Yesterday, I took a class for a friend that’s different in every way from the ones I usually teach. It’s got a spacious classroom, the English teacher teaches every class, and the classes are three or four times a week instead of being only twice. The difference in English level is remarkable, but I think the main thing about the particular kids I had yesterday was how well-behaved and sweet they were, as well as how smart.
We reviewed for a quiz, and once they had finished, I graded them and let the kids read from the bookshelf. Everyone sat around the walls and read silently or quietly with a friend and seemed truly engrossed. I was thrilled, since I love seeing kids enjoy reading! Everyone got 100 on the quiz, so instead of making them hang around the classroom quietly, I took them out to the indoors play area and they ran around and played ghost tag and then freeze tag for about 10 minutes. They chose me for It after I proposed freeze tag (I didn’t want them getting bored!), and let me tell you, running in socks is hard! I didn’t have any success until I took them off and also roped some of my students from one of my favorite classes into helping me.
Then I gave them their real break time to sit and read and drink water, after which they did a crossword and then the homework. It was the easiest $30 of my life, aside from birthday money.
