I am very glad that I studied adult education. I am teaching at a primary school here and it is full on. Not that adult ed doesn’t have its challenges, of course it does but they are the kind of challenges I enjoy. The challenges of primary education are mostly discipline challenges and I do not really enjoy them. The kids in the classes I am teaching are pretty wild. They seem to love hitting each other, kicking each other and pulling each others hair. They spend most of my class not in their seats and doing anything else but listening to what I am saying. I come with games and songs but either they are not interested at all or get so excited that it is impossible to get it actually happening. I have tried pair work and group work but then have spent literally half the lesson just trying to get them into pairs or groups.

I think one of the biggest problems is they are used to one way of discipline, yelling and threats. As I do not wish to do either of these things I tend to have a completely out of control class. I have tried waiting it out til they settle but they don’t so I end up losing the whole lesson. I have tired musical instruments to get their attention which worked the first few times but after they heard a couple of times they became oblivious to it. When I have regrettably resorted to one of these methods out of sheer desperation it has worked but I don’t like myself much after. The other thing they seem to do well is copy off the board. Again not a teaching method I think is very productive but one they are used to and sometimes the only way to break up a fight.

Anyway, despite this there does seem to be a little bit of learning happening from some students. The last fortnight they have had tests. I didn’t really wish to test them but it is the system that we are part of and the teacher’s were pressuring for it. I was also keen to see if anything was getting through at all. I did an oral exam which was nice as I got some one on one time with all the students. I used the time to try to fill in any gaps. There were a lot of gaps and I didn’t have time to address all of them for very student but some at least. And it was satisfying to see a few students do really well. Especially the students who had been trying or who I wasn’t really expecting it from.

Anyway, I am trying to savour these nice moments for this year that we are here and I am praying it will teach me lots of things, most of all patience, but I am glad I am not looking at a lifetime of it.