teaching and the like

So this week i started my semi-part-time un-official-better-not-call-it-a-contract contract teaching.
i have three year 7 classes (that means i am teaching about 80 12 to 13 year olds). My english class is extended academically (a good thing) but was unfortunately also extended numerically. It was supposed to have 27 students.. now i have 31. As a result there are not enough copies of the class novel returned to the library so i have been READING to them. insert croaky voice here. (well i was buggered if i was going to let them drag out the 'but we cant do anything Miss...' thing. This way we can do vocab and all sorts of stuff). They are a good bunch of kids and i'm pretty happy with this class... though i may need to get a nice loud whistle. classy eh?

I also have two french classes but have only had the opportunity to teach one of them so far. It's.. an ok group. there are a few students who are in serious need of extension while they are still interested.. and then there are the ones who hate french, hate reading, hate school.. and would basically rather be anywhere else. So far i don't seem to have any kids who actively hate me but i suspect that will change when i get to my other french class tomorrow. I'm struggling with this group a fair bit.. mostly because they are all at different levels. I cant spend the time with the advanced kids that they want.. because i'm too busy confiscating phones, cards, game-boy thingies, make-up, permanent markers and handcuffs (yes, really. Handcuffed his friend to the desk. That was exactly as funny as it sounds.. but i wasnt really supposed to laugh. i did anyway). I'm sure i'll figure out a balance sooner or later.

the other french class is.. well. we call them les garcons horribles. this is basically all the really really really out there boys i had for english during my internship... they struggled with english. picture me trying to get them to give a damn about another language that they dont even want to learn. There's only so far they'll go with a bribe of learning some obscenities (hey, it's still learning!!).

I'm nearing the second toe of my cashmere socks. so yummy :)

and today i finally bought some velvet ribbon so i could finish my cambio. I'm currently sewing it on by hand, and hope to have it done tonight. stay alert - there may be pictures tonight!

Thanks again for all the kind words. Working is helping, i can focus on the kids needs and my work and.. well. we all know i love it.

Peace out,
Ms Spider xo

PS. may have let a class run away with me a little the other day... someone up the back started singing 'Baby got back".... until i took over. do you think singing "that butt you got make me so horny" is covered by the teacher's professional guide of practice?