Stephanielee (stephanielee) wrote, @ 2009-10-14 02:17:00

Tell me where I went wrong.
It seems to me that everyone in the world has the "Teach English as a Foreign Language" gene. ... Except me.

I'm so frustrated with the school right now. They *knew* I had zero experience teaching. I *know* I speak fast (it was the top comment always in speech competitions). So we have a probationary period of teaching before we get contracts. I started teaching my real class on Monday and some girls complained to one of the Turkish business workers at the school that I speak too fast. Duh.

Except that not only did this worker tell me, but I got a call the next day from the head teacher and now have to go in early to meet with a different teacher about my lesson plan. It's like Office Space where Peter has 7 different teachers telling him to fill out TPS reports. I want to believe they mean well, but I don't.

*sigh* Someday, I will learn.

Besides missing the teaching gene, Turkey has been good. I can successfully direct a taxi driver in Turkish how to get to a number of places, including our apartment. Huzzah for that. We went to a restaurant where they have "table taps" which is a 2 liter tube of beer that sits on your table ... with a tap. It was pretty awesome.

Okay, back to lesson planning.

	stona 2009-10-14 09:23 (link)
	you're awesome steph - you'll do great. maybe if you pepper your speech with "mm-kay" while in your meetings with other teachers it will make them go faster? also, i'm jealous of your table top keg. love you much and miss you, anna (Reply to this) (Thread)

Speech (Anonymous) 2009-10-14 09:42 (link)

When I was in speech my coaches would say the same thing - that I talked too fast. When I would practice they would sit in front of me with a jar full of markers and throw them at me when I would speed up. I got a lot of markers thrown at me that way. Also, concerning table taps (because that is what I am taking away from this post) - are they gravity powered or suction powered? I can has picture? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Speech (Anonymous) 2009-10-14 09:43 (link)
	-=Jon=- was here. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	(Anonymous) 2009-10-14 21:02 (link)
	I think I spoke too fast my first 2 months in Macau. And even after 2 years I still spoke too fast if I ever got excited about what I was talking about. -Kali (Reply to this) (Thread)

	stephanielee 2009-10-15 11:44 (link)
	Thanks guys. This post was pretty emotionally written, rather than calming down a bit first. I've since calmed down (a bit). ;) Jon, I'll work on that picture. Gravity is the power behind the taps. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	kateofworld 2009-10-16 19:38 (link)
	Becky wanted me to tell you that she was such a bad teacher her first year that she wishes she could send sympathy cards to all her first year students. Hang in there, dearest. You don't have failing in your body. (Reply to this) (Thread)