Another Start To Another Week

Monday

Well, today I am suppose to have 5 periods and through the week a total of 21. But today, because they are practising for Wai Kru day ( a day where they supposedly show respect and thanks to their teachers for putting up with their brattish behaviour I only have 4.

According to the timetable this means I am supposed to have my first lesson at 10.35. Ah, what to do. Lesson plans? Nah, did them last week, internet? Maybe log onto the old ajarn.com and see how I should be getting intouch with my kids feelings and discuss their problems with them and come to a mutual understanding of how each other feels? Nah, just wind up those who advocate it. It may be fine with people who can speak english but Prathom 2? Nah, doesnt work mate. So, anyway, did that for 30 min or so and hopefully wound a few people up. Then 8.20 comes along and WheeHee! Cover time for those sick, absent or too hung over to come in.

The way its scheduled, Prathom 1 are practising for Wai Kru until 9.00 - the first period needs a cover for 8.40 - 9.30. Sounds good, I eagerly put my hand up and pretend I am interested in helping out the agency. HAHA! Its the 350B I want for the cover, just helps as well that I will only be teaching probably for half the period as well!! Everyone else who covers during the rest of the day has to do the full 50 minutes. HA HA! I may look stupid sometimes but :)

Teaching wise, it actually went ok today apart from about 5 or 6 of one of the Prathom 3 classes during the "good afternoon teacher, how are you?" "I'm fine thank you and You" litany decided on the "you" to howl it like wolves. About 20 minutes later they had finally stopped talking, During the entire time I was standing at the front saying nothing, pointedly looking at my watch. If I had just bawled them out, it would have been finished and done in 5 minutes and the class would have gone on. Because I did the psychological approach it took 20 minutes. Thats far too subtle for Thais, far better just yelling at them. Short, sharp and over and done with.

We should come in at 7.50 before the national anthem and leave at the end of the day at 3.40 and not come in late or go home early if we have holes in our timetables and in fact this was written into the new terms and conditions for this year. In reality folk are still coming in late(ish) and just leaving when they are finished and not a word is being said.

This could mostly be for the following reason. On Friday, both the Prject Manager and Assistant Project Manager ( who are both totally ineffectual ) werent in. Today we found out why! They had bogged off to Hua Hin at lunchtime. Feckers!! The reason one of them gave, was that this would be his last chance for a holiday until August!!! Unfecking real guys, you are in a SCHOOL with a SCHOOL TIMETABLE, that means you have holidays when the school is on holiday. I would like to see their reaction if I asked them to take a Friday afternoon this week off because my next holiday will be October. Aye right pal.