This week I spoted a praying mantis wandering down the road one day after school. They're pretty big. I tried to get a photo of it, but they turned out pretty naff.
I think a mantis may be the only insect that I have actually attempted to get closer to look at. Strangely it brightened up the end of one of my days.
On my birthday I got some little presents from some of my sixth graders. I can't remember if I already wrote about this. They are nothing really, but they were good since I did not get much else for my birthday. I was really happy with them.
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| The stuffed animals from the sixth graders. |
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| The tiny Mp3 player something I got myself. |
For about a week I had the stuffed animals out on my desk, but then one day, after a really busy day, I realised they were gone. I asked around and had my co-teacher ask the other teachers. A couple of days later they were returned to me. They had been stolen by the secind grade. Their response had been they thought I had given them to them. This is something I seem to face on a daily basis, if I put anything on my desk the kids seem to automatically assume it's for them. Even though I tell them over and over that it's not theirs and they cannot have them...either they just don't learn or they feign ignorance to get more stuff. I no longer display these gifts, for fear of theft once more.
This week I had a run in with a couple of my students. I had been teaching a lesson to the sixth grade on my own as is often the case, so I was left to fend for myself infront of about 20 kids. It's normally not an issue, but on this day, after the lesson I discovered that some of the kids had taken to tearing the stuffing out of one of the chairs. I knew straight away who it was. but the lesson was over and I could not get a hold of them again that day. I informed their teacher and awaited some retribution, but it was not forthcoming, I at least wanted them to come clean up. But again no sign, so in the end my second graders just decided to do it for me. The next day it was sorted and they were punished. But I was pretty pissed off that day. I wanted to see them punished there and then, to reinforce the behaviour was wrong. But instead as ever it took a while to filter through the system in Korea and by the time they were held accountable the damage had mainly been swept away.
Finally. I have my evaluation this week. I have not over prepared for it. I have no intention of doing a fake lesson or doing a practise run. I am not returning to teach again in Korea, so for me I am just going through the motions. I am of course going to teach at my best, but I do that every time I teach. I had prepared the lesson as I always did, but this time I was forced to submit it to my co-teacher and she made changes and wanted me to do certain things, but I was not so happy with the changes. Yet to make my life easier I have no choice but to bend to her will. I am to be marked by my co-teacher and 3 other teachers. For me I will just do what is required and get on with it. But I assume that the other teachers in the school will dress up and pretend like they are doing very important things elsewhere, so as not to come under scrutiny.
Oh yes, and I am currently applying for teaching qualifications in the UK, but it is a long, borign and irritating process. Gah it is a must needs thing, but I wish it were just a bit easier.
Right, I'm off now.
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