My Funny Students

My kids were so funny today. First of all, they totally freaked out when I told them that I was going to America on Monday. My young kids were hugging me and pleading with me, hands clasped together, whining, "Don't go Ms. Sheril, don't go!"

"Don't worry," I said, "I'm coming back in January. I just want to see my family for Christmas."
"Four lessons without you!" they said, "Please don't go! Please don't go!"

It's nice to know I'm loved.

My 6th formers were especially funny today, and not just because they were pleading for me not to leave. In general, they're my favorite class because they are young enough to still think I'm really cool. Sadly, my percieved "coolness" drops off significantly after the 8th form. But back to my 6th formers:

They're only 10 or 11 years old and they're just too funny. Today I gave them back a test that they took eariler in the week. They were all nervous as I handed the tests back, and then, one by one, they saw their grades and started to celebrate. Oleg, a blue eyed boy with a severe bowl cut, sung out: "Eight! YESSSSSSS!"

Then Vicka, the pudgy girl sitting next to him sung out, "Eight! Me too! YESSSSSSSSS!" Then they slapped a huge high five. As more kids saw their marks, more cheers rung out and there was clapping and chortling and high fiving across the aisles.

Then Maxime, one of my favorite boys, saw his grade and became overcome with excitment. "Eleven!!!" he said, throwing his fists into the air and shooting up out of his chair, "YYEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!"

"YESS! YESS! YESS!" He growled. He was punching his arms in the air, up and down, up and down, and then, in a final show of enthusiasm, he thrust himself backwards, arching his back dramatically, before snapping his torso the other direction with so much force that he SMACKED HIS FOREHEAD AGAINST THE DESK.

Maxime looked stunned, and then quickly glanced around to see if anybody had notice...we all had. And I for one, could not suppress my laughter. Maxime just sat in his chair rubbing his forehead with a goofy grin on his face. It was too funny. So much excitment for one little test...

The Countdown is on!

In less than one week, I will be back in the states visiting friends and family and gorging myself on all food OTHER than cabbage and potatos. It's going to be incredible. I can't remember the last time I was so excited about something, or the last time Christmas seemed so magical.

Things at school have been pretty hectic. Every five or six years, the schools are evaluated by the local school board. This "big check" is a fairly big deal, and it started this week. The last two weeks at school were rather comical, as my teachers ran from class to class frantically trying to ensure that the students had adequatly memorized all their materials for the "open lessons."

Last Thursday, I arrived at school at my normal time. I don't teach a first lesson on Thursdays, and, as per usual, I arrived 10 minutes before the second lesson started. The school was unusually quiet when I walked into the teacher's room.

"Sheryl," Larissa said, "What lesson do you have?"
"8A," I said, putting down my bag and slowly taking of my coat, adjusting my skirt in the mirror, fixing my hair...
"Go now, you are already late," Larissa told me.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, "I don't have them until the second lesson."
"The second lesson is almost over," she said sharply, "classes are only 30 minutes today."
"Oh...nobody ever tells me anything," I said, shrugging and heading off to my class. (I wanted to add: "You're my neighbor, would it have killed you to knock on my door and let me know?!")

Classes were shortened last Thursday and Friday "in preparation" for our "big check." So far, I can't really tell what the "big check" means other than the fact that the Director's office now houses a big buffet. (Which I'm not invited to partake of.) Also, all my english books have been moved off the shelves and stashed into various desks, I guess for "aesthetic appeal" (as they have been replaced by baskets and baskets of fake, silk flowers). It's actually rather annoying to have to hunt down my books: five in this desk, ten in that desk, one class set in the cabinent behind the trash...

My kids are tired of school and as ready for a break as I am. Classes this week have gone pretty well though, because no matter what my kids do, they just can't annoy me. Next week at this time, I'll be eating a burrito and they'll still be in class. Suckers.

In my 6th form today, we spent the lesson dancing around singing 'Jingle-bells.' It was fun, especially when dancing and singing suddenly turned into group hugging. It wasn't part of my lesson plan, but one girl hugged me, and all the other kids followed suit, and the next thing I knew, I was hollaring: "Group hug! Group hug!"

Ah, life is good when the countdown is on.