My Experience with Today's Training Course

This is on really nice paper - a good sign?

Job training consisted of a 2.5 hour presentation, mostly about management of classrooms with 40+ kids (yikes!!) and a little bit about ESL games, some popular ones, and how to vary them.

I guess it was pretty useful. It was interesting observing and talking to the other teachers. 16 (myself included) were there and most were newly hired to this company - one guy had been in the program last year, and several of the younger teachers knew each other socially or from previous networking.

I was by far the greenest of the team, both in teaching and in Vietnam. There were four Americans - the rest were Brits, some Scots, and some Aussies. For everyone but me, this was old hat - most were teaching already, had been to multiple countries, and were already situated in Vietnam for 6 or more weeks. Some had been teaching here for several years.

I think it was just my nerves, but almost everything bothered me. It wasn't a super experience. The whole building is only about 10 feet wide, and fairly long. Splitting into groups didn't really work, as we were basically still arranged in desks in a row, facing the center of the long corridor. Everything echoed horrendously and no one could really hear anyone else when we were doing group work (weirdly, in such a small room). People weren't there to make friends, it was clear. There were a couple BFFs that were freshly in country after graduating college - loud, obnoxious jockbros that after hour two I was itching to get away from, or punch in the face. Unnervingly, they both had summer jobs teaching class, but they've been here since almost the beginning of May. A surprisingly high number of men, and an even more surprising number of older men between 45-60. Only four women in this session.

The company made a good impression on me. They've doubled the number of schools they work with for this coming year (I will be in a public primary school, most likely, grade 9 and below). I will find out my fall placement in mid-July (much later than I wanted to know). In the meantime I BELIEVE (if I heard right) that after signing a contract I will be subbing for summer placement teachers. I could have heard wrong - like I said, the echo chamber that was that room was not designed for 25 people to talk loudly in two languages! Hopefully I'll get more information on Monday, when I do my mystery 'Demo Class.' I'll be staying at the hotel another week and trying to find an apartment starting tomorrow - I'll just have to suck up that I don't know where my school will be! Maybe a good opportunity/reason to get a bike... scratch that, DEFINITELY a good reason!

The saddest part: I had expected to make some friends and meet some like-minded people, but after talking to everyone a bit before the workshop and during the break, a) the spirit honestly didn't move me to get to know them better, and b) no one seemed interested. Everyone already has a life going for them here. Since I am so new they also assumed that I was having trouble fitting in and, when they did talk to me, it was about banal subjects like the great food, or the crazy traffic. Come on, nerds! I'm just LONELY! Why is no one collecting email addresses or arranging something social for the new teachers? I guess I should have made the move, but I'd also like to think I can find people I like and want to hang out with. The young kids were heavily into the bar scene, and the older ones were kind of just ignoring me and chatting amongst themselves about their jobs. It must be my youthful face and charm. ;) Or possibly my sweaty, scowling brow and barely-held-in-check exasperation (gotta keep a lid on that). I'll keep looking for those new friends I know must be out there in this massive, massive city. I hope I'm not just being too picky! Only time will tell. I miss all of you at home a whole bunch - we don't always agree or like each other, but what families do?

Was it worth it? Well, we got DVDs with massive amounts of pre-planned lessons and lesson aides on them, which was VERY cool and made the whole thing go down easier. So, yeah. It was worth it.

I have my Demo Class on Monday and have no idea what THAT is all about - expect a post! Will it be for kids? Adults? Beginners? Intermediates? Just the Company staff for evaluation? A room full of crash test dummies? Teaching cats to answer 911 calls? WHO KNOWS, NOT ME. Not that I haven't tried to find out!

I can't wait to have a year of this craziness under my belt!

Missing you bunches,
Ben