I teach real good!

Today was my first day of school as a teacher!  It went really well, and actually I'm really excited to get to know all the students better and help them learn.  I was super nervous to start the day.  I didn't have any trouble sleeping last night (because I never have trouble falling asleep) but this morning I was a nervous wreck.  I tried to drink some orange juice (fresh squeezed by the way) but my hands were shaking too much and I dribbled all over my mouth.  It was really attractive.  We have gone through so many orientations in which people have explained that teaching at DUOC is like teaching middle school in terms of maturity levels.  Students will blatantly cheat and thinks it's funny when they get caught.  Students will show up to class 15-25 minutes late and it's culturally acceptable to do so.  Male students will also act quite childish in front of female teachers.  So as you can see, I had much to be nervous about.  The school day is pretty interesting here.  I start off by going to the teacher lounge.  After the obligatory "Hola's" and kisses on the right cheek to every single person in there, whether I know them or not, I go to pick up my binder.  My blue binder is my life as a "profa" (short for profesora).  If I lose the binder, I basically die.  My binder has my class lists for all the classes I teach with all the students' names, RUT number (which is like our SS number but not as secret) and their attendance records for the year.  It also has their grades for every assignment of the semester.  My binder also tells me where all my different classes are held, and it also contains the sheet on which I have to record everything we did in that class period.  After picking up my binder I go to find the conserje (concierge) who keeps all the keys to all the classrooms.  Then I can finally go in and set up my classroom.  My classrooms vary, for example I had one that was comparable to a fish bowl.  It was somewhat rounded like a fishbowl and walls made of opaque plastic, with the same humid, sticky atmosphere found in a fish bowl.  Other classrooms were huge, with lots of light and very comfortable.

Once I got into my classes, I felt so at ease and excited to teach.  My students had such a basic level of English that "My name is.....What is your name?" gave them lots of trouble.  More difficult than teaching them words or grammar, however, is getting them motivated.  These students are studying construction, so why should they learn English?  I tried to do everything I could to motivate them.  I went over the rules, in English and Spanish so there would be no confusion, and said I would be strict in enforcing them.  After having said that I told the students that I would only have to be strict if they did not follow the rules, and if they did we would have a fun class with lots of games, talking, listening, pictures, ect.  Today we played a game with my class of all male students where we kicked the soccer ball across the room to someone and we had to ask them their name.  They were quite impressed when their profa popped the ball up and juggled twice in her sandals :)  I also motivated them by saying that one day every week I would go to a cafe, and any of my students could join me and practice English.  They really liked this idea, and I also told them that if they spoke English the entire class, they could spend the last 5 minutes teaching me things in Spanish.  I thought it was a good deal.  

I really loved all my students today and they were really well behaved, participated in class, and at least seemed excited to learn.  Hopefully the rest of the year will go just as well!