The last week -

The last week has been an interesting one in some ways and absolutely fecking frustrating in another.

If kids are stupid but try, I don't mind that, I actually usually give them higher praise than the clever ones because they have had to work like buggery just to get close. It is the clever ones who cant be arsed or the stupid ones that don't even bother trying that get on my tits.

On Monday I was still suffering the effects of some virus so was off ill. Because I had only 3 periods to teach on Tuesday I came in and surfed my way through the day. My Prathom 3 classes were ok but the Prathom 2 still are a nightmare.

I am now keeping a track of exactly how much time is lost for every class. In some cases last week it was actually the entire class! I made the little feckers stand in silence for the entire class once I got them to shut up and actually look in my general direction.

Wednesday - because of the bad behaviour of the P2s, I decided to basically scrap the lessons planned for this week and change them. I would now get them to draw posters of the class rules ie no talking when teaching is talking, raise your hand to answer a question, be polite, no playing in class...

I started off by showing them the paper, drawing a very quick poster on the whiteboard and then waited. No response, only an increasing level of talking between the members of the various groups. I went round the tables and explained again and waited. 1 or 2 groups got the idea even if they only copied exactly what was on the whiteboard. But at least it was a start. 50 minutes later not 1 group out of the 3 P2 classes had finished it. A couple had got close but no cigar, OK onto the next lesson then.

Thursday. Again the P3s were ok with only minor infractions that aren't really worth complaining about. The P2s continued the poster and surprise a couple actually finished, even if they ended up adding in things like robots and trains and various other unidentifiable things. What got me were two particular groups ( one in 2.2 and one in 2.6 ) that just refused to listen and or do anything. One of them just ended up drawing anything they felt like on the paper despite umpteen explanations and showing them other more finished posters from other groups.

The other group just decided to play dumb and do nothing all period. Their timetable was something like this. 0 lesson starts, 5 minutes still getting students out of home room, 10 minutes arrive at English room, 15 minutes get students quiet and into room, 20 minutes explain again what is needed and show poster from other class - nods of understanding all round, 30 minutes explain to group again what is needed-nods of understanding all round but nothing done, 35 minutes explain again what is needed and show poster again-nods of understanding all round but nothing done,40 minutes - explain again what is needed and actually start some of the work myself -nods of understanding all round but nothing done, 45 minutes explain to them again and go to another group 1 minute later I turn round and they have done feck all. At this point I march over to the table and just go ballistic at them, I have explained heaven knows how many times over 2 days and the best part of 90 minutes what they have to do and they are sitting there talking away to themselves with no intention of doing anything. I rant away at them for a couple of minutes and end up taking back the 20% completed poster and ripping it in half and putting it in the rubbish bin. What is even more galling is that they then said "teacher, not finish!" I know you didn't finish, that's because you are a bunch of lazy feckers who have less intelligence than a mosquito larva!! At least that's what I wanted to say.

I sometime think when I am venting my spleen at these kids it must be like a Gary Larsson Far Side cartoon where a master is yelling at his dog for eating the couch again and all the dog hears is " BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, ROVER, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, ROVER!" Ah well, it usually makes me feel better anyway and that's the main point. I think they only freak out when they pick up the pitch of my voice or the edge in it. The actual content could be the receipe for Lemon Meringue Pie for all they care.

Friday
Well, a relatively smooth day. After freaking out at my P2s yesterday, they were actually relatively well behaved today. Maybe I should do it more often. :)