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Where Have You Been?

After a chat with a dear friend about blogging, I was reminded that I have and own a blog.  It's sad that I haven't written much at all this year. 

I'm sure all you teachers out there have your teaching woes.  Today's classes, unfortunately, turned me into a honey badger.  If you don't know what "honey badger" refers to in pop culture, please by all means youtube it. 

I had only one class today, a two-hour class, which was ENGL4434 History of the English Language.  There are 37 Thai + 1 Lao in this class, and none of them is interested in this course.  At the beginning of the semester, I've thought of practical ways to make this class seem appealing to them.  Instead of just talking about complicated aspects of Old and Middle English, as well as tantalizing dramas, e.g. King Ethelred who left England for Normandy, and leaving his wife Emma behind; King John who fell violently in love with another man's wife-to-be, I decided to incorporate essential skills which they will need after graduation.  Skills which I have incorporated so far are critical/analytical thinking, and summarizing/paraphrasing. 

Now, the teaching woe I have is not the issue of making the class practical, instead, it is my management of the classroom.  I have taught Thai kids for a number of years now and they don't seem to have a lengthy attention span.  I always find myself being completely ignored, or drowned by the chatter of Thai.  This morning, I found myself in this situation.  It had only been ten minutes since I entered the classroom and the students were already rowdy.  I told them to keep quiet, then to listen to me, then to stop talking, then to SHUTTUP!  At this point, I told them that if anyone talked again I will kick them out of the class.  They kept quiet.  The shouting definitely got their attention. 

Now that it was so eerily quiet, realization dawned and remorse sank in.  I felt bad, stupid, and apologetic.  I lost my temper.  I can justify my actions by saying that in the end, I'm only human.  But, it's a little ironic that I have so much problem managing this class yet I am teaching, in another class, how to become (English) teachers.  


Comments

Sendy Monarrez said…
hey Daron! I totally see what you mean here. It is hard to teach a class where students are not initially motivated to learn, esp. English.
11:10 PM
daronloo said…
Hey Sendy! Sawadeekrub! Nice to hear from you! :D
11:18 PM
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