schoolish thoughts

Apparently, I make children cry. Or, at least, one child. Although the other teachers at school tell me he cries in their classes too...

But I'll back up. On Tuesday, my 8th form had to write a control--sort of like a midterm. I've given three of these lately, and they're downright depressing. I'm not sure if I just can't teach so that they understand, or if I'm battling against an education system that's still in the process of revamping itself. So I pass out the papers, and after about five minutes, I look over to see Ihor, the weakest student in the class, with his head buried in his hands, crying. I offered to try and help him, but he refused and gave me a blank paper. After a while, he took it back, wrote four correct answers (out of 20), then used white-out to erase them, and handed the paper back in. Depressing for a teacher. Also, only four students out of 15 or so got above 50% on the test.

Clearly, I have job security.

~*~

After school today, I had a meeting with my director and Nelya to discuss what an ideal version of our school would be like. I am not sure if I know, but I'm supposed to come up with some ideas tonight. They brought up issues I've been noticing...after 8th or 9th form, our top students leave to go to the local lyceum or pedagogical college, leaving the less-motivated ones at our school. There's also low parental involvement, which they'd like to see change.

I don't know how to motivate an entire school. But a batch of pen pal letters showed up from Ms. Anderson's International Relations class at Lakeview High School (my old school, and I consider Ms. Anderson at least partially responsible for getting me interested in the world beyond the US), and my 9th and 10th forms are very excited. I told them about the letters today, in hopes of good attendance tomorrow and Tuesday, when I'll pass them out, and they looked more excited than I've ever seen them.

And my 2nd form girls make me smile. There are four of them, and they each helped me (belatedly) celebrate my birthday--two gave me paper cats, one gave me a jewelry box, and one sang "Happy Birthday" to me in English, all by herself.

~*~

I think I have an apartment lined up now, starting on the 10th of April (once the previous owner moves out and some repairs are made). It's one room plus a kitchen and bathroom, and it's near the Palace of Culture (US community center). I'm not sure if I actually get to see it before I move in, though...