I didn't honestly believe that leaving America to teach abroad would be an extended vacation, easier still than the part time retail gig I was pushing back in the States; playing with kids, living in a tropical paradise and working maybe 20 hours a week (okay, so maybe I did kinda hope for a while there). However, today the ball dropped, a giant, lead ball dropped on my little, thatch tiki hut of a dream world. No longer will I be working at an afterschool program with small classes (even the largest is only fifteen students) that don't start 'till 16:30 with plenty of prep time beforehand. Oh no, I will be starting at 10:00 every day, with up to 3 classes, some over thirty students, and with no morning prep (unless I deign it necessary to wake up early on my own time).
That is the new life of this English Teacher: full time. Oh yeah, baby, it's begun.
My classes went exactly as I thought: loud, chaotic, soul crushing. The kids don't listen and I spent the entire time shouting just for kids to get out pencils. While I no long feel the lost emptiness and lack of hope that the first day at the After-School Program, even experienced teachers were feeling the hurt of these crazy kids. I will say that the added presence of a Thai Teacher in the room proved to be absolutely necessary (especially with my over-soft and under-developed style of teaching) as just a mere look would quiet a student and a rap on the desk the entire class. Without them I would be utterly useless as a teacher and I already owe one a stack of paper I had to steal (showing up completely unprepared...)
And tomorrow I do it all again (hopefully a little more prepared this time, though).
Oh, and the day had started so well too, I had my first morning run and felt like an absolute king by the end. >_<
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