boring times

Sometimes I feel like my work is killing me.  Basically I love teaching Spanish and working with people. It fulfils me with energy and even if I have a bad day, since I go to work I come back with new power.

But there are moments when I really hate it. Especially when I say ok let’s prepare some exercices for them, they will be so happy with their new tasks to complete. But it turns out ( in the most of cases) that what makes me feel great about learning languages is not as fantastic for my students.

There are two cases that  I cannot stand. One of them Is someone who makes you question your knowledge or simply asks so many questions about vocabulary that you start considering yourself a dictionary. Well my dears I’m not one and I will never know all these words you are asking me about. Or in different words, yes I may know this vocabulary but it happens that right now, in this moment I will not be able to recall it. 

So please don’t ask me questions like ‘but how can we say jaki kraj taki obyczaj or wybrzeze kości słoniowej’ when I try to focus and teach you preterito perfecto.  Yes, dictionaries exist and even I consult them sometimes. And no, it doesn’t mean that being teacher means that you can’t be wrong sometimes!

On the other hand we have another hopeless case. KIDS.  

When you have in the same group 6,9,11 years old and they are 15 individuals in the same room and you have to (or you are downright) trying to get control over them. 

Sound like mission impossible?

 Yes it, indeed is. 

Small kids can’t write yet  and can’t read so all they want to do is playing and singing songs and colouring but the others? They are bored and tired and try to imagine what does it mean to be there trying not to yell and just finding the rest of your forces to teach them something. 

And all you want to hear in that moment is…

Can I go to the bathroom? I don’t want to write it down… How much time  do I have to sit here? Is there any reward for it?

And when you think that it is completely meaningless and after making up games, songs, and everything what can come to your mind, all of a sudden, you hear: I love it! 

Now I can tell my mum some words in Spanish!

....

And there’s nothing left but smiling.

Have fun!

Aga