talking about challenges...

Yes, i am not a perfect teacher but i have been trying my best to be one great teacher for my 25 sixth graders here in palau. So far, everything has been good. even if my kids think im no fun teacher but i know they are learning and what's good is, they are aware of it.

I have the biggest class in the school. yes, 25 isnt that big compared to what i had back in UP but in Palau, that number is big deal. These are not college kids whom you'll just say, "Study this and we'll discuss this tomorrow" or "Read pages blah to blah and make a reaction paper out of it." These are 25 hyperactive kids who need love, care, and understanding. If spoonfeeding is needed, I have to do it. Since the schoolyear started, the principal mr. nelson kept on apologizing to me since they couldn't find another teacher who could teach half of my class. you see, palau sda school is a mission school and 3/4 of its teachers are student missionaries from all over the world. each grade level too has 2 sections. only the 6th grade level has no section B this year.

as for me, i could handle the kids. but i get stricter everyday. i get firmer too. which the kids hate so much. i think it's because of their number. 25 hyper kids isnt easy to handle. like a hen, i should gather my chicks and not allow anyone to wander. because i got stricter and firmer as days went by, i got more tired too at the end of each day. it takes so much effort to be strict and firm, you know. so when someone from england wrote mr.nelson last december to volunteer for the school, he readily accepted him. i was so happy too. finally, i could have someone to help me out with my students. he could teach some of the subjects. he could check some of the papers.i am excited for my kids too. a new teacher would be so much fun in class.

liam arrived from england right after the 3rd quarter, during the spring break. he was in egypt last year teaching in a sudanese refugee school. he's 19years old. his interesting accent entice the kids right away. my girls started flirting with him. he teaches okay though sometimes the kids couldnt understand him easily. while i was busy directing the school play in the afternoon, he is teaching my afternoon classes. days passed, parent after parent called the school office. most of them emailed me too. they all expressed negative remarks about the new teacher. he speaks bad words calling my kids B**** and mentions F*** while teaching, he brings his iPOD in school and makes the kids listen to not-so-good music, he brings his laptop and makes them watch american pie, he is disorganized with the lessons, he just let the kids do their own and not monitor them, etc. i was stressed out. the principal didn't know what to do. so these complaints are the reasons when i noticed my kids were getting uncontrollable and wilder these past few days. it was so hard for me to calm them down. before, if i'd only count 1,2,3 they'd go back to their seats and keep quiet. but lately, they have changed. things have changed in the classroom since liam arrived.

so i told the principal,"sir, i want my kids back. if i had known things would get worse as this, i shouldnt have allowed him to teach. i want to teach my kids again the whole day. i dont want them to go to 7th grade with this new attitude they have. they dont follow our class rules anymore. i feel sorry for them."

so principal talked to the guy and liam was so upset about it.

today is his last day of teaching. i was out in the afternoon practicing for the play then one of my students came to tell me liam threw scissors to JJ's head. whew. so i went running. after a few mins, i learned that there are two girls missing in my class. i asked someone to look for them around the campus but he came back disappointed, and this is 15mins before 3pm, the school dismissal. at 3:15, the 2 girls arrived. they said they went to penthouse, a refreshment area owned by one of them. this girl is a supreme court judge's daughter.i sent them to the principal's office. how couldn't liam notice two of my kids went out of the room while he's there teaching?whew.boy, obviously, he cant handle my class.

more parents came today after school to complain about their kids' grades in language and social studies. these are the subjects liam teaches in my class! they told the principal,'everthing was smooth sailing before. how could you hire someone when school is almost over?he's not helpful to the kids!"

boy, the principal was so disappointed. i dont know what to do either. i'm just glad i'll be back to teaching them next week and i need to help them make up to pull their grades up. parents are worried. principal is disappointed. i am pressured. *sigh*

i have only one month left to bring my kids back to normalcy. we cannot mess up this time.

boy,what a day. what an experience.