The Perks of Being a Mean Teacher

Okay, so I'm not mean...just trying (key word) trying to be strict at a time when all the children have been hypnotized by warm spring breezes and the sunlight.

Last Thursday, I had a nightmare lesson with 6A. We were playing a game and everything was fine until the end when I realized that the children didn't understand the future tense, so the punchline to the game would take more time to explain using timecharts and pictures. So when the kids don't understand, they have no choice but to misbehave.

The loudest bunch were the boys in the corner. Some, who don't realize that it's not necessary to shout at the top of their lungs to be heard. So, I asked them for their gradebooks. I was going to give them a dreaded "1" mark. They pretended not to understand, so I asked for it in Hungarian...then they argued with me.
Something to the extent of: "we weren't doing anything wrong...we did our work!!" Pleading, whining...
Which prompted me to a super fast speech in English in a mad voice, turning and walking away. Luckily, they took this as a bad sign and followed me still pleading.

So, as the bell rang, they raced me to their form teacher to tell her that I was being unfair. This only made me madder. Exasperated, I told their other English teacher: "I can't teach them! They're too loud and we don't get anything done!" For the rest of the day, I was in a sour mood.

****

Skipping forward to this week, I walked into the same room, dreading the same outcome as the week before. The kids were absolutely silent...more silent than they have been all year. I felt like I had walked into an alternate universe. Apprehensively, I started teaching. I just wasn't used to the silence and the actual learning that was taking place.

Ten minutes later, a woman walked into the room, introduced herself, and gave me a red bag full of chocolate and coffee. Then she kissed my cheeks and left. I asked the students who it was and why she had just given me a bag of chocolate. One of the bad boys from last week told me that it was his mother. She had come in to my lesson to personally apologize for her son's behavior.

Again, just a little shocked...memories from last year's teaching experience came flooding back. American parents telling me to not bother with disciplining their children in class, because they'll take care of it, THANK YOU! Even when their child smothers chewing gum into another's hair.

I was touched at the gift and the children oohed and aahed when I pulled out the chocolate and coffee. Hopefully the spell doesn't wear off for next week.