As usual, it's been nearly a week since my last entry. I used to love blogging, but now I don't think I even have the energy anymore. It's kinda weird...cos I have no one to talk to over here, I feel very frustrated...and yet, I can't harness this frustration and just let it all out on this blog.
I feel drained. There's nothing much in my life except for school at the moment...so forgive me when I overreact when school is going badly. If it has to be the only thing in my life at the moment, I'd like it to go more smoothly than it's going now.
In any case, the meeting with the lit lecturer went ok. He was really friendly and helpful. Now I'm ready to go to the Prüfungsamt on Monday...I just need my new phone number first. I'll submit both my applications on Monday...I decided that I'd wait, so that I could get both settled once and for all.
This past Monday was a lesson on how you should NOT conduct a total beginners' class in language. What was the fatal mistake both my Czech teacher and my German class mentor made? They both tried to teach too much too soon. The poor people do not even understand a single word...or at least you have to assume so...if not, why would they be in TOTAL beginners?? So, teaching them the entire alphabet and say 15 different phrases in the first lesson, PLUS some grammar...is really overwhelming. In the case of my Czech lesson, I got lost. In the case of German class, well, I could feel the students' helplessness and frustration. So, I decided that for my lesson yesterday, I would revise the stuff we learnt on Monday...and it actually turned out quite ok...the students liked having little conversations with each other using the questions and answers we learnt on the first day (Monday). The only problems were that I kept starting sentences which I couldn't finish...cos I realised that my sentence was too complicated for them to understand, and that I spent a lot of time writing stuff on the board, and then cleaning it off. So I've come to the conclusion that I will write some stuff on the board and put the other stuff onto transparency. That'll save me some writing and erasing time. But all in all, I'm having fun teaching, I think.
Today's gonna be a really packed day...Czech from 9.20-10.50, swimming 12.30-14.00, presentation meeting 14.50-??, movie 16.40-??. Then I have to come home and pack my stuff for Kassel...and oh, I have to collect 2 books from the uni bookshop...by the way, I've been to the uni bookshop every single day this week...haha. I should call it my second home. Been really tempted to buy a 2006 planner...but am considering waiting...after all, there are still 2 months and 2 weeks to go...though planning Jan and Feb events will be easier if I have a 2006 planner. Now I just have to decide which one I want, I guess..it's either the World Cup 2006 one, or the Loriot one. I'll have to take a closer look at both before I decide..though Snoopy ain't bad either. We'll see.
Ok, gonna take a short nap before going to school.
I feel drained. There's nothing much in my life except for school at the moment...so forgive me when I overreact when school is going badly. If it has to be the only thing in my life at the moment, I'd like it to go more smoothly than it's going now.
In any case, the meeting with the lit lecturer went ok. He was really friendly and helpful. Now I'm ready to go to the Prüfungsamt on Monday...I just need my new phone number first. I'll submit both my applications on Monday...I decided that I'd wait, so that I could get both settled once and for all.
This past Monday was a lesson on how you should NOT conduct a total beginners' class in language. What was the fatal mistake both my Czech teacher and my German class mentor made? They both tried to teach too much too soon. The poor people do not even understand a single word...or at least you have to assume so...if not, why would they be in TOTAL beginners?? So, teaching them the entire alphabet and say 15 different phrases in the first lesson, PLUS some grammar...is really overwhelming. In the case of my Czech lesson, I got lost. In the case of German class, well, I could feel the students' helplessness and frustration. So, I decided that for my lesson yesterday, I would revise the stuff we learnt on Monday...and it actually turned out quite ok...the students liked having little conversations with each other using the questions and answers we learnt on the first day (Monday). The only problems were that I kept starting sentences which I couldn't finish...cos I realised that my sentence was too complicated for them to understand, and that I spent a lot of time writing stuff on the board, and then cleaning it off. So I've come to the conclusion that I will write some stuff on the board and put the other stuff onto transparency. That'll save me some writing and erasing time. But all in all, I'm having fun teaching, I think.
Today's gonna be a really packed day...Czech from 9.20-10.50, swimming 12.30-14.00, presentation meeting 14.50-??, movie 16.40-??. Then I have to come home and pack my stuff for Kassel...and oh, I have to collect 2 books from the uni bookshop...by the way, I've been to the uni bookshop every single day this week...haha. I should call it my second home. Been really tempted to buy a 2006 planner...but am considering waiting...after all, there are still 2 months and 2 weeks to go...though planning Jan and Feb events will be easier if I have a 2006 planner. Now I just have to decide which one I want, I guess..it's either the World Cup 2006 one, or the Loriot one. I'll have to take a closer look at both before I decide..though Snoopy ain't bad either. We'll see.
Ok, gonna take a short nap before going to school.
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