Apparently I'm Really Freakin' Good

I have been doing this job for two years now, pretty much none stop.  I've memorized nearly every book in my school and lesson plans are ingrained in my brain.  I don't need more than five minutes to think of an hour lesson, especially if I've used that book before.  I'm experienced, really experienced.  I've done a lot, seen a lot, taught a lot.  I love what I do every day, I get tired of course, but I love it still.

Recently I was made the Manager of the Foreigner Teachers at Aston.  The position is no easy task, a lot of hours on and off the clock, scheduling, lots of meetings, trainings for FT's and for Chinese teachers as well, keeping up with all the rules and following them yourself, dealing with language barriers, dealing with money, dealing with any quarrel or problem that arises from someone else's life. It's hard work!  But I like hard work, especially when I get paid for the hard work. Plus I am super organized when it comes to work, and I have a good sense of leadership and team-building skills.  Also I like being a BOSS!!! It's just cool (I mean I'm only 24!).




With my job comes a lot of surprises.  I got one this week out of the blue. One

of the CT's I work with called me up and told me I would be teaching a demo/promotion/parents meeting class the next day.  I said okay without asking many questions.  Why? In China they never have the answers you want or think of, they usually know a very small amount and the stuff they tell you usually ends up being false anyway.  Example they told me I would arrive by 4:30 by bus with a CT to the school, it would start at 5pm and I would finish at 5:45pm only having to teach for 10 or so students for 20 minutes. They also told me everything would be prepared for me at the school  So, everything they told me turned out to be false.  When 4pm rolled around I thought oh I will take a bus, but a CT informed me the other CT's had left already and I should take a Taxi and that I should take all the teaching materials with me (which also turned out to be the wrong teaching materials). Rush hour traffic no taxi so I took my bike (luckily it wasn't pouring at that time).  I had been to the school by bus and by taxi many times but never on my bike.  So I rode around and I knew the school was around me somewhere, I was only sort of lost.  I asked some old ladies for directions and they pointed me the right way I was just opposite it.

Once I arrived at the school, I realized that I was 10 minutes early. Go me!  I found my CT's and the cafeteria was packed full of parents listening to the Head Master of the Primary School speak about upcoming events.  We waited an hour more for the meeting to actually stop.  I get into the cafeteria, my CT begins to talk then another public school teacher comes in, says something then 90% of the parents leave.  Apparently there was another meeting happening and since the Head Master had taken so long all those parents had to leave.  I was pissed and embarrassed for my school.  

Anyways some parents were left, about 10 or so and about 12 children too. I got on stage grabbed the mic and began to teach the students who came onto the stage about animals.  Played two different games/activities with them and then said goodbye.  

Later on that evening I learned from my CT, who had never seen me give a Demo before, that I was amazing!  She said I couldn't have done anything better and that all the parents had signed their child up to get an interview at Aston school on the weekend.  She also told me the other parents heard about me and are all talking about me, so other students will be coming to Aston as well. You know I was surprised by all this. Why? Because I know I am experienced, but well I don't think I am great.  I'm good with little children for short periods of time, like 40ish minutes before they start driving me crazy.  I prefer older children of about 9 or 10 and older.  One thing I know I do very well is my greeting and my goodbye, I think the goodbye always hooks the students in and the parents as well.

So in the end I saw nearly every student come to my school to be assessed into an

Aston learning level. Some of them even brought their friends along.  I made my school a lot of money.

Experience is not the reason I am a good teacher, it's because I love what I do and I enjoy it!  That's the key to being great!