teaching at the high school...

When I arrived at the classroom today, several students were already waiting to get into the locked classroom. By 7:04 AM they apparently decided that Freddy, the teacher, was not coming to teach today so they left. Whatever happened to the 15 minute rule??? I didn't know what to think so I just waited...it seemed reasonable to me! Yesterday I met another English teacher and I thought maybe I would just go and find her if Freddy never showed up. Within a few minutes, there he was and all the students were tagging along behind him. He had been in a meeting with the principal he explained. We discussed how to improve on today's lesson and agreed to put these students in a closer circle so everyone could see and hear. I gave him one of the HPH calendars I had brought along. I thought it might be interesting for them to see some pictures of our local area. It also would help Freddy understand about hospice work, something he clearly did not understand.

That class was very interesting and the students seemed to enjoy the challenge. They did better than I thought they might. It is not easy to formulate three questions in a new language.... One of the students took out his cell phone so he could use a translator program. They seemed surprised that I caught on to that trick!

For the next group, he suggested I take three students at a time and sit with them outside the doorway and talk to them that way. This seemed to help them hear and to relax with speaking English. I enjoyed it very much too. Some for them speak much better English than Freddy thinks they do. One young man has excellent skills. He said he lived in Los Angeles for a month and has been working on his English skills ever since by using the internet and watching American movies or tv. He hopes to work for an airline after he graduates so that he can travel more. Some of the students have no real plans after graduation. It is hard to be young in this world today. I do not envy their youth.

I was able to take two pictures just before school began. They are just regular kids you might find anywhere.