Today was another day with the vets and engineers. I felt particularly stressed because today the other teacher and I were going to switch classes. I had no idea really of what to expect, and it is difficult for me to do new things and be in front of new people. As I waited to go to class, some of my class asked why I wasn't teaching them today. I had to explain the whole switching thing to them, which wasn't an easy task, though not for language reasons. One of them was really disappointed because she wanted me to go over stress with them in class today. So, there was stress today, just not this stress.
The other class was not quite friendly at first, though they warmed up quite quickly. At first someone from the Ministry of Agriculture came in and gave them all papers to sign, and they started to have a heated argument. They quickly decided to discuss it after the lesson, which I was grateful for. Then came the actual teaching portion.
I started the lesson and we answered the first few questions, and then it was time to put them into groups. They were very noisy in doing this, and they didn't quite get four and five into a group, but I straightened them out! (I really should have had a plan as to how the groups would be formed, but I didn't know how many people there would be, and I wanted to see how good they were at it.) I had them discuss reasons people travel. They discussed it for five minutes and then they switched groups and told the others what they had come up with. We them talked about them a little out loud.
We did this type of thing throughout the lesson...I think the desk arrangement should be changed to make this type of work easier, but we will see what comes of this. After class, many of these students came up to me and said they liked the way I taught. They liked that there was some outside information brought in, they liked that they were forced to speak in groups, and they liked that my speech was clear and understandable to them. My original students also came in and said they liked my teaching and wanted me back. I never know whether to trust what people say about me, but I have been told by many people that they like my teaching. This makes me feel good, but I do take it with a grain of salt.
Now for the more stressful portions of the day. The university classes were good, but they are still having problems understanding that sometimes things have more than one answer, and when they are asked their opinion, they are supposed to give reasons. They also seem to have problems listening and not talking. I am not sure how an inaction like not talking is difficult, but it is horribly so for them. And they are having a hard time taking what I say and telling me definitions....for example "the press of the day didn't cover this significant, very important, situation. " I then ask what significant means, and they have no clue..then I tell them, and ask again..no clue. Then on the third time, they got it!!
Today I also talked with the dean again about the mothers class. They had figured out which students to take from the vets and engineers classes, and they would let them know. I told him that I wouldn't teach a class that was segregated based on gender, and he told me not to go there as that would create many problems. I left and was not very happy. Then later we find out that this separate class may not happen at all. It seems that the mothers will not accept being part of this class as well. Apparently they just want to be by themselves! I had to laugh about this. One of these days I am going to break
down in tears because of all of this.
On a happier note, I did find out that summer school is going to be shorter than first planned; it may only go until the end of July instead of the end of August, so I may have the opportunity to travel a little after all! We shall see what happens though....I am so hoping to make this the schedule so I can get planes set up and tell people when and where I will meet them...and when I will be able to get home...I also need to find out how much all of this will cost me..where will I go? I guess we shall figure it out as the days get closer.
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