Ugh....

I used to like teaching. Really, it used to be fun. However, today, my feelings have changed. I guess it really depends on the class. Typically, I have voluntary students who want to improve their English skills. I've also taught teachers, who, might not be that great with English, but you can tell they are trying. That's not the case with these twirps.

First off, I get to class at 9AM and after waiting 5 minutes for the elevator, some guy sitting at a desk behind me informs me the "lift is broken". I trek up the 7 flights of stairs and it looked like I had just gotten out of the shower when I got to the top. Remember, July here is not like July back home. It gets dangerously nasty hot here. After fighting through the swarm of parents to the admin. office, I was informed the "time table" had changed (quite used to this little phrase let me tell ya). Now, I'm in class 20 hours a week, 2x a day, every day. Not pleasant.

The first class was OK. They weren't great, but there were a few talkers in there. However, it was still pretty dull. The second class however....I have never come so close to just throwing in the towel before in my life. I don't usually quit things, but I was ready to walk out 20 minutes into it. I'd ask a question, any question, and get absolutely nothing. I mean nothing. I got so mad I would just sit there lingering in awkward silence. I felt that could be more punishing than anything. 45 min before the end of class, I decided to just end the pain. I gave them a word jumble just so I could sit down and calm it. I gave them 9 words (all from the unit we just read) to de-scramble. They were words like: airplane, subway, paper, complaint, etc. All words we just covered 10 minutes prior. I told them they could leave when they finished. Not a single one was able to walk out before class ended. I had to give them the answers so they could leave finally.

I was told (by other teachers) that I might have a problem with these kids. These are the kids just getting out of High School and this school is trying to recruit them to study abroad in Australia for college. This "program" is meant to be a marketing tool to get these rich kids to come to the school. These kids don't want to be here, their parents do. I'm sure not gonna make them learn if they don't want to. This is really frustrating.....