No it isn't
NO ITN...T
No it isn't
NO IS ITN...S
No it isn't
NO I I NA
No...
NO
It
IT
Isn't
ISAT
Isn't
ISTNT
Isn't
ISN'T
No it isn't
NO IS ITNTN...
Repeat for 40 minutes.
Thursday, 8 July 2004
Techno Game
My Ocean class are now loving the game that we all call "Techno Game". This is the game that made Eric bleed, and involves them running about in a circle to music, and have to pick up a piece of red lego when the music stops.
I've been weening them on a Felix Da Housecat mix album, but today moved to some harder stuff. In fact, I moved to about as relentless and savage as techno gets - Speedy J's brutal "Loudboxer" album, a 60 minute opus of incessant percussion and menacing, snarling techno without light or melody.
I have to admit, my Ocean class of 5 year old weren't as enamoured by Speedy J as they were of Felix Da Housecat, so possibly they're more into their funky house than brutal techno, although Speedy J works better as a continuous piece and less as stop-start music to a kids game. However, young Kate was seen jigging about at one stage.
Young Fiona also seems to be developing a penchant for mixing, which is very promising indeed. The tape deck I use is broken from the day that eager Ann of M5 class offered to carry it for me, then accidently dropped it. This broke the outer case off, which means the playing tape is in clear view and can be slowed by pressing the two cassette "holes" that turn round (I do this with tedious frequency in all my classes to distort the English tapes I have to play, far more for my own amusement than the kids, who are often trying to listen to what is being said).
Anyway, Fiona loves distorting the music by pressing down upon the holes and slowing the music from a techno beat into more of what I'd describe as a "dub" beat. She also likes to press it at rhythmic intervals to create a scratching-like noise, as done by most hip-hop DJs (I'm hoping she's just being experimental and won't stray from techno to hip-hop).
I say, screw English. From now on I'm teaching all my kids about techno.
I've been weening them on a Felix Da Housecat mix album, but today moved to some harder stuff. In fact, I moved to about as relentless and savage as techno gets - Speedy J's brutal "Loudboxer" album, a 60 minute opus of incessant percussion and menacing, snarling techno without light or melody.
I have to admit, my Ocean class of 5 year old weren't as enamoured by Speedy J as they were of Felix Da Housecat, so possibly they're more into their funky house than brutal techno, although Speedy J works better as a continuous piece and less as stop-start music to a kids game. However, young Kate was seen jigging about at one stage.
Young Fiona also seems to be developing a penchant for mixing, which is very promising indeed. The tape deck I use is broken from the day that eager Ann of M5 class offered to carry it for me, then accidently dropped it. This broke the outer case off, which means the playing tape is in clear view and can be slowed by pressing the two cassette "holes" that turn round (I do this with tedious frequency in all my classes to distort the English tapes I have to play, far more for my own amusement than the kids, who are often trying to listen to what is being said).
Anyway, Fiona loves distorting the music by pressing down upon the holes and slowing the music from a techno beat into more of what I'd describe as a "dub" beat. She also likes to press it at rhythmic intervals to create a scratching-like noise, as done by most hip-hop DJs (I'm hoping she's just being experimental and won't stray from techno to hip-hop).
I say, screw English. From now on I'm teaching all my kids about techno.
Wednesday, 7 July 2004
Bad Boy Rodger
My M7 class appears to be one that goes up and down quite frequently. It's always a little boisterous and I have to remain on the ball to avoid that spilling over into mindlessness, but when it has good runs there can be good banter and everyone has quite a good time. It's certainly never a boring class.
However, when it's on bad form it can just be a pain to teach. The kids whine, act up, get cheeky, and have to be prodded hard to do any work.
After a while going in the right direction, it was set back when it merged with another smaller class, this one containing the monstrous bag that was Annie. The class slipped quickly into rudeness and insolence again. I actually kept quite a good grip it on it, but I know that the class was Daniel's most hated and dreaded class, and he rules with an iron fist.
Anyway, the good news is that Annie has gone, an event so glorious that I may take to joyous alcoholism again. In the same breath, Thomas (who was alright) and Ken have also departed.
Ken's departure was quite interesting, possibly the most interesting thing about him. Ken is perhaps the student to have made the least impression on over all others. His anonymity was startling. A quiet bespectacled boy, he was astoundingly unremarkable.
