inulro: (Default)
At 6 last night my phone rang, and it was my boss at the school wanting me to cover a couple of classes today. I had the day off from the office job so I said yes.

I'm really glad I did. After the disaster that was teaching kids, I was really wondering if I ever wanted to teach again. However, today I reaffirmed that a) I can actually teach, and b) I rather like it. I was teaching adults (just - the spread was more in the 17-19 range than the early 20s that the school usually has). It probably also helped that I was teaching higher levels which I find less effort and more fun.

It was also good to discover that I am able to go into a classroom with minimal preparation (my boss picked a couple things out of textbooks for me that always work for him) and deliver something verging on a coherent lesson! Because I'm not very creative and my brain often refuses to deliver the goods on the spot, I tend to way over-prepare for my teaching.

While I was there, someone phoned in sick for next week. I could have had a full time teaching gig next week if I hadn't already committed to the office job (and I'm in no position to piss off the agency by just not showing up - I'll need work from them later). I have however told them that I'm available for 1:1 lessons in the afternoons, and it's entirely possible I'll get some work out of that.

On balance it's just as well I can't do next week - I don't think it's realistic that I'll be able to do that many hours, even just for a week. I'm completely exhausted from only doing the morning classes, and I lost my voice again despite not having to constantly tell people to be quiet. I am, however, more motivated to get my CV in shape and start writing to the local language schools in my afternoons next week.

All done!

Jun. 2nd, 2007 11:12 pm
inulro: (Default)
I finished my Cert. course yesterday, and am now a fully qualified teacher of English as a foreign language.

Not only did I not screw up, they've offered me a summer job! Enrolment isn't as high as they were expecting so it's only for two weeks, but it's a start. I should really get my arse in gear and apply for other summer school positions because they probably do exist, even at this late date.

That means the CV needs a total re-write, which will have to wait till I've had a few more days doing as little as possible (and sleeping as much as possible).

It's bizarre - I've spent more years than I can count messing up everything I go near, and failing to complete anything that involves any kind of effort. So being able to handle the workload more competently than younger, more healthy, people, actually enjoying teaching and being good at it were somewhat - unexpected.

I didn't even lose it when it started raining in the bathroom in last Sunday's deluge. As many of you know, usually the slightest sign of water leakage turns me into a quivering wreck. I got Jason to clean up the mess and finished up my learner profile assignment.

I got to "fly solo" (teach unobserved and unassessed, at a level I've never taught before) on Wednesday and it went just fine. So fine, in fact, that I'm doing it again next Wednesday.

I've not only got back the confidence the last decade or so has knocked out of me, I suspect I have more confidence than I've ever had before. I might even start writing again, because my brain clearly isn't as dead as I think it is.

As soon as I've had some serious rest, that is.
inulro: (Default)
Barely. On the bus at 7:45 every morning, doing stuff at the school from 8:30 to 5 or 6 every night, up till midnight doing lesson plans and then putting in 12-hour days at the weekends with homework.

Had a bit of a wobble yesterday (seriously considered phoning in sick, but I would have only had to do my assessed teaching practice some other time, thus adding to stress and worry) and although I didn't do as well as I would have if I'd been feeling better, I still did OK. Thankfully we had nothing to hand in today so instead of getting a head start on the weekend's nightmare, I came home and went to sleep at 6:30. Amazingly, I felt almost human today. Got in this morning to find out I wasn't the only one who used the down time to sleep rather than prepare or get a life.

Did I mention that they love me and think I'm great? Yeah, me. Really.

If I live through this weekend, in two weeks I will be a qualified teacher of English as a foreign language.

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