Classes

Yesterday I ended up going to Kentucky Fried Chicken for a Japanese style fillet chicken burger (same as normal but with teriyaki sauce), spreading books and papers and notebooks everywhere and trying to get organized for teaching next year. (The school year starts in April.) That turned out to be harder to do than I expected because I forgot my reading glasses.

I teach so many different levels of classes, adults, grade school kids and kindergarten and pre school classes, and use so many different books and websites, and print out so many different levels of English materials, that I get confused about which class is doing what. I've been teaching for years so this is not a new development but maybe my brain is having trouble remembering because I often look at the kids in my classes and think,

"Now what were we doing last week?"

Yesterday I started writing out yearly lesson plans, organizing books, and making a resolution to keep on top of records and plans. A little late but better than never...

And yesterday three more of my students "graduated" which makes me sad and happy at the same time. They were the kids from the class that I disbanded two years ago, three of them came back and we've carried on the same way ever since...

It has always been like pulling teeth to get these two girls and a boy to say anything or do anything. Shy or just little initiative. To the very end just whispers and unsure smiles. Even when playing CLUE last night I thought

"Just move the piece! Why does it take inner consultation with your psyche to decide whether to move towards the Ballroom or towards the Conservatory?"

Sort of like playing a slow game of professional chess... I sound like a grump, don't I.

But these kids have been coming to me for 6 years and I suppose they understand more than they let on. They just don't say anything (in Japanese either.) So I was relieved when we said goodbye because there will be no more teeth pulling. But I was sad because they have been sweet kids and have been on my mind for 6 whole years...

And whether those 6 years made any difference in their lives.... I don't have a clue.