A Real Paid Professional Teacher

Today I got paid. Yessir, finally, 720 dollars. That´s right, I made 720 dollars for approximately one month of full time work.

Full time teaching is so much more work than my full time receptionist job was. Here I never stop thinking about my job. I see a magazine and I can´t just enjoy it, I can only pay attention to what level english learner could use it and how I could make it readable with planned activities. When I watch movies I think of the idiomatic expression used and how they could be taught as a listening exercise. I watch the news to have something to talk about in class that everyone can relate to. I am becoming a real teacher, and it is a curse.

No, actually its incredibly enjoyable, and I have realized more and more that a classroom is like my own little creative bubble where I can do experiments. That sounds like I am some kind of mad scientist, and maybe I am (bwa haha!). But today, for example, I taught Once a Day by Connie Smith, and old country song that includes idioms we are learning. My students were so amazed to hear good, old time country that is not shania twain. I have also used pictures I have taken and had them write stories about them, and its really fun to just have a group who will play games willingly. I can play in my classroom any game that any regular person at a party would refuse because its not ´´cool´´. My class is practically like theatre club. I tell them to role play and make up lies and outrageous ficticious stories about their lives just to get them to talk, and it ends up being outrageous. The more creative, the better. I consider it a good class if everyone leaves laughing, in good sprits, or if at one point, someone says, wide-eyed ¨really???? I never knew that!!¨

Well, I must go plan.

As far as weather goes, the high today is 88 degrees. Yesterday it was 94!!!!! My heat coping techniques include leaving the front door opened and letting the wind breeze through the house, taking up to 3 showers a day, lots of water, ice cream, and no blankets ever. I am not only surviving it, but I catch myself smiling a little when a warm sunny breeze brushes against my face. Its like a little hug, from the sun. I just have to avoid these little hugs as often as possible, or my face will turn red as if I got a little steamrolled by the sun.

Bye!