In fact, in many ways he reminded me of my good friend H. H is a quiet bespectacled boy who doesn't try to draw attention to himself. However, H also happens to be the greatest deviant I've ever encountered. I'm not sure Ken had any of "the H magic" in him.
Anyway, Ken left because he had a fight with Rodger it seems. Rodger, you may recall, is a student there that at the beginning of my teaching was the bane of my life, He's calmed a lot since. David said, that when he first started here, that in 20 years he was one of the worst students he'd ever taught.
And it seems that although much tamer in the classroom now, indeed he's actually fairly keen when in my class, he causes hell in the school (mini)bus. And apparently injured poor retreating Ken in some way, and Ken is no longer coming to our school.
The M7 kids were indicating that Ken was bleeding, and it may have been some kind of headbutt.
Daniel informed me that Ken is the third child to quit Castle School because of Rodger. Oh, bad bad boy Rodger.
I wish Rodger had headbutted Annie though.
However, when it's on bad form it can just be a pain to teach. The kids whine, act up, get cheeky, and have to be prodded hard to do any work.
After a while going in the right direction, it was set back when it merged with another smaller class, this one containing the monstrous bag that was Annie. The class slipped quickly into rudeness and insolence again. I actually kept quite a good grip it on it, but I know that the class was Daniel's most hated and dreaded class, and he rules with an iron fist.
Anyway, the good news is that Annie has gone, an event so glorious that I may take to joyous alcoholism again. In the same breath, Thomas (who was alright) and Ken have also departed.
Ken's departure was quite interesting, possibly the most interesting thing about him. Ken is perhaps the student to have made the least impression on over all others. His anonymity was startling. A quiet bespectacled boy, he was astoundingly unremarkable.
In fact, in many ways he reminded me of my good friend H. H is a quiet bespectacled boy who doesn't try to draw attention to himself. However, H also happens to be the greatest deviant I've ever encountered. I'm not sure Ken had any of "the H magic" in him.
Anyway, Ken left because he had a fight with Rodger it seems. Rodger, you may recall, is a student there that at the beginning of my teaching was the bane of my life, He's calmed a lot since. David said, that when he first started here, that in 20 years he was one of the worst students he'd ever taught.
And it seems that although much tamer in the classroom now, indeed he's actually fairly keen when in my class, he causes hell in the school (mini)bus. And apparently injured poor retreating Ken in some way, and Ken is no longer coming to our school.
The M7 kids were indicating that Ken was bleeding, and it may have been some kind of headbutt.
Daniel informed me that Ken is the third child to quit Castle School because of Rodger. Oh, bad bad boy Rodger.
I wish Rodger had headbutted Annie though.
Crying Hat-trick
I got the kindergarten hat-trick today.
The kindergarten hat-trick is the rare day that I can get a child in each of my three kindergarten classes crying. Today I got Daniel (Forest Class: 4), Sarah (Cosmos Class:6) and Christopher and Jim (Forest Class: both 6) in tears.
Actually, my role in their tears was not too significant. Young Daniel burst into tears, a not infrequent occurence for him, because he perceived potato-head Alex to have been fighting with him.
Sarah, not a crier, inexplicably burst into tears when she likewise perceived her friend Sandra as fighting with her. Sandra was baffled.
Christopher cried for a good 10 minutes because... ahem... another kid thought of the food "bananas" before he did.
Only Jim do I have full responsibility for. He was being a pest all lesson, and repeated calm warnings weren't working, so I eventually yelled at him annd wouldn't let him sing in front of the class. He burst into floods of tears.
So, maybe not a proper hat-trick, but still a worthy effort. I may, one day, try to get all my kids in every class to cry in a day. I have found that recently I'm getting more kids to cry than usual.
I do enjoy children crying.
The kindergarten hat-trick is the rare day that I can get a child in each of my three kindergarten classes crying. Today I got Daniel (Forest Class: 4), Sarah (Cosmos Class:6) and Christopher and Jim (Forest Class: both 6) in tears.
Actually, my role in their tears was not too significant. Young Daniel burst into tears, a not infrequent occurence for him, because he perceived potato-head Alex to have been fighting with him.
Sarah, not a crier, inexplicably burst into tears when she likewise perceived her friend Sandra as fighting with her. Sandra was baffled.
Christopher cried for a good 10 minutes because... ahem... another kid thought of the food "bananas" before he did.
Only Jim do I have full responsibility for. He was being a pest all lesson, and repeated calm warnings weren't working, so I eventually yelled at him annd wouldn't let him sing in front of the class. He burst into floods of tears.
