Back to school x 2!

After 18 years of schooling, graduating from college was suppose to be an end... ok I will admit it, at least a break from formal education.  WRONG.  The reason for a full week gap in blogging?  Back to school... times two. 

Monday was the first day back to school for the students at Jin Cai.  Out of all the days I will teach, this is suppose to be the easiest.  The past four years, I took at least 5 classes a semester, multiply that by 8 semester... I sat through 40 first days of class (already two math problems in the blog, I guess I am settling into life as a math teacher).  Anyways, those 40 first classes should have set the bar and given me direction.  I know I can't prepare for everything but first days of class have a pretty standard formula... introduce yourself, have the students introduce themselves, and go on talking about the classroom rules and class structure... perhaps teach a little.  Well give that most of the students have all of their classes together they know each other well and didn't feel like telling me much.  So that 40 minute lesson plan was greatly cut down.  It wasn't a disaster but I felt like I was holding on to survive.

The first problem I encounter was in my 11-2 math class.  The 2 means that they are less able to communicate in English than students in 11-1.  I had the text and I was told to start at chapter 7 but I wanted to know how much of chapter 1-6 I should review.  Turns out I started with something too basic and I got laughed at (just a little).  i felt slightly defeated but when I moved to the next topic, which seemed of equal level, they were  stumped.  The students can solve complex problems algebraically, often in their heads better than I can, but they cannot do math graphically.  I have them a simple linear equation and they were dumb-founded as to how to graph it. I enjoyed my break on Wednesday when I didn't meet with the class but after that it was back to the grinder and we spent the rest of the week graphing lines.  Unfortunately, that's only chapter 2.  My boss suggested that I just move onto chapter 7 and review when necessary so please, pray for me and hope this plan works! I also have these same students for E11-2 economics which they say is their hardest class. For me, it is the most fun class since I actually enjoy the material.

My 12-2 math class is a totally different atmosphere than 11-2.  The class is about half as big (12 as oppose to 25) and they speak much better english. The 11-2 class is mostly Chinese and other students whereas this class has students from Venezuela, Turkey, Egypt, USA, and New Zealand.  The difference in maturity is huge and it is hard to think of this class as students rather than really cool people I could be friends with. They respond well to the threat of detention so that's how I set the boundary.

The fourth class I teach is ESL math and science vocabulary.  The perfect analogy for the class would be to place it somewhere between babysitting and pulling teeth without anesthesia.  The goal of the class is to get students into regular english level math and science classes next term and already I can tell maybe one will make it.  Some students speak no english at all and just give up.  Just like math is boring, its difficult to make a class entirely about learning vocabulary be fun.  The most interesting part is their names.  I teach Dew, Guitar, a girl named Ben and God. Yes, God.  God is from Thailand and God is a talkative punk.

On top off all these classes I have to monitor two detention periods, I am an assistant homeroom teacher, I serve on college committee as well as represent the foreign teachers for the PTA. No I am not an overachiever, I am an underpaid slave.  Oh and because I need 16 teaching period (None of activities mentioned in this paragraph count), I also teach math lab and GLEE CLUB as electives.  The first glee club is tomorrow and currently there is no lesson planned.  FAIL.

My obligations don't stop there either... I AM A STUDENT. RAJDHJDHJDSFHJSF.  Concordia. KHJDJSHF.  I'm not sure which I like less, Math 11-2 or my classes. Actually, most of my assignments are interesting but finding the time to do them is nearly impossible the into.  Online classes when the Internet is slower than slow is also a setback.  I wrote the intro to my business plan about selling bagels in China today and I still have another assignment to make up (literally).

Through all of this I did finally find time to party.  It was more like therapy.  Go big Friday night.  I met up with a friend from Miami who has been living in China for a year and I went out with the roommates.  Our apartment is still a hotel and we had  three friends crash here that night.

Well I guess it is time to lesson plan! I didn't come close to my goal of planning a weeks worth of math lessons this weekend so I better get cracking!