Soo... a mid-week update with no special rhyme nor reason, just because my internet is actually working at the moment! I have been back to my normal timetable this week, somehow still feeling absolutely exhausted from last week despite having the world's laziest weekend on record. The moment came yesterday when I'd come face-to-face with my students who I met whilst at the Kirmes fest two weekends ago. I must confess, I had been looking forward very much to bringing up the topic, especially with the boy who very suavely purchased me a drink (it wasn't a coke, either). It didn't surprise me at all that he took my public ribbing extremely well, and even attempted (in English) to give as good as he got, so real kudos to him. Perhaps that's part of the reason he had a massive gaggle of girls flocking around him at the Kirmes (and at all other times, now I think of it...) I broke the news to the class that unfortunately I would henceforth be declining invitations to events which involve socialising with 15/16 year old students, just as another boy said he had planned to invite me to another such fest in December. Uh huh, apparently I'm doing SOMETHING right at the moment! Haha.
It occurred to me that perhaps I should write something about my 'normal timetable'. I write these blog entries without actually knowing if anyone even reads them, so they generally just contain snippets about what I'm feeling at the time, in no logical manner. So, for the first time on this blog I shall try to be informative, haha.
I work Tuesday to Friday in the KHS (Koenig-Heinrich-Schule), which is in good old Fritzlar. On Monday I (possibly illegally, haha) lend my skills elsewhere. But, Tuesday to Friday is my official working week. According to my job description I am contracted to work 12 hours a week, which I do not do for several reasons. One: if I'm only in school for 12 hours, what exactly else do I have to fill my time with? And two: my job is extremely good fun. I love it. Have probably written that before somewhere I imagine, haha. Because of those reasons, I am usually in school between 20-25 hours over 4 days. Each day I start at 7.55am, and before that I walk 30 minutes to the school. That gives me sufficient time to at least half wake up.
I am a 'Fremdsprachassistentin' (Language Assistant)... or basically, a 'jack-of-all-trades' to do with the English language. Or a walking dictionary. Or whatever the teacher wants me to be. I am currently involved in ... hm ... 9 different classes across a variety of levels. I am in two year 6 classes (age 11-12), three year 9 classes (age 14-15), one (aforementioned, many a time!) year 10 class (age 15-16), one year 11 class (age 16-17) and two year 12 classes (age 17-18). I am also the English speaking team member of a bi-lingual Politics/Economics year 9 class, which does my head in for many, many different reasons, none of which I can write here apart from my complete disinterest in and ignorance of either subject. Ha. Just trust me when I say it's *quite* difficult to appear even halfway knowledgable when 5 minutes before class you're handed a complicated text (in German) about the progression from an agrarian society to modern time, with the instructions 'translate and explain'. Ha. Good times.
So, a jack-of-all trades English assistant does more or less the following over the course of a week: walks around assisting students; participates in group work (which can involve anything from comparing answers to acting in a highly embarrassing roleplay; motivates and encourages; speaks ONLY English to the students and then cops flack for it; laughs a HELL of a lot; sits and counts the amount of times the boys in the front row smooth down their fringes; acts as a walking dictionary; corrects numerous exercise books full of work; laughs a lot more; tries to convince students I'm not a terrifying language monster... etc. You get the picture. Once a week, for 45 precious minutes I am the teacher. Lesson 5, class 10c, every Tuesday. I have no idea how this was worked into the timetable, but I love it. Every week I prepare something educational, and I can recall having pulled off a complete lesson ONCE. Every week after the lesson I always feel vaguely annoyed with myself that the class have (yet again) managed to convince me that games and conversation are more important than actual work. At this point, if any of my former students from NZ are reading this they may well be thinking "some things never change..." haha. Thankfully my mentor seems to be of the opinion that all the students need is to hear me speak, so each week the students have 45 minutes of the dulcet tones of my voice, and I have 45 minutes of laughter. When you have the task 'get them to talk as much as possible', it is absolutely hilarious some of the things you find out. One student ate a 1.5 kg burger last weekend, which cost 15 Euro. (I told him he obviously has too much time and money, haha). One student has a sister who has 33 pairs of shoes. One student's favourite food is doner without the vegetables. For example.
