New Semester, New Shenanary

My students are teaching me how to wear my hair  "like a Korean"

Last monday started the new year at school. It is strange to think I came in the middle of the semester 6 months ago! The kids are excited to be back, the hairstyles have changed but they are still as wonderfully obnoxious as ever. This semester I promised myself that I would spend a lot less time stessing over lesson plans. My best lessons have been classes where we scrapped the original plan, moved all of the desks and played a game of rugby incorporating all of the new vocabularly were using. Last semester I felt really nervous before each class and now it seems so strange to me that I ever felt that way at all. So far it seems like it's going to be an excellent semester.

A few observations:

1. There are at least 10 new staff members, which is great because they are so young and energetic, and my new vice principal even speaks English! :)

2.My crazy co-teacher is still crazy, but she has grown on me and even trusted me to cover a few of her classes.

3. I feel so much happier at school now that I am settled in, and it's awesome getting to know all of the kids.

4. I am really going to make an effort to learn the names of all of the students this semester, as I feel a bit bad saying "hey you" or "mini G-dragon," come here.

5. I am so much more confident as a teacher this term, and it has made my lessons even more creative and successful!

6. I can't take two steps out of my classroom without hearing "Teacha Maggie" and it's actually really nice! The kids have so much energy, that it really brings my energy up and improves my attitude. It's pretty much impossible to have a terrible day around these kids.

7. I have less classes this term, and as a result, I get to teach a sports class. This can't be my real job, right? First order of business, teaching these kids how to catch a ball without using their face!

8. My first years are way too tiny to be real! They look like characters out of the borrowers!