i don't even know how to describe what happened today

So, today was...interesting.

Actually, I did sufficient planning yesterday, so I felt pretty good going into today. I don't have a class first period on Mondays, and I got to the office early (why, I have no idea) so I spent the first two hours of my day making copies and talking to the other teachers in the office. Nothing exciting.

Then I went to my 6th grade English class, which it seems to me is currently my favorite. The kids understand me well enough that I don't have to explain every minor detail, and the material is basic enough that I actually feel somewhat qualified to teach it. And, seeing as I LOVE grammar, I had a good time when I started my grammar lesson today on articles. I don't think they understood it totally and I'm sure their homework is going to be a disaster...but whatever. It went by fast and I had a good time.

From there, I went to my 4th grade ESL class, which I had for an hour and ten minutes straight. Um....wow. Some of those kids are really, really cute. Unfortunately, the cutest one cannot understand a single word coming out of my mouth. He is from Japan and is a lot smaller than everyone and seriously doesn't know English at all. One other Japanese girl in the class had to help translate a lot of things for him, and when I helped him spell some stuff for the handout I gave them, he didn't even really remember how to make all of the letters. Spelling 'chicken nuggets' for him was rough. Those kids are sweet though. Too bad I have them for THREE PERIODS on Tuesdays. Seriously. that's like 2 and a half hours. They're in 4th grade. I already sort of decided that the last period we're just going to draw pictures of the vocabulary words or something because how can I honestly be expected to hold their attention? I'm 21 and I can't even pay attention to one class for more than 40 minutes.

So, after that class was done, I assumed it was the most brutal one I'd have. Let me tell you, teaching ESL is not going to be easy. I went to lunch, changed my shoes (now that the backs of my ankles have been sufficiently torn up by my new flat dress shoes) and spent fifth period meeting with my Chinese group leader for ESL (my kids are missing books...i don't have a teachers' edition of any of the books....that class is sort of a mess right now) and assuming that 6th grade native level history was going to be awesome.

Boy, was I wrong. I have two sections of history classes back to back on Monday afternoons. The first class was fine, even though there were a couple of annoying/know it all girls who asked the most ridiculous questions about the rules. Maybe they were trying to impress me with their English skills. I wasn't impressed-- just really, really annoyed. But, in retrospect, that class really wasn't that bad. If that one girl stopped asking stupid questions the whole thing might have been pretty enjoyable...and I didn't even get to start talking about the material. One of the boys even came up to me after class and asked me if I "particularly fancy anything" and I was totally confused...and he suggested earrings....so maybe that means his family is going to buy me presents? Haha. It would be interesting. I told the class my birthday was coming up next month and that I was going to have to teach that class on my birthday so they'd better be good...and that I might make them sing happy birthday to me if they're bad.

It was really my 7th period class that made my day. And by "made my day" I mean made me want to tear my hair out. I was SO strict with them. I went over the rules multiple times. I had to punish a kid in class by moving his seat because he wouldn't stop talking to his neighbor, even though he was the one that i made read the 'no whispering or chatting during class' rule. He and his buddy decided it would be cool to put these small plastic bags on top of their heads as hats. I repeated the rule about no cell phones in class several times, and they were completely shocked that I would actually take away their phones and not give them back. When one kid asked me what I would do with his phone if I took it, I told him I would "sell it on ebay." The girls in that class were VERY well behaved, but the boys...jesus christ. They were blatantly not listening to a word I was saying and/or disregarding the rules. When they made smart-ass comments to me, I responded with sarcastic remarks because 6th grade boys are mean and need to be put in their places. Perhaps this is not the best way for me to think about teaching, but unless they can prove to me that they aren't hellians, I'm going to have them on very short leashes. And I'm making a seating chart that requires all the boys to be sitting next to girls.

It's been a long day. If only I didn't have 3 periods of ESL tomorrow....