Monday Jan 9th...my first real day of teaching

before i get into today's summary (Monday) i have to comment of couple of important issues from sunday...
i spent a lot of Saturday and Sunday coming up with plans for the next few classes of which are looming over my head like a huge black cloud...especially the class with the Home of Affection kids, considering the disaster the last one was...also i had to think up some craft ideas for the Deaf School which is quite hard as we are limited in our supplies or what we can buy and these kids are really really good at artsy fartsy stuff...i think they should teach me!!!
anyway, printed off a few ideas from the internet and made a shopping list...went shopping and realized that 99% of the stuff is not accessable in our little township...disappointing to say the least and with my head the way it's feeling i could not think off the top of my head what else to do....i resigned myself to the fact that i should take care of the things i needed first....number one on my list was the mattress....the girls take me to where they had seen the mattresses in the supermarket...they are ok but the cost is much more than i want to spend (considering that the volunteer house is being renovated in February along with new mattresses!!)...disappointment again....we walk around to get some other stuff and then i decide on buying those square seat cushions....i figured 2 across and 4 down should do the trick and be wide enough to sleep on....will soon find out when i get it all home....can't find a needle and thread in the supermarket, or even safety pins....fingers crossed Miss Chi has one hidden somewhere in the volunteer house.....
we get back and have dinner, we are then supposed to head out to get a massage....i'm just not up for it and i decide i'd better get my class schedule done for Monday night....
i work on plurals and create a word search, i go through the que cards we have and find some that may work...i also look through the workbooks and find a page that seems relevant to start with....i have somewhat of a plan and am feeling a bit better about having to face the kids on Monday night...i also bought some bribe lollies....or as we like to call them....'rewards!'
i then head up to the room (after receiving some cotton and a needle from Miss Chi) and plan my attack on the cushions that will soon become my new bed topper....it takes about 30 minutes but 6 squares later (i couldn't be bothered sewing all eight) i am remaking my bed only to find out that the wall that my mattress has been sitting against is soaking wet.....now my sheet is wet down one side....no wonder i have spent the last week freezing my arse off at night and no wonder my cold has turned into a slight case of pneumonia!!...now i have to rearrange my bed and the room!!...why didn't i start this earlier!!!
everything now in place and my wet wall at the far side of the bedroom i am hoping that my mini pneumonia will not turn into the hospital pneumonia!!!...i am just hanging out for Friday when one of the other volunteers leaves and i get his room...it has windows...and fresh air....ahh the luxury...it will be like being in a resort come Friday!!!!
i eventually go to bed on my new made mattress and have a decent enough sleep....better than previous nights at least....
Today being Monday Chan and I head off to the little school where we have our first day of being teachers assistants....we soon realize that we are taking the class....i now understand why people work with 4-5 year olds..they are so darn cute and so enjoyable to be around....we sing, we learn, we try to work on pronunciation, we sing some more, we drink milk (complete with milk mustache) and we read a couple of books..oh, we did take a toilet break which just so happens to be the gutter outside the school...all the kids just run out in the street, line up and drop their pants, squatting or standing in the gutter to wee...no wonder long bus trips don't bother these people, they just wee anywhere, anytime......by the end of class I am exhausted as the breathing and speaking is really hard for me (mini pneumonia) and i've had to literally yell as my voice is so hoarse...all was worth it as i came out on a really big high...loved it and i get to do it again with a different group at 2.15pm.....
with the morning and afternoon classes out of the way all i have is the Home of Affection class at 6pm which all three of us girls are dreading...there is no structure or consistancy so we really are winging it....
i walk into my class hoping for the best, the kids sing the  "Hello Teacher" song and then i have to start the class....i speak with my interpretor and let her know my plan....it doesn't go according the plan but i actually think i did well...i think they learned something..it was kind of fun and now i am looking forward to the next class on Wednesday night....still happy to recieve any kind of advise from anyone who has taught english to foreigners before....songs, games, etc....
I've ended the night with a little card game called 'bullshit' and we all had a great laugh and ate chocolate and chips....all in all my first full day of teaching has been really good....
anyway...off to bed again with a happy and content mind and a smiling heart....and am looking forward to lying down and not feeling the springs in my back for second night!!!..partly the reason why i am smiling...
i have the Fishing Village kids tomorrow which are about the same age as the Little School Kids so am hoping that i have just as much fun.....
fingers crossed.