So, maybe not a proper hat-trick, but still a worthy effort. I may, one day, try to get all my kids in every class to cry in a day. I have found that recently I'm getting more kids to cry than usual.
I do enjoy children crying.
Friday, 2 July 2004
Who Is This?
This morning I took 10 minutes selecting what clothes I would wear today, which included several changes of outfit for comparison.
I no longer recognise the person I see in the mirror anymore (but he does look good).
I no longer recognise the person I see in the mirror anymore (but he does look good).
Thursday, 1 July 2004
My New Regime
Here is my new Monday to Friday schedule. I allow myself an extra couple of hours in bed on Saturdays, which are compensated by my Korean class at 11am, and on Sundays I give myself the privilege of a free day.
5.30am - 6.30am: Wake, shower, have coffee and toast, clean my apartment, ease into the day.
6.30am - 7.30am: Study Russian on Mondays and Tuesday, Korean on other days.
7.30am - 8am: Do some writing.
8am - 8.30am: Watch BBC World.
8.30am - 9am: More writing.
9am - 10am (except Wednesday when I have to go to school a little earlier): more Russian or Korean study.
until 7pm or so: teach
7.30pm - 8.30pm: Watch two episodes of "Friends" as I wind down from 8 hours of teaching. Eat some food.
In bed by 9pm.
Saturdays are a little more varied, with the orphanage and the Korean class thrown in and even allow for a little sociability, and Sunday's only regimen is the newly emerging noon meeting with the Gin Girls.
I've been keeping to this new regime perfectly over this week and am loving it, and have no doubt that I will be continuing it for some time.
Truly the Nev of old is dying, and some other entity is forming in its place.
5.30am - 6.30am: Wake, shower, have coffee and toast, clean my apartment, ease into the day.
6.30am - 7.30am: Study Russian on Mondays and Tuesday, Korean on other days.
7.30am - 8am: Do some writing.
8am - 8.30am: Watch BBC World.
8.30am - 9am: More writing.
9am - 10am (except Wednesday when I have to go to school a little earlier): more Russian or Korean study.
until 7pm or so: teach
7.30pm - 8.30pm: Watch two episodes of "Friends" as I wind down from 8 hours of teaching. Eat some food.
In bed by 9pm.
Saturdays are a little more varied, with the orphanage and the Korean class thrown in and even allow for a little sociability, and Sunday's only regimen is the newly emerging noon meeting with the Gin Girls.
I've been keeping to this new regime perfectly over this week and am loving it, and have no doubt that I will be continuing it for some time.
Truly the Nev of old is dying, and some other entity is forming in its place.
Teachers
Every couple of months, a young waif-like Korean lady appears in the staff room for a couple of days. No, this is not the school ghost, but always the sign that a member of staff is leaving, and a new one about to join.
The waif-like one never stays. She floats about a bit, displaying a mixture of fear, shyness, confusion and sheer lack of innovation or ability. The next day she's gone. A few days later another waif appears, though usually a little less waifish than the original. Usually she disappears quickly too. Then a third appears, with less waifishness, more spark, and more confidence and she becomes the new member of staff.
This happens every couple of months because in hagwons, the staff turnover is high. I spent years working in kitchens and bars so know the meaning of a truly high turnover, but considering I'm working at a "school", the turnover is very high. Reasons are many, and you'll just have to use your imagination because I can't be bothered writing about it.
Anyway, this waif re-appeared on Monday and, naturally, was gone by Tuesday. A new girl was in yesterday, much less waifish and with a bit more spirit too her, and she's still here today making her a fairly good bet for staying. Anyway, all this signals the imminent departure of one of the six Korean teachers here, and this time it's Clara.
Which will be a shame, because in the last few months the staff-force have really began to get on well together. When I first started, this wasn't the case. With a couple of Korean teachers leaving, and miserable miserable John complaining about all conceivable possibilities, there wasn't much of a staff atmosphere. It took till the start of new term to settle down, and in the last couple of months it's begun to gel well. But, alas, change is inevitable, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad, when you have a good status quo.
Clara leaving isn't a big surprise, as she mentioned before that in about August she's going to Canada to study English. It will be a shame however as she's become quite fun in the last while. She was pretty quiet and a slight mix of shy and surly to begin with, but once the ice melted from the wintery days of when I first started she began to demonstrate a good sense of humour. I think too that she was a tough as hell teacher, though we never had any shared classes.
