Second period I generally have off, but twice a week (now only once, since I began teaching class 3 twice a day) I have class 7. They were interested in having me teach for them but they are already finished their book. I asked them what they want to learn about and they mentioned a few grammar points, and drugs… So I decided to have them do presentations on different kinds of drugs. But after I had already given this project I was informed that the kids have no way of getting information – they don’t have access to the internet (heck, they don’t even know how to use it!) and they don’t have a library at school… So, rather than call of the project I decided to find them information online and have them sift through it to find the relevant info. I could have shown them how to use the internet and that would have been more helpful to them, but none of them can meet after school because then they miss the bus and don’t have any way of getting home. They can’t take the public bus because they don’t have money, and their parents won’t pick them up at school. Again, this illustrates the type of school I’m teaching at, the lack of financial means the school and the kids have, and the attitude their parents have toward education.One thing I have noticed about class 7 is their non-chalant, non-excited attitude toward learning, and even toward me. I find this kind of strange, simply because my class 6 is still SO enthusiastic toward me.
Perhaps this attitude contributes to my lack of desire to teach class 7, but I also think part of it is that I can’t seem to do anything right with them. First the whole thing with the drugs project, then I forgot to collect their homework one day, then I made a mistake during a grammar section that I was helping them with, and now, finally, with the decision to not do the drugs project after all because I will only be seeing them once a week and felt that we could use out time more wisely with something else.
Either way, I will continue to teach them. And I will try to make English fun and exciting for them. Maybe we’ll just play grammar games, since I’ll only be seeing them once a week. That way, the pressure will be off me a little bit, and hopefully they’ll get a little more excited about our time together.
