Touching the sleeping tiger.

I don't really even have time to breathe right now, so this is going to be quick. But.

I've started after school classes, and although it has meant staying stupidly late at work and not having any time for fucking around whatsoever, I am actually happier that way. I almost forgot. Teaching is what I like to do. Even if they did give me the fucking first graders for a "conversation" class. Which is oxymoronic to the nth degree. Emphasis on the moronic. I haven't even met the little buggers yet and, as was clearly displayed by the fact that one little Einstein decided it was like, totally acceptable to throw bits of eraser in my class today, they do not know who they are dealing with. Eraser bits? For real? I haven't seen that for going on two years now. As the S.O. put it, "They touched a sleeping tiger."

Also was fooled by their level yesterday, as things went ridiculously smoothly. Went too far over their heads today, and was informed by Head Teacher when I told her and Old Co about it afterward that they are just learning things like, "What is your name? How old are you?" And that they can't do an interview for a small radio story, which is our first project. Well. Yes. You are right about that. But this is what happens when you give mixed level first graders at a low-performing public school to the foreign teacher for a "conversation" class. You don't know that because you're not a foreign teacher and you've never encountered this stupidity before. But I do, because I am, and I have. Don't worry about. On Thursday, we're going to slow down, go step by step, and get this shit together. They will do a radio story, and they'll do the shit out of it. Trust.

Other than that, I've started forming my firm bonds with the trouble making new third graders. Theses are the allegiances that see you through their "king" year. They're stuck in the office after school being (in my opinion, too harshly) punished for vague offenses by Head Teacher who hasn't really clocked on to what kind of school she's at yet. That's cool. They deserve it. But they're going to rebel. They are rebelling. The harder you push them without giving them firm logic for it, the more theyre' going to get stubborn and kick off. Unless you're one of the dreaded PE teachers and then you can do whatever you want. She's working it out though, and staying strong. I gotta hand it to her. Today, her home room class were much better behaved during my session than last week, and she seems to have worked out that when she walks into the room, and the students automatically start calling out, "Hands on your head, eyes closed!" in mockery before she can even get the words out, that that is not a great way to go about things.

Do I have any stories or anecdotes? Yeah, probably loads. But I don't have time to call them to mind right now. The S.O. and I had another little spat this weekend.... well. Not even really a spat. We've somehow miraculously avoided having even a single fight so far. But I got upset, he worried about it, I said I was sorry for getting upset, he said he was sorry for not noticing at the time that he was upsetting me, and we came to an agreement never to get ourselves in that situation ever again and all is lovely once again. So anyway, he's on his way, and I am grubby from teaching six classes and staying after two hours working on lesson plans, so I need to sort it. And get some blueberry muffins in the oven for breakfast in the morning. Remind me to tell you later about the co who's split from her husband, and how the story has a happier ending than anyone could ever imagine, though. Because it's' fucking ace.