New Job

So, it's Wednesday evening, I'm on the subway and I thought I would use the time productively to add to my blog. 

I think tonight I shall update you on my new job. 

I'm back working in a high school. And LOVING it!!!!!!!!!!!! Had forgotten how much I enjoy teenagers. It is a boarding school, all the students stay at the school during the week and go home for the weekend. Even the ones who live in the same town. They can stay over the weekend if they want to - to study more - but they have to apply specially for the privilege. 

This school specialises in languages so every student is studying English, plus at least one other of Japanese or Chinese. Many of the students are close-ish to fluent in English - even if they are majoring in one of the other languages. 

My job is to smooth out the rough edges and help them to sound like native speakers. I have all sorts of great ideas to help achieve this. Including Dr Seuss. ^^ 

Sometimes I feel terribly sorry for these kids. They are so sleep deprived. They get up around 6am and go to bed around midnight. It is not uncommon for me to come into a classroom to find the entire class with their heads down on their desks catching a power nap. I feel almost guilty waking them up for class. 

You can mark the progression of the week by how beautiful they are. Monday they all look lovely, girls hair is smooth, there is a hint of make up etcetera. Boys are bright eyed and bushy tailed. By  about Wednesday those hints are gone, Thursday is pure exhaustion, by Friday I think they get their second wind - or they have mainlined coffee. Partly I think these kids just need someone to show them some love. And teach them about health!!!

I have between 32 and 36 students in each of my three grade 1 classes, the four grade 2 classes have 16 students each, because they split the classes with another teacher. 

Even though those class sizes are large they are really easy to teach. The students are so well behaved, and so focused. Even the first graders who won't be sitting the all important university entrance exam for another 2 years are totally focused on it. Several of them have told me they have gotten rid of their smart phones because they were too much of a distraction. I can't imagine an NZ student of the same age doing that. Actually I can't imagine many NZ students of the same age owing iPhones and the like. These kids are totally wired. 

My first week here they were all giving presentations. I had to grade them, and honestly I would have been impressed if those presentations had come from native English speakers. The fact that they came from ESL students just blew me away. 

I just reread what I wrote above, makes school life seem very dismal. But it isn't, on the whole they seem happy, they horse around in the hallways like normal kids, they goof off and act silly at lunch times, but in class they are totally focused. 

Basically I'm in a school of nerds :-) my favourite kind of people!!!!

One other interesting thing, we have to clock in and out everyday. The machine that scans your thumbprint. Very sci-fi ^^ thrills my nerdy little soul eveytime. 

PS I found the book re my last post. Shall give more details when I post about my new apartment.