Back to School!

After a long break it sure felt good to be back to school, as it turned out the first day back was bloody jokz! Here's the run down:

5:50am

After a week of partying all night and going to bed waaay late into the AM the work schedule is rather a rude awakening! I am once again up before the sun for a bleary-eyed breakfast at a time fit only for farmers and returning ravers. I want to cut a dash today so I don my favourite shirt (I'm awful partial to the perrywinkle blue) and shoes, grab my effects and step out looking crisp. The 15 minute walk across the deserted city centre gets the blood flowing and by the time I arrive I am pumped up and ready for class.

7:00am

I have all new classes for the new term so I want to make a good first impression and not be hurried, however, it seems I was sold a dummy and my first class actually starts at 7:10 and not 7:30 as previously billed...it's lucky I am so diligent and have arrived early.

Class 1 was Class A, a good old get-to-know-you chinwag with a pair of enthusiastic students eager to discuss their holidays. Even without textbooks - it was Textbook.

9:00am

I sit down with The Don and he gives me a little pep talk about the importance of establishing good rapport in the opening classes and letting my personality shine through in my teaching. Sometimes I lose a little pizazz when I am concentrating on my material, as with life, teaching is a fine balancing act but the objective in any first class first class is - have some jokez, make sure all the students are onside and establish the energy of the classroom. My school focuses on learning through fun and games, that's what we sell them so it is important we deliver.

Also on the agenda are plans for new classes, with the worsening economic situation we are losing students from the factories and need to diversify fast. The good news is that I'm on the team to create a programme for children, something I am really excited about. See, they're not problems, they're opportunities.

10:00am

It's back to the homestead a little early today but I still have to sort out some games, eat, rest, and make sure everything is ship shape for the day's remaining classes.

3:15pm

My first class of the afternoon is at a local radio station, it is near my apartment so I either walk or take a short bus ride, today I opted for the bus. On my person are a couple of gifts for my friend Maribel, the school secretary. She asked me to bring back something from my travels and I told her I would bring her a private beach...which explains why I have 2 film cases filled with sand and water respectively...except the one containing water is now empty, I have sat on my bag, popped open the case and spilled the contents. All of which means I am now sat in a small puddle of seawater. I jump off the bus and make a dash for it, arriving in the classroom before the students I take a seat. Phew. Unfortunately it's not long before I need to write on the board and I feel it is only fair to explain to the students why their new teacher has wet trousers! Whatever it takes to break the ice, right?!

Sadly my gift for Maribel now only consists of sand and that isn't a beach, it is a desert and we already have loads of that! On the plus side I never expected to have a dip in the Caribbean today!

4:45pm

Just waiting for Tonio (the school's driver) to pick me up...

5:20pm

It seems Tonio has forgotten me, thinking I should probably phone the school I go back into the radio station and ask to use the phone, the trouble is I can't remember the phone number, a number I have written twice a day for the last 9 months - I feel like a right tit! (Left tit?!)

5:21pm

Panic over! My ride has arrived and we're going back to school.

6:00pm

I am supposed to have a class but no one has turned up so I have time to collect myself for my last class of the day. Oh, the student has now arrived but he just sort of ignores me and says he doesn't want class today. Bit rude really.

7:00pm

This is the class I've been waiting months for - the 5 lovely ladies of Estrella! (All of our classes are named after the cosmos). We all seem rather pleased with ourselves as we chat our way through the final hour of the day. This was the inauguration so I kept it simple, tomorrow's class will involve pictionary, charades and a blindfold jajaja

8:00pm

The first day of school is in the bag and an all around success, I am buzzing from being back in the classroom, I can safely say I have never been this happy to be back to work and I thank my lucky stars that I have the best job in the world.

Until next time...

Persuasive Eloquence Accurately Charms Everyone