Blog: Random Moments in Teaching

[Translation: Today is February 27th, 2009. Teacher Mermaid]

I never fully understood it, but two weeks ago some students in my class decided I looked like a mermaid (the red hair, maybe?).  Little did they realize they already knew all the characters necessary to write “mermaid” in Chinese…authentic learning for the win.

[Me, climbing from a chair onto an unstable desk onto a board laid across the heat register.]

Not included in the job description, but obligatory is this: climbing on furniture.  (Well, technically, we’re NOT supposed to climb on our furniture, less we get hurt at work, however, we’re also required to hang things up high on the walls (or shades, if half of your walls are covered by windows, like mine.)  Surprisingly, the once I got hurt at work was neither for falling off furniture nor for getting wounded by a violent student – I once slipped on a wet floor and scored a week off work.  Wish that could happen again.

[Children reading of their own volition.]

One day when I was exhausted and had too many things going on, three students declared that they were done and asked what to do next.  Normally, I would have a task in mind for them, but in my exhaustion, I merely said “Go find a way to occupy yourselves.”  Inexplicably, instead of running around, screaming and hitting other classmates, the three children slide chairs over to the Chinese reading center, got out books, and sat down to read quietly.  There’s yet hope, I dare say.