My absolute favourite part of the job is the students. I mean, ever since I first set foot in a classroom it has been. I'm not teaching because I'm so passionate about my subject that I feel I need to go and share it with the youth of today. I'm not teaching because I like the power and authority. It is the small things like finding out about a 1.5 kg burger that really makes my day. My special favourite students are in year 9/10, as they're old enough to have a good grasp of English, but still young enough to not care (much) about mistakes and just go for it. One of my colleagues paid me the greatest compliment recently without even knowing it. He said "in the classroom you come to life." And I think I somehow agree.
It occurred to me that perhaps I should write something about my 'normal timetable'. I write these blog entries without actually knowing if anyone even reads them, so they generally just contain snippets about what I'm feeling at the time, in no logical manner. So, for the first time on this blog I shall try to be informative, haha.
I work Tuesday to Friday in the KHS (Koenig-Heinrich-Schule), which is in good old Fritzlar. On Monday I (possibly illegally, haha) lend my skills elsewhere. But, Tuesday to Friday is my official working week. According to my job description I am contracted to work 12 hours a week, which I do not do for several reasons. One: if I'm only in school for 12 hours, what exactly else do I have to fill my time with? And two: my job is extremely good fun. I love it. Have probably written that before somewhere I imagine, haha. Because of those reasons, I am usually in school between 20-25 hours over 4 days. Each day I start at 7.55am, and before that I walk 30 minutes to the school. That gives me sufficient time to at least half wake up.
I am a 'Fremdsprachassistentin' (Language Assistant)... or basically, a 'jack-of-all-trades' to do with the English language. Or a walking dictionary. Or whatever the teacher wants me to be. I am currently involved in ... hm ... 9 different classes across a variety of levels. I am in two year 6 classes (age 11-12), three year 9 classes (age 14-15), one (aforementioned, many a time!) year 10 class (age 15-16), one year 11 class (age 16-17) and two year 12 classes (age 17-18). I am also the English speaking team member of a bi-lingual Politics/Economics year 9 class, which does my head in for many, many different reasons, none of which I can write here apart from my complete disinterest in and ignorance of either subject. Ha. Just trust me when I say it's *quite* difficult to appear even halfway knowledgable when 5 minutes before class you're handed a complicated text (in German) about the progression from an agrarian society to modern time, with the instructions 'translate and explain'. Ha. Good times.
So, a jack-of-all trades English assistant does more or less the following over the course of a week: walks around assisting students; participates in group work (which can involve anything from comparing answers to acting in a highly embarrassing roleplay; motivates and encourages; speaks ONLY English to the students and then cops flack for it; laughs a HELL of a lot; sits and counts the amount of times the boys in the front row smooth down their fringes; acts as a walking dictionary; corrects numerous exercise books full of work; laughs a lot more; tries to convince students I'm not a terrifying language monster... etc. You get the picture. Once a week, for 45 precious minutes I am the teacher. Lesson 5, class 10c, every Tuesday. I have no idea how this was worked into the timetable, but I love it. Every week I prepare something educational, and I can recall having pulled off a complete lesson ONCE. Every week after the lesson I always feel vaguely annoyed with myself that the class have (yet again) managed to convince me that games and conversation are more important than actual work. At this point, if any of my former students from NZ are reading this they may well be thinking "some things never change..." haha. Thankfully my mentor seems to be of the opinion that all the students need is to hear me speak, so each week the students have 45 minutes of the dulcet tones of my voice, and I have 45 minutes of laughter. When you have the task 'get them to talk as much as possible', it is absolutely hilarious some of the things you find out. One student ate a 1.5 kg burger last weekend, which cost 15 Euro. (I told him he obviously has too much time and money, haha). One student has a sister who has 33 pairs of shoes. One student's favourite food is doner without the vegetables. For example.
My absolute favourite part of the job is the students. I mean, ever since I first set foot in a classroom it has been. I'm not teaching because I'm so passionate about my subject that I feel I need to go and share it with the youth of today. I'm not teaching because I like the power and authority. It is the small things like finding out about a 1.5 kg burger that really makes my day. My special favourite students are in year 9/10, as they're old enough to have a good grasp of English, but still young enough to not care (much) about mistakes and just go for it. One of my colleagues paid me the greatest compliment recently without even knowing it. He said "in the classroom you come to life." And I think I somehow agree.
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