She's not even been here a year yet, mind you. The school is only three years old, and the only people to have been here (the director aside) since the begiinnig are David and Winnie.
Poor David got lambasted a little when I first met him. I hope to God that "lambasted" is the right word to use here, otherwise I'm saying something quite alarming. He makes a poor first impression though. Not the most physically desirable of characters with a scabby bald head and overhanging stomach, his quietly grumbling and reticent personailty was not much in compensation. However, like all good things, he has been an acquired taste and now I just can't get enough of him!
Well, let's not go overboard here. But he's definitely developed, and is now rather funny. And very rude, in a cheeky way, to the Korean teachers. He knows a lot about what he's doing, which is useful, and is often very helpful too. We get on well now - he's not a naturally social man at all and would be happy, I suspect, to spend his life watching TV in his apartment - and I think he actually quite enjoys talking to me.
The only other male around is Daniel, another Korean and another teacher that in the past I was critical of. But I've completely changed my mind about Daniel now. He's very lively and sometimes annoying, but is very open and refreshing. He takes a stick around to hit the kids with, wich I think is wonderful. I also think he's a very good teacher. He helps me out if I've any problems and is instrumental in the better staffroom atmosphere as he is invariably the one to organise a few drinks after work or a meal.
The glam-girl of the staff-force (me being the glam-boy now, with my "manbag") is Jesse, an attractive young piece of meat with a tremendous body. I've not quite sussed her personaility out fully though. I think she's pleasant and friendly, but not massively exciting. David calls her a "lush", often to her face. She's a bit like a painting that moves. Her English isn't great though, which stifles flowing conversation. As a teacher I think she's probably ok, although maybe not of lasting inspiration to the kids.
She's not as bad a Julia though, with regards to teaching. I like Julia a lot, she speaks good English, is very friendly, and comes across as a thoroughly nice woman. I wish only good things for her. But teaching is not her forte. Well, she might be fine at the actual teaching side, but class control and discipline leave a little to be desired. I can always hear which classes she teaches. Some she gets on fine with, but some just run riot. Especially the horrible T7, who I have mastered and they are excellent little citizens when controlled by me, but with her it often sounds like they're using industrial drills to kill each other.
A fairly new teacher - replacing Sharon (whom I liked but always slightly intimidated by) - is Cathy. Her English isn't great and when she first started she wasn't far off being a waif, as she wisped about in shadows daintily and shyly, not daring to voice an opinion or be noticed. But she's relaxed a lot in the last month and fits in well now.
The only other teacher, therefore, is Rachel. She's not an English teacher but rather a kindergartden teacher for the mornings, who teaches the kids Korean and maths and art and stuff, instead of just hammering a foreign language at them. Her English is therefore even worse than that of the English teachers, and she has a mildly drab angry aura to her, and I've not really said much to her before.
There's Winnie too, the recpetionist, who does a little bit of kindergarten teaching. Her English isn't great but she's very friendly.
Where do I fit in? Pretty well, I think. I'm always pretty relaxed and always go out when the staff are doing something (David prefers to watch TV at home, but when he does go out makes numerous complaints that it's costing him money and energy). I get on well with everyone and don't cause any big disruptions. As far as being a teacher is concerned, I've certainly got good crowd control (there is no misbehaving in my classes) and I think some education is also magically transferred from teacher to student.
But, as The Scorpions, memorably sang about the fall of the Iron Curtain, "there's a wind of change." Not so much as wind though, as a sudden breeze as Clara looks to be gusted away and a new teacher ushered into her seat. If it turns out to be the new semi-waif, it should be ok as she seems friendly
The waif-like one never stays. She floats about a bit, displaying a mixture of fear, shyness, confusion and sheer lack of innovation or ability. The next day she's gone. A few days later another waif appears, though usually a little less waifish than the original. Usually she disappears quickly too. Then a third appears, with less waifishness, more spark, and more confidence and she becomes the new member of staff.
This happens every couple of months because in hagwons, the staff turnover is high. I spent years working in kitchens and bars so know the meaning of a truly high turnover, but considering I'm working at a "school", the turnover is very high. Reasons are many, and you'll just have to use your imagination because I can't be bothered writing about it.
Anyway, this waif re-appeared on Monday and, naturally, was gone by Tuesday. A new girl was in yesterday, much less waifish and with a bit more spirit too her, and she's still here today making her a fairly good bet for staying. Anyway, all this signals the imminent departure of one of the six Korean teachers here, and this time it's Clara.
