Reflections on New Classes

Happy June!

I feel like the classes I have at the moment can be categorized into two groups: those I've had since the first few months of my time here (the 'beginning') and those I just got in the last couple months. I only had a few classes for so long, then I got that crazy HB class, and then a few months ago I suddenly received a bunch more classes.

At first it felt weird getting all these new students and classes. I had the same schedule for soooo long. I was used to being really comfortable and knowing my students well, and here I was faced with all these weird kids whose actions I couldn't predict and with whom I didn't have a solid rapport. The bond I felt with my "original" kids started to feel even stronger, and I felt almost suspicious of all these new kids. They were "others." Isn't that weird? I certainly didn't act any differently, but that's how it felt for a while.

But now that we've gone through one term in all those new classes, I have (of course) really grown to like these new kids. We had our last day of Y1 this week (that group that thinks I'm hilarious), and it was a blast. We played all our favorite games, sang all our favorite songs, and the kids still think I'm hysterical. They have such good attitudes, especially compared to my Y3's who have grown cynical and test me on a daily basis. This one student who I named Jimmy is hilarious. He's so teeny tiny, I think he must be four years old, and he's so smart and excited to speak English, and everything I do is hilarious. His mom told me he likes me very much. I like all those kids in that class. Most of them are younger and not as knowledgeable as my other Y class kids were at that point, but they're much more respectful and happy to be there. I hope it lasts!

I think I once mentioned my K3 class that had like eighteen kids, most of whom are boys, and I thought I'd never remember their names. That class is also a lot of fun. There are some really funny kids in that class. This one kid named Jimmy2 is hysterical. He's so outgoing and goofy and will say/do the weirdest things. We had our oral test today and he danced on the way to the oral test room. He'll spontaneously say amusing things in the middle of class. Like when I was going over new food vocabulary with them, and he all of sudden went, "Ohhh, Teacher! I'm so hungry!" And today I was talking about spaghetti and he suddenly said, "Ohh, it's so good!" I know that's not funny when you're reading it, but in the moment it's unusual and quirky and funny. There's a pair of twin boys (maybe 9 years old) in that class who I cannot tell apart at all. They even have the same freckle above their mouths. God was totally trying to mess with the rest of us when he planned them out. There are NO facial distinctions whatsoever, I swear. But anyway, those kids enjoy each other's company like no other pair of twins I've ever seen. They have so much CONSTANT fun together, and they are just so happy playing together. And these kids come up with the best Team Names for games. Today's was "SkyFireEagleBingoTurtleDinosaur," and a few weeks ago it was, "I love you baby Obama." They thought that was HILARIOUS, and I don't understand it at ALL, but I just shrugged and wrote it on the board.

My K1 class is now at K2 (the class with the cockroach dilemma last week). There are only eight kids and they're all quite pleasant. There are a couple little girls in that class who are adorable. I think they're six and seven years old. Debbie is soooo tiny and sweet, and she tries really hard to tell me things even though she doesn't have the vocabulary, like when she tried to tell me about going to the Jolin concert. I think that's great that she tries that hard. And Emily is outgoing and has big dorky glasses and no teeth. She's a riot. Chloe's the third girl, and she's maybe 9 or 10, and is quiet but very sweet. There are five boys, three of whom are Japanese: Tatsuya, Katsuya, and Koichi. Tatsuya barely speaks Chinese, let alone English, but he's so brave and smart and has learned so much, I'm so proud of him. Sometimes he bows at me when he says, "thank you," which is pretty weird/cool. The three of them like to be on the same team, and sometimes Koichi suggests awkward team names, like "Team Japan" versus "Team Chinese Taipei" (a name which is really politically awkward/offensive, so I of course reject it), but they are great kids.

I have a couple classes I'm still trying to figure out, like my M8 class (the one with the mouse, the hole in the wall, etc). The class is consistently fun during the first hour, but in the second hour there are SOOO many moments where I need to watch what I say because they're driving me nuts, whether it be not opening their book after I've asked them 98702394812 times, talking while I'm talking, or simply not doing activities. I haven't figured those kids out yet. They particularly drive me nuts during quizzes, because they are constantly calling me over to tell them the answer to a question. It's a quiz!!!! I think my co-teacher is more lenient with providing answers on the quizzes, and they think I'll be the same way, but I won't. I'll talk them through it, but they don't seem to understand when I won't flat-out give them an answer. Sorry kids.

I still love my original M class, the one that I got at M4. We just started M7 and they're honestly my favorite class. I'm ALWAYS excited to see them. They had a funny team name the other day: "I eat Bernie for breakfast." Bernie is the class clown. He's this skinny little 9 or 10-year-old with dorky glasses and crooked teeth. He's always happy and smiling and doing goofy things, trying to make the kids laugh. Sometimes it can be distracting, but usually it's great and lightens up the atmosphere. So "eating Bernie for breakfast" was hilarious for these kids. My buddy, Kevin (the kid who is so excited all the time he can barely function), still finds it hilarious to call me "Mr. Teacher." He's starting to look older too! Actually a lot of my kids are, it's crazy how much they can change in half a year! They look so old. :( The kids in that class always follow me to my Y3 class afterward, carrying my basket and talking to me. They're great.

I have a new class this Thursday, a K12. I've actually taught that level more than any other, but I haven't taught it in a while. And it uses a different (and inferior) book than most classes (yes, Mike, I've finally come around to TU), so it's a little more work with lesson planning. It's a bigger class--16 kids--but I'm looking forward to them. It used to belong to another foreign teacher who is leaving this month, and he said that if he had to choose a favorite class, it would be them. So I'm hopeful that they'll rock.

As for my morning kids...we didn't have school last Thurs, Fri, Sat, or Sun, and on Monday morning as I got ready to go see them, it occurred to me that I really missed them. It felt like it had been a long time and I was very excited to see them. That's when I realized how screwed I am when all this is over...