Induction day at ILA: classroom management

Pat and I are the newbies at the school so we, along with 35 others, attended ILA induction in Ho Chi Minh City.  I must say, I was very impressed with the extensive educational computer system that ILA has in place.

Pat was able to see several of her new friends as they had all taken the CELTA class together.  The CELTA is some kind of ESL training.  I have seen this on the work visa check off list but if 20 years of experience and the numerous certificates, credentials and classes that I already have are not enough, then fergetaboutit!  The CELTA requirement is the main reason I only wanted a 6 month lease, just in case my work permit application gets rejected without it.  I wil not be getting the CELTA.  I refuse to study for anymore certificates, licenses etc.  So far I have only met one other person who has any regular teaching experience.  In Mexico, a teaching credential was required, but most of these other places only want these language certificates with a teaching credential being valueless.

The crux of today´s training was on class management.  I feel sorry for people who have not taught before; what a nightmare.  In Mexico, I would hear teachers trying to control their class and wanted so badly to step in and help them, but it was not my place to do so.

During our instruction today, we did a lot of group work.  My group was laughing at me because at every opportunity, I would say, "Oh, you could let one of the students lead that."  My group partner Pierce said, "You do not do much of the teaching, do you." Yes,  I prefer to be more of a facilitator.  You should have seen me when I taught regular school. Other than during math instruction, I rarely left my desk.  Pity the student who said something was too easy or he already knew how to do it because he was assigned to teach it.  My goal was to develop leaders.  I hope it worked.  I have connected with only one of my former students, and it certainly worked for her.

When I taught at the autistic school a few years ago, my aides would complain about our field trips, with the main problem being which fast food restaurant to visit for lunch.  Seriously, is there that big of a difference between Burger King and McDonalds????  I am not kidding, no one brought their lunch; these people had fast food for breakfast lunch and dinner every day for years upon years upon years.  Anyway, after I made each aide in charge of one field trip a week and they bared the brunt of their coworkers complaints, they all mellowed out.  In fact, none of them wanted to be the leader.  They begged me to take it from them.  Sorry, you made your bed, now lie in it.