the United States. So it was our last opportunity to get them prepared for that. Not sure if they really will be ready for it, but at least they have a little background on things. The lesson for the day of course was Fast Food. What else would it be for girls visiting California?

For my 10th grade classes, we did something out of the book. We haven’t touched the book since the beginning of when I first started working at the school. Since we make them buy it, I thought it would be a good idea to use it instead of making my own sheet like I normally do. I’m finally doing what I really wanted to do, and that’s make them speak. I didn’t give much time for them to prepare, but I think that the assignment was easy enough for them to get up and speak. I mean I introduced the new topic today, and had them speak about it today as well. Classes are only 50 minutes long too. But I managed to get all the students to speak, and not really complain too much either. Even the first 10th grade class, Yuri was able to do it, and there weren’t any problems either. The topic was basically just to write about the best memory that they had this year. They had 4 different teachers teaching them English. I think that’s a lot for one year. I mean two of them were pregnant and two came in and replaced them. So that was a bit of a change for them, and it wasn’t all at the same time too. It was in phases, which I think really hurt them because they behaved poorly. I think they understood things, but they just didn’t care and were poorly behaved. I also want to say that it’s partially the fault of the homeroom teachers. You can really see the effect of the home room teachers on the students. They carry the same personalities and the problems and the strengths as their teacher. And even the weirder ones too. So now I think I’ve finally figured out how to work with them, but next year when they all split into different classes, we’ll see how things go.

I was flooded by many students who wanted me to listen to their speech after school. It was something that I wanted to do, so it wasn’t a problem for me. But I also felt sorry for the girls in the English club who had to wait for me while I read the other girls speeches. In club, we just started talking about what’s been going on in the week. I asked the girls how my class was, but they said it was average, which I think it was. I’ve got to be able to spice things up. Then after that, we started planning for the graduation party for the senior girls on March 7th. I think that will be fun, and I’ll finally meet some of the girls in the English club that I haven’t met before. I think all the teachers will be coming too, and so it will be fun. We have secretly combined it as a wedding party for one of the teachers that will be getting married this Sunday. Well actually she’s already married, but her wedding ceremony will be this Sunday. I think that it will be fun and I’m glad that they have planned things out, since they were talking about it a very long time ago, like October, when they first found out that they were going to get married.

Edit: I got a locker today at work too. I thought that was pretty cool, since I’ve only been waiting for about 5 months for it. I think everything went so smooth for me today, which was a nice thing and a relief. I hope to not forget this day.