‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’

Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle
Don't grumble, give a whistle
And this'll help things turn out for the best...

(Monty Python)

Wednesday 16^th, November, 2011

I had 4 mid level grade 1 classes today. These were the first regular classes I’ve had with these students since the 17^th October. The reason for the gap in standard classes is due to the speaking tests I gave. I was actually looking forward to getting back into the classroom and delivering some lessons after the protracted and frustrating speaking test weeks. My optimism and enthusiasm for these classes was not rewarded and was definitely not reciprocated by the majority of students. Looked at alongside my awful grade 3 class yesterday I am definitely not having a successful week. It was as if a deep malaise had settled upon the students in my classes today; they were uniformly lethargic and non-responsive. Despite my best efforts and my carefully planned lesson I could not rouse them from their torpor. By the end of the 4^th class I was heartbroken.

In recent weeks in methodology class we have been discussing and practicing ways of incorporating and activating students’ schema. So, accordingly I have planned my lesson in awareness of this. The warm-up and introduction section is based around showing pictures and photographs of a multitude of things, places etc that I know these students are interested in. Yet when we were doing the warm-up activity there were only the briefest flickers of interest. They sat there stony faced throughout. I have chatted to lots of these kids about things in the warm-up exercise outside of class many times. As soon as they are in the classroom however it is a completely different matter – they won’t say anything.

If one of my pedagogic goals is to create an environment where interaction can occur then I completely failed today. I don’t know what to do. I think it is particularly galling today because I was looking forward to delivering a lesson that has been prepared with all the ideas and theories from methodology class in mind. I was confident, positive and so happy with the lesson and ultimately it just did not go according to plan.

I bounced into the classes today so happy to be giving a fresh lesson and was met with silence and blank expressions. Throughout the lesson I am throwing everything at them – I am using MIC and CI techniques all the time, I have these incredible resources that I have prepared, the activities are not too challenging or demanding, the language is not too far beyond their ability and the co-teacher, Kyuyun, is supportive. Yet despite all of this it is like they are zombies. I ask them to do something simple like ask their partner a question we have just practiced together and they just stare at me emotionlessly. I actually had to specifically go to each pair and gesture and ask and encourage and demonstrate before they would do the simplest thing. In one class I am circulating the room listening in when I notice one pair, a boy and a girl, who aren’t saying anything. So I go over and try to encourage them to speak. I ask the boy, who I know is more than capable – he is definitely at the top end of the mid level classes, to ask his partner one of the questions we have just been practicing. He stares straight ahead like a robot and doesn’t even acknowledge someone is speaking to him. So, I gently, quietly ask him again, pointing to the board, repeating the sentence, gesturing at his partner. He looked like he was traumatized – the shell shocked survivor of some awful event. I thought he was going to start crying. Given the context and how I tried to speak to him this response is just so wildly disproportionate. It is like some kind of autism. I asked Kyuyun afterwards about this and she had no explanation beyond – ‘they are tired’. I don’t know how to account for this behavior.

Some of my favorite students are in these classes; really nice kids who come to my lunch time English clubs where they are full of life and can’t wait to talk English and joke around. The dichotomy between their ‘in classroom’ and ‘out classroom’ personas is bipolar in character. I have no way to account for it.

Furthermore, because of their general lack of response I only made it approximately half way through the lesson material I had planned. I will have to conclude the lesson the next time I see these students. This is the only silver lining as it means I don’t have to prepare a brand new lesson for them next time. I already have materials, handouts and a presentation prepared and ready to go.

I will give this lesson to the high level students next week. I know that without a doubt the experience will be completely different. This leaves me to ponder what on earth I can do to engage my mid level classes. I am applying all these different techniques from methodology and it just doesn’t seem to matter. I speak to so many other NSETs on the EPIK program who don’t care that the students act like this. Why should it matter to them if the students don’t respond? You go in, you give your lesson, and you leave. Whether the students take part or not it doesn’t matter. I just can’t agree with this line of thinking. Classes like the ones I had today make me feel like I am failing the students. There has to be something I can do to make these classes better. Right now though I am at a loss to figure out what it is.