One Month Training

So after working for Hess for one month, you will be forced to attend another all day one month training, or in my case two week training. Because I came as part of the peak training season, where they trained about three groups in the course of a month and a half, it was one month training for group 1, three week training for group 2, and a two week training for the rest of us.

To be honest I was quite glad that I didn't have to wait an entire month before training, because they finally told us about classroom management. I don't think I could have waiting an entire month of wanting to strangle children before they taught us. Of course I realised from my first day of class, that I needed classroom management, so I sought help from the CTs at once, and it's been going ok so far. Classroom management is really something that needs to be implemented from day one, you can't really wait an entire month.

At the one month training you also have to remember to do your one month assignment, and get your NST to sign it as well. Hess has a series of compulsory trainings at different intervals which are necessary for getting you HESS teaching English certification. The next one is in two months. Hess also has little training things for different classes, on Saturday I have to attend a training session for Tree House.

As far as classes are going, it been going a bit better recently, as I slowly become more accustomed to the material and how to teach it. I had to give my kindergarten class a test yesterday (yes kindergarten children have tests) and either I'm no good at asking them the questions, (I have no idea how the frick to give four year olds a test) or they're bombing it, because they don't know the answers.

My kindergarten CT recently went on her honeymoon and her replacement doesn't really speak English. If I need to tell her something I have to say it in Chinese, so I have to nervously glance around the classroom to see if any of the children are watching, because if they discover I know Chinese the balance could be broken. I have a feeling that they already know that I understand because I react when they speak Chinese to me. Yesterday I said 'Konnichiwa' to children in the other class, and they all went 'woooo' and started pointing their fingers at me in accusation (Children are not allowed to speak other languages in English class).

Over all I feel a lot better about this job now than I did a few weeks ago.