Another week down

Friday afternoon, 45 weeks to go. All of a sudden, it feels like fall here. It's been cooler at night (though my apartment holds steady at 76), and after being able to wear shorts without thinking about it for 7 weeks, the last two days have been the type where long pants & a jacket aren't unthinkable. The new weather came in on a cool breeze on Tuesday and the leaves are actually dry enough to rustle (if still stubbornly green). It was an encouraging sound.

It hasn't been a particularly encouraging week. After 3 weeks of feeling like my lessons were getting better and more solid, it now seems to be crashing down around me like Manhattan in an apocalypse movie. Through September, I felt that my lessons had educational merit, but needed to be more engaging. Then last Monday's attempt to teach telephone skills was not only a confusing mess, the kids were completely comatose. After three attempts at revision, I decided to scrap it, necessitating new plans for the smattering of classes I had this week. My mentor visited my school yesterday for the privilege of watching me scramble to pull together 3 different lessons, none of which took flight. The one for the 3rd grade was unfocused and dry. I knew the 2nd grade story lesson needed refinement, but my mentor was adamant that the material was too complicated, and pointed out that most of the kids were asleep. I punted and did a game with the first grade, which the kids really enjoyed, but I was rebuked for it at dinner. My mentor shared her evaluation with me, and she was forced to spill into the margins after filling the "constructive criticism" box completely. I was planning to do "Ordering food in a restaurant" next week, but I've been gnashing my brain over it for 3 weeks and come up with nothing workable or interesting, so I have to hope for divine inspiration this weekend, write something from scratch, or just go in with more dull crap. It's all rather bleak.

I went to my mentor's school today. Missed a field trip at my own, which sounded interesting if only for the sheer difference from the American version. In fact, I'm not even sure what was going to happen, just that the kids arrive there on their own by subway. There's another one in December, so hopefully I'll get to check it out then. Anyway, Holly's school was a real treat. Having the chance to see what class is actually supposed to look like was a fantastic opportunity...I realized a few days ago that it makes sense that this is so hard, considering I'm supposed to perform this (teaching English) behavior without ever having watched it done. There is no a priori class in my head, no model to emulate. Now at least, I have some idea. Holly didn't put on a circus act, just led the kids through the material with warmth and direction. In her knockout classroom. She has her own room, full of her own stuff, with tables for the kids to sit in teams at, new and working A/V equipment, her own rules and slogans posted on the wall, and kids' work beside it. The back wall has a huge map of the world painted on it. The floor is dry, the table surfaces are unmarred, and it even has funky sliding murals for holidays (did you know that Jesus brought corn to the first Thanksgiving?). At 4 this afternoon, I was still slack-jawed and sputtering about it. It was gorgeous. I learned from Holly's conversations with my co-teacher yesterday that there is a chance I will have my own room in March, albeit a slight one, and that I will have some classes with Terrie herself in November. While that's happy news, I'm confused about why the schedule is changing, and what else might be different.

This is the first weekend since I've been here that I have no specific plans. I guess everyone's losing their tourist enthusiasm. I'm going to need to summon the discipline to work diligently and with focus on my lessons anyway. Still need to get out, though. This hasn't been a banner week for exercise, and exploration keeps me in a better mood. After declaring Wednesday my adventure night, I've sat home for 2 of them in a row. I'm hoping to get some shopping done, find out what's really available in this town. Maybe I'll even go and knit at the cat cafe.