T.G.I.F.

For those of you who are loyal readers to this blog (and I’m sure that is quite a few...right), I apologize for not writing an entry last night. I’ve had a rough couple of days, and it took quite a lot out of me (to the point I’ve been coming home, getting something to eat, and practically crashing). There really isn’t too much to report except that I’ve been in school and survived the week – but the true test will be next week.

I know you all appreciate the interesting facts section, but instead, I have included a special section for today referring to some of my observations about the school I work at:

Interesting Facts (about the school system):

1) They have really rushed becoming an “academy” that they may have quite a few glitches left to iron out, like having a generator big enough to withstand the dish washer for the restaurant (we lost power to half the school two days ago because of that very reason – and for a school that relies on technology like media projectors and stuff...that can be very difficult).

2) The restaurant cannot seem to withstand the number of students who have come to eat – especially apparent today when all students finally arrived to school for classes (to the point where students had to line up in queues that went through the restaurant and out to the corridor).

3) To finish the comments on the restaurant, teachers are meant to eat in the restaurant with the students during lunch and breakfast (which doesn’t give the teachers a break from the students or the students a break from the teachers – which is a bit of a pain in the ass). Also, they’ve allotted 15 minutes for breakfast break and 30 minutes for lunch, but (especially for breakfast) the lines take so long, you’re scarfing down your food to have to rush back to class – especially for teachers who need to be there for when students arrive back to class after eating to make sure all is in order. It is ridiculous really. (Oh, in case you haven’t picked up on it, we don’t really have a staff room – or at least, there is one but we can’t eat in it – so if teachers wish to vent about students...well, they can’t...not professionally anyway).

4) They have created stupid timetables where I would be in one room for one period with my students, then have to move to a different classroom for the next period with the same class. Also, they have scheduled to give math to the bottom three year ten groups on the same day. For those of you who don’t quite understand what that means – each group is to have 3 classes a week of maths (or any subject, really), each 1hour 20minutes in length. These poor year tens have all three of their weekly maths lessons on the same day, with a break off in period 2...that’s 4 hours of maths in one day. Even the higher students would have a hard time coping with all that math content in one day...having 4 hours with the lowest ability groups in one day is ridiculous! It almost appears that the person in charge of scheduling just thought, “they aren’t going to be able to succeed anyway, so why even bother trying”...especially when these students don’t like maths to begin with.

5) The school only has bells for the start of the day and the end of the day, and haven’t scheduled transition time into the schedule. So, for me, I try to let the students out about 5 minutes early to make sure they (and I) make it to their next class on time. I’ve come to rely heavily on my watch or the clock in the room (thank you, John, for convincing me to purchase that watch in the U.S.).

6) Students don’t have a lot of respect for teachers or for themselves really when you hear how they speak to them or with each other. For example, today I kept hearing the students to “f” off or to shut up or whatever to each other. The “f” off comment, I was told to respond with, “watch your language”...but if they keep it up, then I can throw it out of the class. I told them they are not to tell each other to shut up, and they looked at me like I’ve grown a second head or something. So, I asked them, “Do you go around telling each other that all the time”? They responded with, “Ya. Even teachers tell us to shut up.” I said that I wouldn’t tell my students that and they were confused and asked, “Well then what do you say your students when you want them to be quiet?” I told them, “I tell them to be quiet”. Strange culture here...and not something I want to pick up. Also, when they walk through the halls, they don’t care who you are, the move for no one...and people don’t hold doors for others here. It just seems REALLY odd. And another thing I heard about today was that a teacher asked a student (that they must have had a bit of an issue with) whether they were going to be an ass in class when they got back from lunch. Seriously??? That’s how they deal with students here?

7) Rather than asking me if I wanted to get rid of or share a form tutor group (that they thrust on me the other day), the VP came up to me today and said that she has given it to the other two girls (my roomies) to share over the course of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sort of glad to have it removed from my plate (as I really hate having to rush from one thing to another), but at least let me have a chance to deal with it. I also feel it makes me look bad by having it removed from me, when they really felt like I could handle it. The other day when I was asked by the VP how my work load was, I said it was busy...but more so because of the number of classes I was given. I just didn’t appreciate being told it was being removed without being asked if I would prefer to have it removed. Also, those students have had so many changes with their form tutors over the past couple of years...whatever happened to consistency? (Yes, I know it’s just been a week...but you know what I mean).

8) I threw out my first student from one of my classes today (okay, I ended the day with throwing out 1 student in one class twice; and another student in another class once). They were allowed in the classroom, apparently, after they said sorry to me. When I asked them why they were sorry, they just shrugged...as they had no idea why I threw them out. Why? Might you ask? Well, because the “PSO” spoke with the student without me – not allowing me the opportunity to speak with the student to sort it out. I don’t get this system at all.

9) Some things haven’t changed. On the way to school yesterday morning, the girls and I walked through our regular path to school to find a group of about 6 students smoking pot...before 8 in the morning. We told the VP at the school who asked us if we could identify the students in question. Due to the sun in our eyes (and no, that wasn’t just an excuse), we couldn’t...but it’s interesting that some things don’t change across cultures.

10) I learned not to ask students to put their exercise books or white boards into the “bin”, as apparently doing so will get the students to look at you funny as they make their way to the trash can (or garbage bin). Funnily enough, this was after I pointed to the bin I was referring to when I had made my statement. After that, the students kept asking me to say, “trash can”.

11) It was nice to end our week at a local pub and enjoy a pint of Strongbow with our faculty (and our honorary maths member – Melanie – the other Canadian girl who came with the other agency and is working in the Science department), celebrating the fact that we survived our first week.

P.S. We have decided to distinguish the Johns as follows: ex-army pilot = Big John (due to his presence and stature), and ex-head of maths (retired John) = Little John (also due to stature and size)