Job Discussion Forums

heathergray · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 41

Wow, after reading about crying every day after coming home from a new job, I really really REALLY hope that the JET program in Japan tells me they want to hire me in April ...

Yikes.

yaramaz · Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:55 am Post subject:

I didn't cry every day. I don't think the kids ever made me cry. I did appreciate my time off a lot more though than I do now. Maybe the kids in Istanbul or Izmir are different but although mine were pretty nuts, they weren't mean spirited. Beneath their complete and utter lack of self control was just an essentially non-jaded kid flying on too much junk food and perhaps a bit too lenient parental control and too much money. I was spat on twice in two years, by boys in the lise, but I was also hugged and kissed forty times a day by my ten year olds and constantly offered the kids' breaktime snacks and invited home to meet the parents. It was a relief to teach in a dersane when I finally moved to Istanbul because it was the first time I could focus on teaching instead of discipline.

It's challenging, frustrating, and for some classes a futile effort...but on a personal level I still miss a lot of those kids. I just never want to teach them again.

heathergray · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 41

oh, okay, kids. I stay away from those little buggers as much as I can afford to, anyway. Phew.

dagi · Joined: 01 Jan 2004 Posts: 425

"It was a relief to teach in a dersane when I finally moved to Istanbul because it was the first time I could focus on teaching instead of discipline."

I think it is like this anywhere in the world, when you teach kids. Last spring I did an in-company language course and oh my, what a joy that was! 6 adults, eager to learn and practice.
No need for commands like "sit down!" "Open your book" "Don't you dare to throw that paper ball!".
Teaching kids is mainly classroom managment and discipline and educating e.g. teaching social behaviour and manners.

But like yaramaz said "Beneath their complete and utter lack of self control was just an essentially non-jaded kid ....."
I find most of the kids quite nice, far less assertive-agressive than the ones I taught before.