A pretty good day in the life of Chris the teacher

So today I decided to keep a sort of "running diary," of one day of school. It was a Monday, which meant it was a pretty easy day (No scheduled classes to start the day, only four classes all day).

At least, I thought I had four classes. A teacher who had been on vacation for a week called in "sick," so i taught sixth grade with the normal sixth grade teacher. (They like to have two teachers for every 40 students. This was the oldest group I had taught. (I teacher 2nd grade, 4th grade, and Kindergarten), but in contrast to the younger kids, they were gigglier than all get out. It was definitely still fun teaching them. They can understand much more of what I am saying, so it lets you connect on a higher level with them....interestingly, they also seemed a bit more eager for fun than the fourth graders---who are beginning to become sceptical about adults, but have not yet hit the age where a novel male triggers attention.

Other notes from the day, from my second grade classes:

A couple of weeks ago, I got a significant haircut--A friend of mine cut my hair with a razor, on "4." It got a bit shaggy (sticking up in the back, coming forward in the front), so after procrastinating, I went to a real barber, and figured I'd get it a little shorter. It turns out 3 at a barber shop is MUCH shorter than 4 from a friend. I definitely have a sort of "shaved" look going.

Anyways, when I walked into all my classes this morning, my hair set off laughter. The rest of this week, the girls have been coming up to me, putting their knuckles on their hair, and saying, "Bzzzzzzzzz." One of the better English speaking ones asked, "WHHYY you cut your HAIR?" I responded, "What you don't like it." --to which she said, "NOOO!!!!"

I introduced a new game, where students listened to me, as to whether to stand up or sit down. The trick was using hand motions to confuse them. The loved the game.

In my last class, when one student was doing something I DEFINITELY did not want them doing (I don't remember what it was), I said No, no, MAI CHAI (No, in Thai). As soon as I said "Mai Chai," the whole class gave me a standing ovation. (They also gave me another one later, when I said something in an "operatic" voice.)

I finished off the school day teaching conversation club to 4th graders. I gave them all a place and they had to act it out. They realllly enjoy performing---the classroom got pretty loud as they prepared their skits.

I finished off the day going to the gym, eating cashew chicken on rice, and spending too much time on the internet.

I Might post pictures later of my hair over the past 4 years.