Lesson plans

It's midnight, and I'm just now writing out my lesson plan(s) for tomorrow and Sunday. I'm a bad English teacher. I've been planning my lesson in my head all week, but it pays to write it down, if only to time things out and figure out exactly how it's going to (or at least, supposed to) go down.

I had never before realized how much of themselves, how much heart and energy and soul my teachers put into their lesson plans. Especially the good ones. Basically everything that happens in my classes, good and bad and in-between, is my doing. If I plan something that works, score for me. If I try something and no one gets it, or it's over their heads, or they are bored or it doesn't work, me again.

Most of my teacher friends here in China get to teach the same lesson plan all week, which I'm super jealous of. It's funny though to know that Monday's first class are always the guinea pigs (wonder if they know that!) and by Friday's class you have it down, although you are probably sick of it by then. Probably Wednesday's classes get the best lessons.

The most annoying part (truly, there aren't many annoying parts, but this is one) for me is that with the primary guys, I don't really get the chance to do this. Each of my classes on the weekend are pretty different from one another so I often make different lesson plans even when the theme is the same.

With the high school classes, I try out the plan on the first class, then make adjustments and improvements based on reactions, then the next class runs a little smoother, and the next and the next. So I get to work the lesson plan magic on Wednesdays only (the only day I teach HS).

Anyway, secretly I'm not such a bad teacher. We're doing emotions this week (I want my little guys to be able to express themselves to me! I want to know how they're doing!) and I thought of making masks to help! I have paper plates in my kitchen. I have markers, and scissors. I am the best English teacher ever. (Until tomorrow. We will see how this lesson works out!)