2005 Dream Vacation Journal - 9

Primary School Students
6th June 2005

The first class starts at 8:20, when I walk in the class-room, all the kids are there for class ( I discover later that no students be late to class in village).

As my kids are small, 3 or 4th grade, it takes time for them to remember, I hope they can recognize the words and remember some, and if I can stimulate their interest in English, I will be happy enough.

Most of the kids tells me they have books, and I can use the books as reference, as a result, I tell them to bring the books if they have it. Only the second day, I can easily know who can follow quickly, such as Chan Hou and Hou Ming wau,

After lunch, rest a little bit, and we have classes again, I insist to keep the same group of the students as they have similar standard and we should let them familiar with each other. I also have the drilled session for junior high kids.

For the afternoon classes, I realize that the class is getting bigger, may be the kids tell their buddies about the class, which they missed the chance to register.

I welcome the new buddies but ask them to keep rules in class, especially a lot of new comers are boys.

The class is not compulsory, all the kids there like to learn new things, and they can catch up quickly. However, they can also forget easily.

When I teach them to count 11-15, we read for several time, but most can’t remember well, may be it takes time… may be I am too greedy that I want to teach them as much as possible.

Rush don’t work sometime, my throat is getting soar, this is only the second day of my lesson.

For the junior high kids, I am getting down too, I try to speak English slowly, and ask them to speak in English too, but only 3-4 know what I am talking about, and 2 students are very naughty in class, I am actually getting quite angry.

During the class, the plan is "dictation", and explanation, but I adjust according to their progress. I try to let them read the article, explain and then, dictation, and the homework is translation for English.

I realize that the pronunciation of the high school kids is not as good as the primary students as may be it is like a sponge, the primary students can learn faster while the senior learn the wrong pronunciation before and can’t change immediately.

In the evening, George and Tiffany arrive, George is the Harvard Graduate Student, he should be in his late 30, and kind of business man, while Tiffany joins us as a result she was sick in the other province. She is going to help us to teach the English class.