There's something oh-so-tedious and yet oh-so-fascinating about marking exams. Not forgetting oh-so-depressing.
Its that final moment when you can see the strengths and weaknesses of a student revealed, without the chutzpah, the brazenness, that boundary fence that stops you from penetrating the knowledge and ability of the child, and the distance between them.
Some of these exams are such a pleasure to mark, the kids use idiom in a way which is bound to produce a smile (eg 'I hate being stuck in this room' - a letter from a student who has broken his leg) and show a deep understanding of complex texts and nuances of language, and others, sigh, well, the flip side is that a blank paper is remarkably easy to mark. But, like, what was this kid thinking....how does it feel, deep down inside to know that in one year you've accomplished NOTHING?
One of the questions in the eight grade exam paper that revealed an 'atrophied generation' is 'what is your favourite book?'. Eighty per cent of the students wrote 'I don't like books'. Kind of a bit like saying, I don't like water, don't you think. I know it's probably more than eighty as, when I supervised the exam they desperately needed my advice on how to answer this question. My suggestion was to lie and say 'Harry Potter'. Oh and computer games was considered something these students do in their spare time. Amazing.
I really wanted to blog yesterday and describe what it was like supervising an exam where the majority of the class was moderate/severe ADHD. How do I know that. Well, they weren't BAD kids. What I mean to say is that they weren't trying to test my limits or do anything sneaky. They were good kids and they all wanted to do their best BUT THEY COULDN'T SIT STILL!!! It was an eye opening experience.
OK, well, should I just bask in the pleasure of those wonderful exams or wallow in depression from the non-achievers. Or should I maybe live in the hope that one day, with a little help, a little encouragement and nurturing the non-achiever could produce an exam that's a pleasure to read (and to grade)?
That's it for now folks......
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
hello and welcome
Hi,
My name is Ella and I've been living in Israel for 17 (phew!) years. After spending thirteen years as an at-home mother and entering the workplace relatively late, I have started my relatively late career (dare I say 'career'?) as an English teacher. I kind of fell into it really. I qualified as a fitness instructor/personal trainer a couple of years ago, and got kind of disappointed with the ups and downs of the field, although I continue to work part time as an instructor. My dear friend, M., also a teacher finally persuaded me that even if teaching English isn't a 'dream job', it is a living wage, unlike the 'combinot' that I was involved in previously. She's right, although I would use the word 'living' with some hesitation!
Where was I...oh yes after working for three months in a gym that closed down I was desperate for some 'normal work' and, after seeing that a local .@secular high school was looking for an English teacher, I applied.
Branco Weiss is a huge high school, consisting of 1300 students and basically is the one and only high school for the secular (also traditional and religious) population of Beit Shemesh. During the interview all sorts of strange words were thrown at me that I pretended to understand but the one sentence I heard repeatedly was 'You'll have to work hard, you know that>' Yeah, yeah, yeah....I mean, how hard can teaching my mother tongue be?? I go in, I teach. Az mah.
To say I was in for the shock of my life is an understatement. I was almost reduced to tears during my first class when my wild, gum chewing, filthy mouthed, aggressive and rude students proceeded to make total and utter mincemeat of me. Whilst I tried to teach, nail varnish was applied, cellphones were passed around, sandwiches were eaten and students were pummelled. What on earth had I let myself in for?
Well, as they say, you've come a long way baby. I'm still at the beginning, but I have grasped the basics of discipline, occassionally my students do learn a thing or two in English, and, more importantly, after usually a 10 minute coaxing session at the beginning of the class my students understand that they are in class in order to work, not play around. Whether they work or not is another thing.
The other major progress is that I have indeed learned to love my students, with their ADD, ripped jeans, diamond studs (boys, that is), foul mouth (in Hebrew, English and Arabic) and they actually love me (well, sometimes, that is).
More later. There's so much to say. But as a frazzled teacher, I have a house to organize and papers to mark.
bye for now,
Ella
My name is Ella and I've been living in Israel for 17 (phew!) years. After spending thirteen years as an at-home mother and entering the workplace relatively late, I have started my relatively late career (dare I say 'career'?) as an English teacher. I kind of fell into it really. I qualified as a fitness instructor/personal trainer a couple of years ago, and got kind of disappointed with the ups and downs of the field, although I continue to work part time as an instructor. My dear friend, M., also a teacher finally persuaded me that even if teaching English isn't a 'dream job', it is a living wage, unlike the 'combinot' that I was involved in previously. She's right, although I would use the word 'living' with some hesitation!
Where was I...oh yes after working for three months in a gym that closed down I was desperate for some 'normal work' and, after seeing that a local .@secular high school was looking for an English teacher, I applied.
Branco Weiss is a huge high school, consisting of 1300 students and basically is the one and only high school for the secular (also traditional and religious) population of Beit Shemesh. During the interview all sorts of strange words were thrown at me that I pretended to understand but the one sentence I heard repeatedly was 'You'll have to work hard, you know that>' Yeah, yeah, yeah....I mean, how hard can teaching my mother tongue be?? I go in, I teach. Az mah.
To say I was in for the shock of my life is an understatement. I was almost reduced to tears during my first class when my wild, gum chewing, filthy mouthed, aggressive and rude students proceeded to make total and utter mincemeat of me. Whilst I tried to teach, nail varnish was applied, cellphones were passed around, sandwiches were eaten and students were pummelled. What on earth had I let myself in for?
Well, as they say, you've come a long way baby. I'm still at the beginning, but I have grasped the basics of discipline, occassionally my students do learn a thing or two in English, and, more importantly, after usually a 10 minute coaxing session at the beginning of the class my students understand that they are in class in order to work, not play around. Whether they work or not is another thing.
The other major progress is that I have indeed learned to love my students, with their ADD, ripped jeans, diamond studs (boys, that is), foul mouth (in Hebrew, English and Arabic) and they actually love me (well, sometimes, that is).
More later. There's so much to say. But as a frazzled teacher, I have a house to organize and papers to mark.
bye for now,
Ella
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)