curacao Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Well today was my first day at work .. teaching English as a foreign language to teenagers. Starting today came as a kinda shock cos I was meant to start on Friday, but yesterday, pretty late, I was phoned to start today. I was pretty nervous, specially since I had nothing prepared, but, more or less, it was OK. My first class was a little awful, 7 Italians, so of course they spoke Italian a lot of the time (usually they try to keep classes mixed), not to mention 2 or 3 of them kept trying to sleep! And I had to keep getting their attention and trying to get them to listen to me. Not to mention, I fainted halfway through the lesson! Now I'm not at all the fainting type usually so I scared myself a little.. but it's been SO hot lately .. 38-41 degrees. Today was a little cooler than it was yesterday actually, but it must;ve been the heat plus nerves that did it. I tried to keep going when I felt myself getting dizzy but then I eventually fainted .. bumped my chin badly - still feels sore - and cut my hand while I was at it I was a little shaky then but I felt I had to keep going, though I was asked by my supervisor if I wanted to call it quits. My second class was great though, a little older (15 and 16) and they were so eager to learn and was so easy to get a reaction out of them and get them discussing! All in all, not as bad as I thought it'd be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pleto4_ryan Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Originally posted by curacao All in all, not as bad as I thought it'd be i hope you a great educational position....for many years (as long as you want them to be many ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGemma Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 You fainted?!? Goodness! I hope you're alright now? hehehe, did you scare the class awfully when you hit the floor, or was it inbetween classes? Figure it would be hard for them to sleep after a scare like that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomStLeger Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 hehe, talk about first impressions! . Good luck with the job Tamz, you're a good communicator (from mirc, though what you communicate is shocking ) so I'm sure you'll make a good teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curacao Posted July 1, 2003 Author Share Posted July 1, 2003 heh, yes, I fainted midway through the first lesson. I recovered pretty damn quickly though - I had to. I mean, I kept my wits together to the point that when the entire class wanted to go get me a glass of water I only let one go and a minute later I was back teaching - a little shaky, but only I knew that. Give kids an inch and they'll take a mile, and all that. (Oh and yeah, one of the brats kept sleeping afterwards ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin_Br Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 How could anyone ever fall asleep with you in front of class? Oh and next time, sit down when you start feeling dizzy --Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Novel_T Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Tamz - so that's like, over 100 degrees, right? Been so long, I've forgotten how to calculate. Be careful, heat prostration is nothing to ignore - if you can't keep a fan going on you, at least keep a cooler of Evian handy. I used to teach a computer class to spanish kids struggling with their english - now that was fun!! Good luck with teaching, I'm sure you'll do great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor S1 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Hehe, that was a funny read. Hope you are ok now. Anyway, good luck with job and i hope you won't get the kind of class we were in high school.... if i only think about headaches we gave to those poor guys and gals that were trying to teach *schudder* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twifkak Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Just want to echo all of the sentiments. Good luck! "All in all, not as bad as I thought it'd be" -- you must have a very active imagination! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigJKO Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Originally posted by curacao not to mention 2 or 3 of them kept trying to sleep! And I had to keep getting their attention and trying to get them to listen to me. There is a certain way, involving a certain ring attached to a certain body, to get the boys' attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil25 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 It'd get my attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curacao Posted July 1, 2003 Author Share Posted July 1, 2003 Originally posted by twifkak Just want to echo all of the sentiments. Good luck! "All in all, not as bad as I thought it'd be" -- you must have a very active imagination! LOL.. I meant the actual teaching, minus the fainting bits No, that didn't occur to me. Igor and Jonk: what I'm teaching isn't like school .. it's meant to be fun and using the language sort of without even realising it .. in other words, lots of games, lots of interacting and discussions on interesting topics .. just anything that'll get them speaking English. We're not meant to do the traditional teacher thing, standing up there and instructing, in fact we're supposed to speak as little as humanly possible and let them get to it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin_Br Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 lots of games, lots of interacting Playing games and interacting with tamara, huh.... Where can I sign up, where can I sign up!!!? --Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil25 Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Originally posted by curacao LOL.. I meant the actual teaching, minus the fainting bits No, that didn't occur to me. Igor and Jonk: what I'm teaching isn't like school .. it's meant to be fun and using the language sort of without even realising it .. in other words, lots of games, lots of interacting and discussions on interesting topics .. just anything that'll get them speaking English. We're not meant to do the traditional teacher thing, standing up there and instructing, in fact we're supposed to speak as little as humanly possible and let them get to it.. Love to be there when you're trying to teach them anatomy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaf Posted July 1, 2003 Share Posted July 1, 2003 Good luck Tamzie! And dont hesitate to use the whip on those kids!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homoludens Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil25 Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 I would say you're a man of few words, but each of those suckers is worth a thousand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingzjester Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Speaking of how the day went, of fainting and trying to control the uncontrollable: I helped a friend move a couch from his third floor flat. He lives (lived) above the historic Galveston Opera House. The couch, needless to say, could not fit in the elevator, so the only way we could've taken it down was via this tiny staircase thing that is wound through a thick supporting wall (so that it uses up the space not used by the stage most efficiently) - it goes for half a floor on one side of the wall - then a tiny doorway - down the hall - then through a door again - then for a floor and a half on the other side - again a doorway - and then for the remaining half... you get the picture. A heavy monster of a couch - probably made from depleted uranium - and cumbersome to boot. I think it would've been easier to take down a concert piano. Well, anyhow, while we were vertically trying to squeeze it through one of the doors, I grabbed one side (now up above me) and pushed myself up to see what part of the couch was stuck in the frame. A nail sticking out of the side of the couch got hold of one of my left hand fingers and ripped it open. I faint when I see blood on others - however - I am very clear headed when I am hurt and bleeding in puddles. So I managed to collect myself and clean the wound. No stitches were necessary and I hope I won't get tetanus. However, this is the second time I have semi-seriously injured my left hand. I had this karate accident when I was smaller; a bone in my palm was knocked out of place. I never really bothered to fix it as it wasn't too apparent at the time. I still can use the hand quite well, I just can't bend it down too far, it hurts and a bone sticks out of the profile of the hand. I don't need that hand anyway, I am right-handed. Hmm... Not as interesting a story as I thought it would be. Notwithstanding, Fred owes me smoothies for ages to come. Rejoice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twifkak Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Interesting... just not, "Wake up, Devin!" material. More like "Go back to sleep, Devin!" material. (You see, I'm a rock. Or is it sponge? I could never keep track.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firefoot Posted July 2, 2003 Share Posted July 2, 2003 Tamz, I think you really made an impression on the first class, no doubt about that! And it seems real fun to teach such lessons! So, don't be too nervous... Uhm.... actually, I'm a nervous type myself, so I should listen to my own wise words too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=ReApEr=- Posted July 5, 2003 Share Posted July 5, 2003 Meh i wish learning was fun at my school, i try to go asleep sometimes. I usally fall asleep in french, and everyone starts poking and proding me. Which eventually wakes me up, i sit at the back of the class anyhow. So usally no one notices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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