"Dare to Be Expressive" Day: Teaching My Third Lesson in Camp Fulbright

Me observing the first ETA teach a class of elementary-age students

TEACHING THE THIRD AND FINAL TIME AT CAMP FULBRIGHT 
I had my third and last practice teaching session today with another CI's class. Like the previous two, I was the last one to teach a lesson. While this wasn't an issue with Eric's older students, it was definitely more of a challenge with Daniel's younger elementary-age students. Daniel had given me plenty of heads-up as far as their language ability, their energy-level, and their adorableness and, for the most part, he was spot on.

THE FIRST ETA TEACHES
From the back of the room, I observed the first ETA struggle with students who were not as engaged and had their heads down on the table. Midway through his lessons, the students would say things like, "Teacher, next! Next teacher!" asking him to move on to the next phase of the lesson. The ETA moved through his slides, but the content was very similar to the previous slide's so the students would, again, ask him, "Neeext!"

Seeing this dynamic made me a bit nervous in my chair. After the first ETA finished, Daniel told both of us that the students were probably just extra tired from a full day of classes, and feeling sleepy after lunch time. He also said that one student had not been feeling well his entire time at camp, and another student had not gotten enough sleep the previous night due to construction work right outside his window. The CI stressed that these were things that were out of our control, and to just do our best to deliver our lesson and engage them as much as we could.

THE SECOND ETA TEACHES 
These were very good things to know going into my turn to teach. I resolved that no heads would be down on the table (or if heads were down, that their eyes would still be on me), and that I would do my best to vary up the activities so I would not encounter the same reactions as the first ETA had received. My lesson was on the topic of bullying and teaching students how to be more than a bystander if they witnessed a situation where a student or a group of students would physically, emotionally, and/or socially harm another student/group of students on a regular basis.

SELF-EVALUATIONS: WHAT I COULD & COULD NOT CONTROL 
I was successful in meeting my goal of keeping the students' heads off their tables, and I was also successful in varying up the activities that I had them go over. However, I think I might have pushed my class to do too many different activities because they had a difficult time transitioning from one to the other. Eric had warned me in his post-lesson feedback that wrapping up one activity would take time, transitioning would take time, and explaining a new one would also take time. This was most evident in a class of younger students whose attention span was not as long as that of the older ones' I had become used to teaching.

I became particularly distressed towards the end when the sick student and the sleep-deprived student "woke up" from their respective reveries and found opportunity to lay themselves on the floor and (jokingly) convulse violently during a skit. There was a point where I believed my sense of helplessness did not register on the outside, but, towards the end, I am sure it became quite evident to the CI and the other ETA - if not also to the students. All I could do was smile at the two-three students who were still on task, separate those who were pretend-kicking and pretend-strangling each other, and remind myself over and over that it was okay to not have control of the class 100 percent of the time.

I have a suspicion that I might have to settle for not having control 75 or 50 or less than 50 percent of the time...

LANGUAGE ABILITY & MATURITY LEVEL
My time with my third class was helpful in the sense that it affirmed my belief that I work best with older students. This younger class was quite advanced in their English ability so it was not so much their language ability, but more their maturity level that I had a difficult time getting used to. Again, I know this is because I have worked with college-age students for the past four years. Yet I know that, if given the time, I would learn to embrace all the joys and challenges that come with teaching elementary-age students.

After practice teaching and Taekwondo, I headed off to Eric's class for my last night of Homework Help.
This is a photo of Eric's students prettifying their classroom for tomorrow's Camp Fulbright Closing Ceremony. 

LAST NIGHT OF HOMEWORK HELP 
As it is, I was relieved to find myself back in Eric's class that evening for Homework Help. I had nearly forgotten this obligation, and was still in my Taekwondo uniform when I quickly headed to his class from a 15-minute dinner. The students were on autopilot preparing for tomorrow's Camp Fulbright Closing Ceremony - the earlier part of which included showcasing their room to parents who were coming to pick up their students for the day.

As always, I was impressed with how well these eight students worked. They had two female students delegate tasks to the others from the back of the room, a couple of really artistic students, and a couple who were very good (or just very excited) about coloring their "masterpieces." Meanwhile, Eric was hovering over everyone semi-freaking out and semi-encouraging his students to finish, finish, finish! He had time to joke with the girls, and those who had crushes on the other CIs.

Me: What? None of the girls have crushes on you?
Eric: No, no, no. They hate me
Girls: Yes, we don't like Eric very much. 
Me: [to students] What?! I thought you loved your teacher!
Girls: [to me] He's good teacher, but Daniel is more handsome.
Me: [to Eric] What? Why Daniel? Why is that? 
Eric: Ah, probably because Daniel is a lot nicer to them. He is incredibly dedicated to his students. Me? I love my students, too, but I tease them way too much and they don't like that.
Me: Huh!
Eric: ...and I think it's also because some of the other CIs fit their idea of prince charming better. 
Me: Ah, I see what you're saying. 

LOVE NOTES FROM STUDENTS
I was reminded of my one-on-one with Daniel, at the end of which I noticed a craftily-folded note lying on his desk with his name on it.

Daniel: [noticing me looking at the note] You can read it if you want
Me: Oh, no! I was just looking. Who is it from? 
Daniel: It's from one of the students. You can read it, I'm serious
Me: Are you sure?
Daniel: Yeah [smiles]

It was a letter from a female student professing her love for Daniel, and describing how amazing of a teacher and person he was. I was very amused while reading through the letter - the letter-writer was so open and honest about her feelings for Daniel.

Me: [laughing] How do you deal with this? 
Daniel: I tell them that I am already married. 
Me: Wow, what a way to break their hearts
Daniel: Yeah...

CULTURAL IDEAS OF WHAT/WHO IS BEAUTIFUL/HANDSOME/ATTRACTIVE
It dawned on me that the girls preferred Daniel and his Caucasian features over Eric and his Korean features. I'm sure Eric is right though, Daniel's sweeter, more soft-spoken personality also probably has something to do with why his students adored him.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Eric chasing a male student, heaving him up and slinging him across one shoulder, and slowly running around the room with him in tow. The room was in chaos, but it was a warm and friendly kind of chaos - the kind that I was somehow assured would all magically change in time for the parents' arrival.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU: 
Have you ever considered what you personally find beautiful/handsome? What or who do you consider beautiful/handsome? Are there certain characteristics that you immediately, without thinking, equate with beauty? Why is this?

Have you ever written a love note to a teacher? What grade where you on? What did you say? How did the teacher respond? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment box below.