Recap 1 - Teaching

Arriving at site was a great relief. To actually know where I would live for two years brought me a great sense of satisfaction. The kids were very nervous and shy, with each class I'd open up the discussion to questions and in every class all I got was "How old are you?", "Do you like Ukraine?" and "Where are you from?"

I quickly grew close to one class in particular; their English was and continues to be really great for their age, a testament to Victor's teaching prowess as well as their own enthusiasm. They took me for one of their own freely, without hesitation and made me feel welcome; something I'll always remember. Teaching them was one of my great pleasures last winter while I was still scrambling to get a feel for everything going on around me.

This isn't to say I didn't enjoy my other classes or even that I did enjoy my other classes. What makes this individual class so great is that it was a conglomeration of great students, great attitudes and aptitudes. I had other classes with great students, but there aren't many classes in the world that are as good as this one class. I'm thankful that in every class I was able to connect to at least some of the students.

I had to learn quickly to think on the fly and those first couple weeks at site greatly influenced how I would teach for the rest of my time here. I've become a fan of activities that require little preparation outside of class; instead I rely on activities and games that only require instructions or readily available materials. I've found that our books are pretty decent to get across the main idea of the lesson and then I usually juice up an activity or give it a little American flavor by altering some details.

One of the great challenges here has been teaching an entire class the same material. It's been my experience in some of my classes that we can have Olimpiad runner-ups learning the same material as kids who can't or refuse to speak more than basic introductory English. It takes practice and a sense of balance to keep all the kids busy all of the time. I assume it's like waiting tables, knowing when you've got to make the rounds, add more coffee, clearing plates, and the like. I was hesitant but giving the kids who really want to learn more work than the rest has worked out for me and for them, at least they aren't terribly bored in class while the other kids can work at a level that's appropriate for them.

I can't help but laugh at myself sometimes when I think about my current profession. When I was in High School trying to figure out what I'd do for a job my father said to me "You know I was a teacher, your mother was a teacher, your grandparents were teachers and your sister is a teacher. You should think about teaching; it's solid pay, summers off, you can live where ever you want and you'll always be able to find a job." I told him I didn't want to be a teacher. The same thing happened when I left for college and I told him a second time that I didn't want to be a teacher. When I got my invitation to be an English teacher I accepted it without hesitation because to be here as a PCV is a dream I've had ever since I lived in Nepal, there's nothing I'd rather be doing and I've realized that he's right. It's not a bad gig, I don't think I'll do it for the rest of my life, but I'm more than happy to do it now and to do it here.