Which will be a shame, because in the last few months the staff-force have really began to get on well together. When I first started, this wasn't the case. With a couple of Korean teachers leaving, and miserable miserable John complaining about all conceivable possibilities, there wasn't much of a staff atmosphere. It took till the start of new term to settle down, and in the last couple of months it's begun to gel well. But, alas, change is inevitable, which is sometimes good and sometimes bad, when you have a good status quo.
Clara leaving isn't a big surprise, as she mentioned before that in about August she's going to Canada to study English. It will be a shame however as she's become quite fun in the last while. She was pretty quiet and a slight mix of shy and surly to begin with, but once the ice melted from the wintery days of when I first started she began to demonstrate a good sense of humour. I think too that she was a tough as hell teacher, though we never had any shared classes.
She's not even been here a year yet, mind you. The school is only three years old, and the only people to have been here (the director aside) since the begiinnig are David and Winnie.
Poor David got lambasted a little when I first met him. I hope to God that "lambasted" is the right word to use here, otherwise I'm saying something quite alarming. He makes a poor first impression though. Not the most physically desirable of characters with a scabby bald head and overhanging stomach, his quietly grumbling and reticent personailty was not much in compensation. However, like all good things, he has been an acquired taste and now I just can't get enough of him!
Well, let's not go overboard here. But he's definitely developed, and is now rather funny. And very rude, in a cheeky way, to the Korean teachers. He knows a lot about what he's doing, which is useful, and is often very helpful too. We get on well now - he's not a naturally social man at all and would be happy, I suspect, to spend his life watching TV in his apartment - and I think he actually quite enjoys talking to me.
The only other male around is Daniel, another Korean and another teacher that in the past I was critical of. But I've completely changed my mind about Daniel now. He's very lively and sometimes annoying, but is very open and refreshing. He takes a stick around to hit the kids with, wich I think is wonderful. I also think he's a very good teacher. He helps me out if I've any problems and is instrumental in the better staffroom atmosphere as he is invariably the one to organise a few drinks after work or a meal.
The glam-girl of the staff-force (me being the glam-boy now, with my "manbag") is Jesse, an attractive young piece of meat with a tremendous body. I've not quite sussed her personaility out fully though. I think she's pleasant and friendly, but not massively exciting. David calls her a "lush", often to her face. She's a bit like a painting that moves. Her English isn't great though, which stifles flowing conversation. As a teacher I think she's probably ok, although maybe not of lasting inspiration to the kids.
She's not as bad a Julia though, with regards to teaching. I like Julia a lot, she speaks good English, is very friendly, and comes across as a thoroughly nice woman. I wish only good things for her. But teaching is not her forte. Well, she might be fine at the actual teaching side, but class control and discipline leave a little to be desired. I can always hear which classes she teaches. Some she gets on fine with, but some just run riot. Especially the horrible T7, who I have mastered and they are excellent little citizens when controlled by me, but with her it often sounds like they're using industrial drills to kill each other.
A fairly new teacher - replacing Sharon (whom I liked but always slightly intimidated by) - is Cathy. Her English isn't great and when she first started she wasn't far off being a waif, as she wisped about in shadows daintily and shyly, not daring to voice an opinion or be noticed. But she's relaxed a lot in the last month and fits in well now.
The only other teacher, therefore, is Rachel. She's not an English teacher but rather a kindergartden teacher for the mornings, who teaches the kids Korean and maths and art and stuff, instead of just hammering a foreign language at them. Her English is therefore even worse than that of the English teachers, and she has a mildly drab angry aura to her, and I've not really said much to her before.
There's Winnie too, the recpetionist, who does a little bit of kindergarten teaching. Her English isn't great but she's very friendly.
Where do I fit in? Pretty well, I think. I'm always pretty relaxed and always go out when the staff are doing something (David prefers to watch TV at home, but when he does go out makes numerous complaints that it's costing him money and energy). I get on well with everyone and don't cause any big disruptions. As far as being a teacher is concerned, I've certainly got good crowd control (there is no misbehaving in my classes) and I think some education is also magically transferred from teacher to student.
But, as The Scorpions, memorably sang about the fall of the Iron Curtain, "there's a wind of change." Not so much as wind though, as a sudden breeze as Clara looks to be gusted away and a new teacher ushered into her seat. If it turns out to be the new semi-waif, it should be ok as she seems friendly
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