This week has been a bad week for me. (*Well most days. Wednesday wasn't so bad.) Anyways, it has been a bad week because of my students. Do not get me wrong, I love my students and I love teaching but I was so angry at them this week. So, here is the story:
Last week, I gave the students outside work (homework) to do before the next class, which was an entire week away. All it required them to do was some research on a location of their choice to find 2-3 famous things from that place, 3-4 types of cuisine, and some culture information (read art, music, dance, etc.). Maybe 30 minutes total. I needed them to do the research outside of class because we only have one computer in the language lab and there was no way that 32 (which is my largest class) students could use the same computer at once to do their research. I have never given homework to them before but I expect them to do it. Needless to say, my second years were my biggest problems. The first class I had this week only 4 out of 28 students did their research, and those 4 were in a group together. The next day was a little better with 2 out of 5 groups being prepared. Monday made me so angry though. I talked with the students, made them write me apology letters (in English). and they had to sit the rest of class silently without sleeping (which was the hardest part). My co-teacher was just as upset with the students as I was. She talked with them at the end of class and basically said the same things I had at the beginning of class. I hope this helped.
Mainly my second years were the ones who didn't do their homework. I kind of figured it would be that way. I love the second years and their energetic ways but they are kind of turds sometimes. The one that really got me was the first years. Up until Thursday, the first years had been prepared, some coming overly prepared. It was great. The issue was yesterday, one of my classes had 3 people prepared. Again in a group. It was horrible. I made them write me English apology letters but I did not make them sit quietly. The main issue is, I needed them to do their work because they were doing a presentation on it and it needed done before the next class. So, I let them work on their homework in class. It turned out well though. I made it so they had to go through me to get information and they had to do things from the top of their head and such.
I guess I can not be too mad but I am at the same time. Most of the students did what I told them to but it is the idea that entire classes "forgot" their work that gets to me. They knew what they were to do, and they should have done it. All of my co-teachers agree and I am lucky because of that. I have heard horror stories of co-teachers not agreeing with the NET and undermining their authority by tell the kids to sleep or talking with the kids or undoing the punishment. My co-teachers are awesome and I never expected them to be a horror story but it was still nice to have them on my side.
Hopefully this five day weekend is better. Here is hoping!
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