So, here it is, 7:30 on a Saturday morning and I'm wide awake. Ugh. Why is it seemingly impossible for me to sleep in now? Most weekends, I am awake by 8, 8:30 at the absolute latest. Yes, it lets me get my shopping, errands, etc, done for the day early, but I miss being able to sleep in until 9:30 or 10, like I could do as a student. It's not for lack of exhaustion...at the end of each week, I'm ready to fall asleep at my desk by the end of the day.
It's now exactly a week until I will be home in Upper Knoxford and I'm thinking about how I felt, 3 months ago today (September 11). I thought I would never ever make it until Christmas. My job seemed too difficult, the kids too much to handle and home seemed so very, very far away. It's only been 3 months, but I can already sense a big difference. Instead of fighting me on every little thing, a group of my toughest students said they would miss me if I didn't come back from Canada after the Christmas break (a tempting thought at times).
I'm trying to figure out what it is, exactly, that makes teaching these kids so tough. I've been told that not all schools are like this, that not all British students make you want to pull your hair out. The students that make up the student body of my school come from really tough backgrounds and are, apparently, mostly "working class" (the British class system is something that I don't exactly understand yet and think it's a load of...well). The students that I teach, and at the Academy as a whole, are just more...vocal. More aggressive and argumentative. It doesn't help that lots of my students are bigger than me, and I look younger than some of the 6th-form students, but it's the same for most teachers. The students here are more likely to challenge us than the students I taught (albeit for a short period of time) back home. Whatever the differences are, I'm pretty sure that what I was told my very first day at the Academy is true: If I can survive here, I can survive anywhere.
One week left until I return home to Canada with a suitcase filled with more presents than clothes (including a jar of Marmite for my family to taste...and then destroy), lots of pictures and stories to share and a huge list of "to-do" things to accomplish while back home. Granted, most of those include drinking Tim Hortons and watching Hockey Night in Canada with my Dad so it won't be too stressful. I've been keeping an eye on the weather for back home, and I demand a white Christmas. If I do not get this white Christmas of my dreams that I have been building up in my mind since I boarded the plane for England back in August, I will be most upset.
Unfortunately, the England experience hasn't been as good for Joel. My roommate has not managed to land a job here as of yet and has made the difficult decision to move back to Canada. He's leaving on the 20th of December so, in the new year, it looks like I'll be flying solo. Joel, Zoe (a colleague) & I went out for supper and a movie last night. We went back to Red Hot, a world buffet that I went to with my English department, and then to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader afterward. God, I love Narnia. When I get home, watching The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe will be in order. Along with drinking lots of Tim Hortons. By the time I get back in January, my blood will consist of mostly coffee.
7 days & counting!
i'm so proud of you for sticking it out with those tough students! i knew last year that i definitely didn't want to go over to england because the teaching positions that they offer to us are the ones that are at the schools with the toughest students, because it is hard to keep teachers there. but you're definitely right, if you can survive there, you can survive anywhere. you'll have such great classroom management that you'll blow the socks off the students back here! safe travels home!
ReplyDeleteThank you :).
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely one of the schools that has a constant turn-over of teachers. When I get back to Canada, I will be the scariest teacher, EVER.