First day teaching!

Today was Day 2 of my 4 day workweek. Yesterday eased me into teaching with only 2 classes. Two well-behaved wonderful classes. Today was a different story. First period was disastrous, teenagers sleeping, texting, listening to music, completely ignoring me, chasing each other screaming, throwing stuff at each other. I survived, barely, and had a lunch break to recooperate. Next period, the best I've had yet. The CUTEST of students who were wildy enthusiastic I was sharing the same air with them, focusing on every word. It was easy to be a teacher for those kids. Next period was a combo of the two, naughty but not bad. Tomorrow: four more classes. Each class has at least 60 students. It is still kind of surreal being "Teacher Maria." I always fantasized about being a teacher, but never in my wildest dreams was it anything like this!

I am playing "get to know you" games in my classes for our first day and one of my games has each of them write down a question, any question for me. They are usually predictable "what do you think of china?" "what is your favorite color?" "do you have a boyfriend?" but every once in a while a really great one is thrown into the mix. Here are a few of my favorites so far: (these are 14 year old students)

"Maria, is your hair born to be blond?"
"Do you love Allen Iverson?"
"Is you love a boy but the boy not be with you what will you do?"
"Do you think your boyfriend are best handsome in world?"
"Do you want to get married with Zac? Or you want to get married with Ne-Yo?"
"Do you like NBA star T-Mac?"
"Do you use perfume? Lancome, Chanel, or Dior?
"What do you think of Making Love?"
"Do you like make-up? You look so beautiful. Your lashes so long! Do you use mascara?"
"Do you want marry me?" Heart, Tom (unfortunately there are 3 Tom's in that class)

Aren't they adorable?

The above photo is the students in my school lined up for their "morning exercises" which is 10 minutes of choreographed DDR type dancing. It is amazing to see them all line up so efficiently. Their body moves independently of their attitudes, rolling their eyes and not wanting to be there. Even funnier to watch is their "eye exercises" which they do for 5 minutes 2 or maybe 3 times a day. A voice comes over the loud speaker with music and counting and they close their eyes and massage different parts of their face to the music. Oh, China.