So I am very annoyed because last night Delicia came and asked for all my lesson plans. When she talked about them before, she said they were just for me. So, all my lesson plans are all over the place on looseleaf in red pen with scratchings all over the place where I have changed things. Those of you who have seen my writing will know how terrible it is!! So, I guess I could re-write them all, which I really don´t want to spend a gorgeous Peruvian day doing, or I could hand them in as is with the excuse that I didn´t know I had to hand them in. I have no idea if it´s normal for your boss to want to see your lesson plans, but it feels like a lack of trust in my teaching to me. Those of you who know me well probably realise that I´m going to rewrite the worst of them. Yesterday I managed to follow directions given in Spanish to find a store that sells notebooks. The only kind they had were decorated with Cartoons, so I am now teaching classes with a Simpsons notebook. Classy. At least all my lesson plans are in the same place now though...Yesterday I gave a private English lesson to a man who works in the mine here. We went up Santa Apalonia Hill, which is basically a death climb because there are a lot of steep steps and despite my gym trips it was hot and I almost died. Okay, I may have exaggerated a little. It was nice to spend time with someone closer to my own age. I love being with my family here and students but having friends close to my age is fun. I would like to stress the word friend here for those of you with suspicious minds. I might be a crap girlfriend but I´m not that horrible. He helped me with Spanish too, so that´s great for me. I had been thinking about looking for Spanish classes here to help me out but it´s much better this way. I don´t have to walk by myself or take a cab. Also, I get to walk around Cajamarca a bit. It´s much safer for me when I´m with someone else. He told me men would leave me alone if I were walking with him. Which actually seemed to be true. When I was giving him a lesson, a little boy came up and said he wanted to learn English. It was sweet but sad because you could tell from his speech that he wasn´t all there and very poor.
The only other white person working at ICPNA, from Texas, was robbed on the way home from work. They took her phone and her money, etc. So, now I´m even more nervous about walking at night and Rosa is worried about me walking too. However, I don´t know where this girl lives so maybe it´s in a worse area of the city. I have been given directions as to the exact route I´m to take home and to work, and there are a lot of people around so I´d like to think they´d help out if someone were to try and rob me. Rosa says I´m to give them my bag and run like the wind. Well, she didn´t say those exact words obviously but that´s the general idea. I walk pretty fast. I´m not sure about the girl who was robbed, she´s a little on the larger side of things.
This morning the student who I am supposed to be catching up didn´t show up for class. So, I could have slept longer. Oh well, it´s better to see the day right? Rather than waste time sleeping...
I am constantly frustrated with my Pre 4 class because half of them are late and loud and the other half are really trying to learn. The really frustrating part is that when I circulate the room to help they all want to learn, they just seem to want to look "cool" in front of their friends. Or, they try to flirt in English. Like, what girl wants to be told she is delicate, especially when she´s trying to maintain a position of control? Not me. It is really pathetic. They are mostly maybe 20-21. I think I even preferred the children to half of the students in that class. At least children can be expected to act like children... the worst part is that if they do crap on the exam it will be my fault.
The pics are of the really fancy restaurant and my sunburn, because I know that everyone is really interested in sunburns. Ahahahaha.
Please, the person who left a comment anonymously before, tell me who you are!! I really am curious.
Well, I guess I´d better get to rewriting my lesson plans... :(
Ciao for now!
You sound somewhat like I feel about this time of year with my 26 young minds all bouncing around the room when they're supposed to be listening to me. Don't get discouraged - try and pull something out of your hat that really grabs their attention like for the young bucks, some new song or a picture of the latest sports cart (whatever turns their crank) and go with it. work your teaching into that. got any story books or tell a story in English (like Little Red Riding Hood)to the younger ones and act it out or draw pictures as you tell it. Nice arm by the way. Where was your p55 sunscreen? your freckles must be blossoming! If yu can handle this experience (which you abviously are doing fantastic at) you'll be able to handle anything back here when you get home (or go elsewhere). Just as the sun rises every morning, each new day is a new day. It all depends what you think when you get out of bed. hang in there and Good Luck this coming week. And think of us with -11C weather and wind, rain, and snow. Yahoo.
ReplyDeleteYOWCH...that's a whole lot of red on that white arm! Don't defend yourself unneccesarily Gemma - you are a wonderful person, dedicated to those you love.
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