First Days of Teaching

6.16.2010

In the weeks leading up to my arrival, I was told that for the first week of classes, my only responsibility would be to observe while my co-teacher took the lead on teaching the lessons. I looked forward to this first week being a relatively comfortable adjustment period, so while I was getting used to life in a new country, learning to be a teacher could be placed on the backburner momentarily. It was the morning after we arrived in Kadod, a Monday, the first day of classes. I walked into the men's teacher staffroom to meet my co-teacher, Kirin-bhai, for the first time. After exchanging hello's and brief introductions, we had this conversation:

Me: So for the first class, what will you do?
K: What you mean?
Me: I mean, what are you going to teach?
K: No, you teach! I help.
Me: No, no, no! I was told that you teach, and I watch.
K: No, you teach! I help.

So, that was that. With nothing more than a piece of chalk in my hand, I walked into my first classroom filled with 71 9th graders. TEFL training, you are my HERO. All I kept repeating to myself was "fake it, 'til you make it.. fake it 'til you make it.." I was surprised to see how easy it was to manage these large class sizes. The students are extremely respectful towards their teachers. Even when these small classrooms get packed with students and heat up like an oven, the kids sit very still for the most part. One challenge is speaking English in a way that they understand. They're very used to hearing and speaking an "Indian" English, so when I speak in my Americanized English, I usually just end up staring at a bunch of blank faces. It's just something I'm going to have to try to adapt to.

I was anything but perfect, but now, just having taught my 10th class, I'm sort of glad I was thrown into the deep end. I know that no one expects me to be perfect, but I want to be able to show my co-teacher, the principal, and my students that I really want to work at it. I have no idea what my potential is as a teacher, but I hope to get there one of these days!

I know some of you guys will enjoy this. This was one of the classes I taught on my first day.