Paper, Tests, and Competitions

It's amazing the mischief children can get up to with just paper. Do you remember learning how to fold paper so that when you jerk it downward it makes a loud sound? That day clearly arrived recently for my third graders. There have been students doing it in all my classes. Although mildly annoying, I don't mind it too much the first time. Compared to some of the other things they do, it's pretty easy to control: just take the paper away. It's when I confiscate one and the same student starts with another that I start losing patience.

I'm also losing patience for last minute announcements. Particularly ones that haven't consulted those involved. Last week we were told that the region is giving an English test on January 15th for which we are expected to be present. This comes after discussions between most fellows and their schools about visas and flights that resulted in many of us booking flights for January 4-12. Since I'd be breaking the law if I stayed past January 5th, I won't be here. I plan on giving my students the TFC standardized test the week before and if there's another test, I guess I just won't be there.

Last week I was also told that there would be a teaching competition this week that would involve being observed and videoed like the last time. Then I was told today that we won't be teaching our own classes. All the first-year teachers will be coming to my school to teach a class. I've been assigned sixth grade. Sixth grade music. In Chinese. They even specified the song I'm supposed to teach. It's called "长城长" (Chángchéng cháng, "Long Wall Long", or "The Great Wall is Long") and before Googling it just now I'd never heard it. And I'm supposed to teach it? On Friday?

That might be enough time to learn it myself if I didn't have a full teaching schedule. It's certainly not enough time to learn it well enough to teach it. I've asked my vice-principal if I can teach another song, of my choosing, and she's going to ask the higher ups. Fingers crossed.