No Good Very Bad Class

Well, I'm glad it's over. My first really awful class. At least this unpleasant experience was not the result of my lack of planning... The teacher had to step out of the room to have quick conference with the principal re: one of her students and chaos ensued. I guess I had been under-appreciating the teacher's ability to maintain order in the classroom because today I experienced the total behavioral regression that resulted from her exit.

At first I attempted to continue with the planned activities (learning the names of objects in the classroom, followed by a game of Simon Says in which the students show me the object I name). It was obvious after 5 or 6 questions that none of them had been listening when I explained the names of the objects, because none of them could produce the correct one. And one entire side of the room simply refused to shut up. So I took the advice of whoever told me I should threaten them in English, because while they won't understand the words they will understand my ire via the intonation, and not understanding might scare them even more. Then I told them to clear everything off of their desks, take out a piece of paper, and copy what I wrote on the board. I don't think "a pencil : un crayon" is part of the recommended pedagogical method, but it was something they could do in silence. The bell rang about 5 minutes into this copying, but I made them wait for their teacher to come back (she did a minute or two later).

When she left, the director told me I could come get them if I had any problems, but I wanted to work this one out myself. If anything, I think it was important that I follow through on my threat to make them do something really dull if they didn't shape up.

So, not my most positive teaching experience so far, but an important step. To me this lesson felt a little bit like the equivalent of falling off a horse: sometimes it happens, and while it's unpleasant you can make it less so by taking the right steps. And it taught me that when this happens (which, like falling off a horse, I'm sure it will occasionally), it's something I'll be able to handle.