Just to clarify, when I talk about my class in these posts, I am always talking about my favorite class unless I specify otherwise.
I teach three classes: first, second, and third grades--although these grades and The kids at this school are either just in class for the first time ever or just recently started class for the first time ever. So a kid in the first grade class might be six and another might be ten. The two younger classes are taught English not just by me, but by professional English teachers who come on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
My favorite class is third grade-- the oldest kids. I've asked for some ages and gotten ten, eleven, fourteen. They are the first class I ever taught. They are the ones who, from what I am told, have had the roughest experiences. They're the reason I'm staying in Bogota. They are my favorite because I've spent the most time with them, there are the fewest of them so I know all of their names, and because I really feel like they need me. I have no idea why this privilege is only awarded to the younger ones, but they don't get taught by professional English teachers.
The regular teacher is named Jose Manuel. He's a really sweet man who seems to genuinely respect me and what I'm doing, and often laughs happily at my ideas and tactics.
There's Samantha, the cute little girl who doesn't have a nose. David, who's slightly cross-eyed and really intelligent. He told me he doesn't like English as much and he wants to learn French and Portuguese. Felix, who sits in the front right corner of the room and eagerly writes everything in his notebook and shoots his hand up politely to answer questions. Juan Esteban is not so much like that; he screams out answers and runs immediately to the front of the room if he wants to volunteer. Juan David and John, twins, are his partners in crime. Antonio is older than everyone else. He has some mental disabilities but he knows more English than his classmates too-- which he shouts out to show off (he likes attention). Steven is tall with freckles; he seems to be older too. A really good-looking, socially mature kid. He, too, is really smart. Natalie alternates between being morose and sad/occasionally asleep to being WAY TOO HYPER. She's the one who sometimes slams her desk on the ground and laughs incessantly. (The mood swings worry me.) Nicolas is shy. Tatiana has attitude. Johanna mostly just sleeps. Laura is quiet and attentive and always wears her long pretty hair in a ponytail. I love each and every one of them.
I teach three classes: first, second, and third grades--although these grades and The kids at this school are either just in class for the first time ever or just recently started class for the first time ever. So a kid in the first grade class might be six and another might be ten. The two younger classes are taught English not just by me, but by professional English teachers who come on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
My favorite class is third grade-- the oldest kids. I've asked for some ages and gotten ten, eleven, fourteen. They are the first class I ever taught. They are the ones who, from what I am told, have had the roughest experiences. They're the reason I'm staying in Bogota. They are my favorite because I've spent the most time with them, there are the fewest of them so I know all of their names, and because I really feel like they need me. I have no idea why this privilege is only awarded to the younger ones, but they don't get taught by professional English teachers.
The regular teacher is named Jose Manuel. He's a really sweet man who seems to genuinely respect me and what I'm doing, and often laughs happily at my ideas and tactics.
There's Samantha, the cute little girl who doesn't have a nose. David, who's slightly cross-eyed and really intelligent. He told me he doesn't like English as much and he wants to learn French and Portuguese. Felix, who sits in the front right corner of the room and eagerly writes everything in his notebook and shoots his hand up politely to answer questions. Juan Esteban is not so much like that; he screams out answers and runs immediately to the front of the room if he wants to volunteer. Juan David and John, twins, are his partners in crime. Antonio is older than everyone else. He has some mental disabilities but he knows more English than his classmates too-- which he shouts out to show off (he likes attention). Steven is tall with freckles; he seems to be older too. A really good-looking, socially mature kid. He, too, is really smart. Natalie alternates between being morose and sad/occasionally asleep to being WAY TOO HYPER. She's the one who sometimes slams her desk on the ground and laughs incessantly. (The mood swings worry me.) Nicolas is shy. Tatiana has attitude. Johanna mostly just sleeps. Laura is quiet and attentive and always wears her long pretty hair in a ponytail. I love each and every one of them.
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