Sushrut

After steep learning week 1, week 2 started with a lot of comfort for me. I thought I knew what was to be done, and much of it has turned out in that way. Teaching them is now fun, easy and tension-less exercise for me, with my permanent fear of running out of topics to teach and half an hour to spend has now subsided significantly. I prepare for half an hour, mostly by reading into that fat book, preparing the next day's HW and deciding to teach them only that which is needed to solve that HW. Prof. Wagner's teaching style has had a huge impact on my way of teaching is what I feel. His utmost confidence about his own subject matter is what I was impressed most with and I try to maintain that while teaching. People like Jenny, Nora, Liss and Kim find it very valuable I think.

I can see a huge gap now forming with the backbenchers but I cant stop and hold back the class for them - a mistake I made in the first week. I have got to run, I have got to do difficult things in class, so as to keep interest of people like Heather, Jose and Cindy and at the same time, I have to atleast show that I am doing something for the back-runners. Tutors are indeed a big big help in this regard. I see them working tirelessly with disinterested, little (un) motivated students and yet never complain. I owe them for this.

Now my HWs are long, I am glad that a topic of functions was nicely learnt by most others. Now I hope this reflects well in the test too. I want everyone else to be at about the same level so that I can go along smoothly. I am impressed with Lisette's handwriting and tidy work, Erik/Moses's quick understanding, Jenny's ability to take efforts, Nora's frankness and Kashira's ability to perform well within her limits. Jose is been there done that and Heather is kinda smart but I dont have a problem with any one in the class. Not even Francisco, not even Kim or not Eli, who btw, remains the most mysterious person to me.

Since my job is to teach only for four days, on Thursday I completed my first week of teaching. Now I know all of them very well, and, they know me very well too! They were not at all in the mood of learning today and as I had promised them at the beginning of the course, they asked me promptly if they had a chapter test today to which I said YES.

Exams make students shake. No matter what level students are and no matter what level they will eventually perform, exams make them shake.

I had already prepared, copied and made the exams ready and handed out to them after 1 hour of light practice in the class. No new teaching today, I feel everyone is pretty good now in exponents.

They were cool in the exam, Kim was good too. Exams always brings out the level of maturity these kids have. I know its absurd to talk about maturity and kids in the same sentence, but that is what I mean exactly. Irrespective of the amount of preparation and/or the knowledge, kids approach exams differently.

Some are good, but go ahead very fast, and make silly mistakes though they were never pushed against the wall for time. Some forget what they know. Some follow exactly what they are taught and perform very well to their limit. I appreciate two kids - Lissette and Heather, for following every word of what I taught including the techniques to conquer multiple choice exams (thanks to Rahalkar Sir) . And then there are some, who under/over perform due to exam stress. I will like them to be stable and for that I will have teach them a little maturity.

In all, they did well, Cindy and Jose doing well but this is only exam 1, so they might just be better graspers.

I feel, along with math, I have to work on their minds, and I guess every good teacher that I have had till date, did exactly that.

And weekend was best summed up with

and

Beginning to see their colors now :)

At the end of two real teaching days, I have realized:

1. I like to use blackboard a lot of times and I end up writing a lot on it. I sincerely believe that helps. Powerpoint should never have been used for teaching.

2. My class is full of examples. Let it be Kim, who just doesn't know or may it be Jenny, who is actually a very bright student but doesnt care, and then the sincere slender guys. Each and every one is of a kind. I dont know what kinds Lissette is and I dont know what makes Eli never ever talk a single word to me.

3. They are much more respectful to their teacher and this is surprising. It should not be, I am in no way connected to them nor I am a person who gives them comfort. I am the BAD BOY for them since I make them do the most uninteresting thing in their life.

4. I see a small trend here, I dont see Kim making it, I dont see new boy Jose needing this class and I dont see why Eli, Nora, Heather, Kashira and Lissette performed badly in the test. I think they all need a class or two about exam techniques as well.. May be half class tomorrow?

5. I enjoy giving them HWs, writing them out, and making these small tests too. Feels silly, but I am actually spending time on making their exams or HWs or etc. I think that does ensure that they have quality practice, but I dont know.

Tomorrow in staff meeting I will talk highly of my class, after all I have no reason to not to do so.

I really wanted to do this..

Today was the first day of my class. FIRST time ever I was teaching a class. Wow feels wonderful. They are real kids, and they are really shy of me. I didn't expect this! I know what age they are and in India the "kids" of this age are not shy.

Anyway it should be fun, I hope I can teach exponent from tomorrow. I really don't want to
1. finish early like today
2. be too friendly to them
3. challenge them too less or too much more
4. end up teaching nothing or teaching so much that they learn nothing

But i do enjoy teaching, the command, the authoritative yet by default friend like position and the respect they give for actually nothing, they don't even know me after all!

So from tomorrow, Sue will teach them math (which 90% of them hate, 9% of them don't like and 1% have nothing to say about). I want to make their life less miserable :)

Some days are know to be important days
Some become important after wards
I dont like the later ones, since I didnt expect them
But I didnt expect many things any way

It makes me instantly happy :)

After completing more than 2/3rd of a year in this country, I have definitely learned something.

Cooking.

I dont want to boast, but just want to list for my own little record book, what can I cook at this moment..

1. Bharla vanga bhaji
2. Chicken Biryani
3. Shrimp Goan Curry
4. Alu sabji with peas and onion for Dosa
5. Massala Dosa, sambhar and Alu combination
6. Cake (from mix :P)
7. Bhindi, Lauki and Karela Sabji
8. Capsicum sabji with besan
9. Modak ! !
10. Bhadanga
11. Peas fried rice, Pulao
12. Egg fried rice
13. Cheese Omlette
14. Beatroot Raita
15. Aloo Raita
16. Butter Chicken (not quite)
17. Monng daal khichadi
18. Sheera, Upma
19. Pohe
20. Thalipeeth w/o bhajani
21. Bhakari
22. Gajar Halwa
23. Pav Bhaji
24. Palak Paneer
25. Daal Makhani

all thanks to my recipe providers and unconditional all-eating roomies/neighbors.