Ah, kiddies...(Courtney)

So, almost week one down, three more to go. As Marcus has been saying, we have been back to teaching this week and lordie do you forget how tiring it can be!

This time round we are just teaching Senior 1 and Gifted 1, so about 4 classes less a week, yet still our rosters are spread across all days and at all times! But alas, this is not a problem. So far the Senior kids have been very manageable, I think in part to their English abilities being higher and also we as teachers have improved and know how to run a class from the very beginning this time. The kids seem happier to interact (there has been no mass giggle outbursts so far, which is a miracle in itself) and are a lot more confident in speaking. I've asked lots of them questions and there has been no major dramas in getting answers. They speak clearer and louder, which makes for a much easier class.

Of course, the gifted kiddies are just adorable as always, and it is when I think about them that I feel guilty for leaving in a few weeks time. I know the Seniors enjoy interacting with us but the gifted kids are just rapt to have us there, and it's hard to know we will be leaving them so soon in. We really will miss teaching their classes as they are just such a highlight of the week! Seriously, I think I could do any crappy job if I had 40 minutes of playtime with all these kids once a week. They have all been given English names by their teacher, so next week I am going to have them make some name plates so I can learn all their names. I expect there to be some interesting ones as always, especially when one of the little girls introduced herself as "Jason". We may have to have a bit of a chat about that.

We've been playing this True/False "game" with the classes this week (preface something as a game and it gets instant attention) which involves them learning things about us by guessing whether what we say is true or false. Then they do it in groups about themselves, then I ask them to tell me something about them so I can learn about them too. The gifted kids were hysterical at this because they are sooo competitive. And some are also very matter of fact. I had one boy stand up and say very succinctly "I like to read, build model aeroplanes and play chess." This was false, I guessed true. Then another little tacker said "I am 13 years old". Again I said true. Well, he was stoked as it was false, and he made quite the point of rubbing it in my face!! They make me laugh so much.

Also funny, was today walking to my afternoon class. A number of Senior 2 kids were making their way across to the science building, so I was saying hello to a number of my old students. A group of about 6 boys walked past and they all yelled out hello and waved to me. I really liked these guys, they were so cheeky, but they actually participated. I could rely on them to answer questions, and a couple of them would even volunteer to read or come up the front. This is a miracle in the Senior classes because they are all so awkward and self-conscious, but these kids enjoyed being the centre of attention. So as I passed them, I hear one scream out to me "Teacher, you are soooo sexy!!!" Right across the courtyard!! I laughed so much, turned back and gave them a wave which made them all fall about with laughter.

I like that some of them have that confidence and know that we are easy going and they can have a laugh with us. There is no way they would ever say something like that to their Chinese teachers!!!