I'm way too soft as a teacher, I admit it. But how can I get angry at my students for talking in class if they're talking to each other in English? I actually think it's pretty cool to tell you the truth. Dare I hope we're making progress?
I also managed to shock my students into submission the other day (a different class). They were talking in Hungarian and not even pretending to pay attention. I just decided to stand up front quietly until they were finished to see how long it would take (I'm a patient punisher...waiting for the kill). Ten minutes later one of the girls noticed and shushed everyone. We continued our lesson. Later on she asked if I knew how to speak Hungarian. I said I wasn't very good at speaking it, but I could understand quite a bit. The rest of the class heard this and immediately got sheepish looks on their faces. Why? Because they were talking about some of their other teachers and classes (not always good things either). What they don't know is that I rarely talk to their other teachers, but they don't have to know that. Better to let them sweat it out. I had fun.
3 comments:
Ohhh the joys of shockage. I love the whole "the little itty bit English teacher cant speak our language" bit and then the BLOW OUT...oh yeah, whaling on the kids in their own language. Nothing like having a class submit to your ultimate authority!
When I held up the DVD we were going to watch in 12abc today, one of the boys said "was ist das?" and I responded in German. They were like WOAH! and asked me if I spoke German. I said "I speak a little German," and the expressions of shock on their faces made my day...at 8:35 in the morning :) And when I say something in Hungarian in any of my classes, I get applause and "igen, igen"! I'll have to practice more if you know what I mean ;)
Oh totally! I write in Hungarian or say words to help translate and my students break out into applause. It always makes me laugh.
I started singing in French the other day (can't get that stupid Champs Elysees out of my head) and my students were also adequately shocked...good times
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