Today at the academia, I did something that I never really like doing, but that needs to be done occasionally and that is, discipline.
On Monday afternoons at 6pm I have a class of 6 really smart, really chatty girls. They aren't all the same age, but are more or less at the same English level, which is really nice.
When Javi first offered me the class, I figured it would be a chance to do some really great activities because the girls seemed pretty excited to learn. Well, they do like learning English, between laughing fits, interrupting all the time and playing really lame jokes on me and each other. It's bothered me almost every class I've had with them, but I guess I try to understand that they are just preteens so it might be normal.
Anyways, today they were brainstorming things they love about their families and someone said "because I play with them". I tried explaining that they could say "because I play cards with them" or "because I play games with them" or something because in English it doesn't quite sound right to say "I play with my family". Well, they decided to argue (which has happened before) that it does sound right (while yelling the phrase in Spanish). At this point, they get so worked up that they are out of control.
I ended up getting them to be quiet, and then I simply explained to them (in Spanish to make it very clear) that I love that they are throwing out lots of ideas and trying, but that I speak English everyday, its my first language and that I work at the academia to teach them and help them get better. I told them that they just have to trust what I'm telling them, and if they have some doubt, then just to ask a question instead of shouting back their opinion. I also had to go over some classroom rules, aka: not laughing at classmates and, primarily, to control themselves. The idea of self-control is something I've been trying to push on all my classes. The fact they don't need to shout out the first thing that comes to mind, or stand up to ask something, or grab everything infront of them (it sounds like I'm working with all ADHD students!)
On my way home, I realized that I was feeling a little bad for the way I talked to (or rather, disciplined) my students during class. I know I didn't overreact, but I guess I've just always thought of myself as a fun teacher who isn't strict or "mean".
Really, in the big scheme of things, they'll probably forget about how I set them straight (while hopefully remembering the message I was trying to get across) by next Monday.
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