Still Working

Monday, 21 March 2005

Some people do miss coming to school everyday. Game, our class clown, has been calling Christy on her cell phone almost daily to say hello ever since school let out. I talked to him last night, and asked him what he's doing. He told me, in his gruff voice, "Reading!", and when I asked what, he told me "Scooby-Doo." Very cute. Even though school has been out for almost a week now, I still find myself working in the English Program office or classroom, repairing posters or bulletin board letters, creating worksheets for summer school and tutoring, and having our two interns do something productive. Jeed and Jan, two sweet girls in their early 20's, are in their third year at Christian University, a private university in our town. They are getting their degrees in teaching English, so were sent to us the last couple weeks of school to help out. We've been mentoring them as a result, but with no kids here now, we've had to come up with projects for them to do, and it's actually been really helpful. They went through our English conversation curriculum books and typed up all these songs and simple conversations to make posters with. Then there's all the tedious projects like coloring posters and games that I never got a chance to do this year that they are more than happy to do. Plus, we've been able to try out new places to eat lunch during the week, as we don't have our usual homecooked lunch from the school provided for us.

Saturday, after Kindergarten Graduation, Keisha arrived. Keisha, a 26 year old girl who went to school in New York and Seattle, came from a five month teaching English job in Beijing to help teach summer school and stay for the next year teaching English conversation. But, when she got here, she told us she has taken a job in L.A. that she can't refuse (assisting her friend's couture fashion line), but she will stay to teach until we find someone else. Over the past couple of days, we've introduced her to our common eating places, Soi Sawng and the Chedi, the morning market, and the Hello Coffee shop. Now, there are three of us in the house, and we're getting to know each other, which is what you do when you are the only English speaking people to talk to all day and night.

Right now, we're not even sure about this summer school program. Keisha and I are going to teach it, but right now, there are only 7 students (who range in ages from grades 2 - 6) who are enrolled, and I hear more may sign up the day before the start date on the 28th. I'm making up the curriculum, and since it's only a 4 week English conversation course, I'm thinking of picking a theme like Animals or something, and using our English conversation book to help with simple phrases.

I'm sticking to my normal routine of getting up at 6:30 am and being in the office by 7 - 7:30 am so that I don't get too comfortable. I start tutoring Ploy and Phu for two hours each every afternoon as well. We'll catch up and review basics in Math and Reading they missed this year.
It's strange because many teachers are gone to Cha-Am, the beach nearby, for a retreat - an English Camp - and I wish I could go. But, there's painting of our classrooms going on today (which means I have to tear down all the posters I just put up last week!), tutoring I already promised parents I'd do, and still our infamous report cards that need tweaking and corrections in translations (these Thai documents are really driving Christy and Matt nuts!).

...Plus, I REALLY need to stop procrastinating and get my darn taxes done....Okay, back to work!