Today was not a good day.
I don't know what happened, my lesson with 11F wasn't great but we plodded through the material, but at the end, something just went horribly wrong and the kids decided that, due to the fact I can speak German, I must be related to Hitler. Followed by the suggestion that I should learn Afrikaans, "because that's what all the whites speak to us". Not to mention a barrage of malicious jokes in various African language aimed in my direction.
I tried to keep my act together, and not make a big scene about it but it really hurt. Personally, I have never experienced the hilarious remarks about my Austrian background implying I'm a Nazi, but I know my sister has had this while living in Italy and it's painful at the best of times. Aside from the personal insult and injury through hearing this. I feel like I've lost something major. Before this point I had complaints about the school, the teachers, the slowness with which the kids work - but I didn't have a bad word to say about the children themselves. I've lost that. And it hurts.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
Anna you really mustn't take this personally. Think back to when you were at school-didn't you love to get one over on teachers? I certainly did. I did things I blush to remember. Students, like toddlers, like to push to see the effect they get. They pick on anything they can. You have lots going for you so being able to speak German was probably all they could think of to work on. Go in with a sense of humour and they'll probably forget it.
ReplyDeleteI think retrospectively I should have been much more forceful immediately, as saying something like that just shouldn't be allowed; I was just too taken aback at the time. I had them today, and they turned up half an hour late to a 40 minute lesson because they're on a new timetable and the previous teacher hadn't realised. They were really very meek and submissive because I think they could tell I was furious. So I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt and move on. Will see what they're like next Tuesday. x
ReplyDeleteYes. Never lose sight of the fact that you can't do anything about what they try to do but you can control your reaction to it, both inwardly in not dwelling on their silliness, and outwardly in showing your refusal to accept poor attitudes and behaviours. The funny thing is they often respect those who challenge them. H
DeleteAnna, what you're doing is really inspirational and definitely making a difference. Heather's absolutely right, please don't let it get you down and keep doing what you're doing. I hope it's been getting better xx
ReplyDelete