Proof that I am a good teacher.

Beginning my earth science lesson today, I began with review from yesterday: Describe the big bang.

Me: Nat?

Nat: The thing in England with the clock.

Me: No, that is Big Ben.  Jeremy, what is the big bang?

Jeremy: Kolean singing gloup.

Me: What?

Jeremy: Kolean singing gloup, pop stars from Kolea (Korean singing group, popstars from Korea).

Me: No Jeremy, we are not talking about the same Big Bang.  Kevin?

Kevin: Bom bom.

Me: No.  That is the worst answer yet.  Jim?

Jim: Can I draw a picture?

Me: Ok.

Jim (comes up and draws two circles on the board): The big bang was a meteor hitting earth that caused all of the dinosaurs to die.

Me: No, not the right answer Jim.  Mino, want to give it a try?

Mino: The explosion that made everything.

Me: Ok, I'll take it.

I don't care Wai

Tonight, while playing pool at a bar, a girl wai'ed me.  Now before you think about this too much, let me explain what a wai is.  A wai is a polite way of greeting and ackowledging someone, which consists of putting your palms together, your thumbs at your chin and then bowing your head a little bit.  The correct response is to wai back.  So I did it, and I did it holding my pool stick between my palms (maybe not proper, but I usually don't set things down to wai).  The problem is that I was standing under a ceiling fan.  So faster than I could respond, I raised the pool stick into the fan which knocked it back into my face, which just about knocked me out.  Have I learned a lesson?  Probably not.

Next year's my year!

Well, the results are in, and its official, I did not win this yearbook's "Best Teacher" award.  Its ok though, because next year is my year, I can feel it.

You're dreamy, Mr. Gary

Two students admitted to having dreams about me this past week, although one described her's as "a nightmare which made me cry."  The first student told me that she had a dream that there were two of me.  She left my class only to run into me in the hall.  The second student told me that in her dream, all I did was yell at her.  Which dream was the nightmare that caused a student to cry?  I will let you decide.

In other news, I went to the market today and ran into four people I knew from outside of school (two were together and two were their by themselves).  Situations like this have happened several times lately, and I really enjoy them because they give me a greater sense of belonging.

School is going ok right now.  I have exactly 5 weeks left, only about three week of instruction though.  I believe that I will be leaving here on June 25th.  Watch out USA, here I come...

Some positive things.

Here are a few positive experiences that I have had lately:

- I tried deep fried pig skin (I quit eating after I found one with a hair).

- I successfully made my mother's custard in a friend's oven.  The oven was a little whompy, but it worked out well.  Very delicious.

- I had Bailey's for the first time (Bailey's and milk actually), it was really good.  Then I had Bailey's again (this time just with ice).

- I took a free certification class for Thai language and culture (it was actually poorly run, really boring and I learned nothing, but now I am certified).

- I ate duck for the first time, I think.

- I was faught over by several mothers of Thai children my age (they want me as a son-in-law).

- I did a little clubbing with a Canadian friend.  I got a massage, back cracking, and steamed towel while washing my hands after going to the bathroom.

- I convinced a girl that I was gay so that she would leave me alone (don't even begin with the jokes).  Now people think the Canadian is gay too.

- I befriended my mom on facebook.

Another bad day.

  Although I have refrained from discussing negative things in my blog, I would like to share about some of the difficult things that have happened at work recently.  Morale at my school is very very low.  My director "does not believe in discipline" and it shows.  Students can walk over teachers, and nothing will be done about it.  Teachers can also walk over other teachers, and nothing will be done about it.  People that speak up about it in staff meetings are silenced and told to talk to my director about it in private.  People that go to my director in private are told that they can only worry about themselves and it is up to them to have a positive morale.  I have gone to him several times, always with the school's best interests in mind, and have been treated like a child.

  Last week, my director's boss came into town (this was the man who interviewed me for my position, and I know he cares a lot about the school).  We were given the option to meet with him if we wanted to, and I took it.  I stressed how the school was suffering; he agreed with me and said that he had talked to several staff members about it, but that it was my director's responsibility to fix the problems.

  Today, after a meeting with his boss, my director wanted to speak with me in private.  He reaffirmed that he knew that we did not agree on the discipline issue, but that his position was that discipline was not always the best option (so an alternative...?).  I was told that if I wasn't happy with the way the school was being run, that I did not have to sign a contract to come back next year (his boss did tell me last week that I had to stay on for another year, so I am getting mixed signals).  End of discussion.

  I am stunned with disbelief.  I have been told by several staff members that the only way to survive is to stop caring.  But I don't really want to stop caring.  If I didn't care, I would not have become a teacher.

  Real like kinda sucks sometimes.  Why did I have to graduate?

My sad story.

This week has been my most difficult of the year.  I am not going to go into detail, but it has been six weeks since we had a day off and both the students and the teachers here are needing it.  Just six more days until a break...