Friday, April 26, 2013

A Big First Today

First some thoughts from last night:

-Big day tomorrow. It will be our first opportunity to teach in front of
an actual classroom, which is all we'll be doing in this training program
from here on out. Tomorrow, I step in front of a group of children as
their teacher for the very first time.


As most of the Thai schools are out on break right now (we're getting
hired into the new school year), the program has found unique opportunities
for us to practice what we've learned. For example, tomorrow we're going to
an orphanage to teach.

 

There are 43 of us in this program, so we'll each only have half an hour
and we'll be working in pairs. The kids are divided up into age groups.
I'm going to be teaching the 4 to 6 year olds. (!) I've got mixed feelings
about drawing this age group. I'm a little worried that classroom control
will be an issue, that they'll be rowdy. At the same time, being enthusiastic
and a little goofy can carry their attention perhaps more than any other of
the age groups. Yes, I've written a ukulele song to play the kids just for
the occasion.

 

I also happened to have drawn as a co-teacher a bright young lady who I
think will a do a very good job too. It doesn't hurt that she is probably
the most attractive girl in the whole group. Put her with the 12 year olds,
and they probably wouldn't be able to talk at all.

 

Wish me luck. No word yet on whether or not videotaping is going to be
allowed.


______

Turns out video taping was allowed! 

We're at an orphanage in Phuket. Some of the older kids are there because of the Tsunami, when whole families died. I did not add any titles, music, or commentary to the video out of sensitivity.

That said, some notes.  I have to applaud my co-teacher Shannon for how well she handled the interruption of the weed-whacker.  My group was teaching the youngest kids: 4 to 6 years old.  The first nine minutes of this video are a total train wreck.  I am all sweaty and flustered and I couldn't engage the children's attention. The last 6 minutes, when I got the kids up and moving (after failing miserably to get them to form 3 lines) worked out better.  I had a different game planned for them, but what the heck, follow-the-leader works too.    


It's also kind of low resolution which I needed to do because I recorded all five hours of my group's teaching today...

2 comments:

  1. Hearding cats comes to mind. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love Nancy's comment - herding cats would probably be easier than 4-6 year olds. Just remember, you actually do know more than they do. lol

    ReplyDelete

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