31/08/2011

BACK TO WORK AND ... IT WAS RATHER TIME!

I'm just happy it's time to go back to work. You think I'm mad, don't you? I guess it must sound rather weird! Someone who wishes to go back to work and is happy his/her holidays are over. Totally nuts! I agree with you. I'm weird. I've always been. I hate Christmas Holidays, Easter Holidays and love ordinary, working days. Summer Holidays are the best to me. But they are maybe too long. Actually,   I longed for these holidays. I needed a break , body and soul.  I was terribly stressed and exhausted at the end of the school year . But now, after many relaxing hours at home,  I long  for some healthy working hours. I know, I know, in a while  I'll be complaining of my students, colleagues, tests to be prepared and corrected, lessons to be planned, reports to be written, parents to be received, meetings to be attended and  born. However, now I am just happy I'm going to start a new school year.


I still have to know exactly what age groups I'll be teaching to and to prepare the syllabuses for the different levels. I still have to know how many students I'll have in each group. And  this is what I'd love to ignore as long as possible. New financial cuts to education provoked a raise in the number of students per class. I might have to teach to more than 30 students at a time. English conversation to improve their speaking skills? Silence will be our golden rule! Despite the risk to have to face overcrowded classes, I still am glad I have a job I like .
What will I be teaching this year? English language and grammar, English literature and ...how to send an e-mail! Guess what? I've just discovered very few of my students can do that! What?!? The facebook generation can't do something as simple as that? Believe me, most of them CAN'T.
Jokes-not-jokes apart, wish me good luck. I'll be back to school in less than two days. I'm happy but need strength and health to cope with the great work expecting me. Fingers crossed and best wishes to all the students and teachers among you,  who have just started or are going to start a new long school year. May it be important and gratifying for all of you.
 I want to close with some tips I 'm going to print and put on the walls of each of the classrooms I'll be teaching in this year:



"Watch your thoughts because they will become your words,


Watch  your words because they will become your actions,


Watch  your actions because they’ll become your habits,


Watch  your habits because they will become your character,


Watch  your character because it will influence your destiny".





2 comments:

Anonymous said...

From HJ

I really like the tips which you are going to put up on your walls. Please don't mind my suggesting a little change? You can say "Keep a watch on your thoughts ..." or you can say "Watch your thoughts ..." but I don't think you can say "Watch on your thoughts". So I suggest that you remove the word "on" from each of your tips.
Hope you get an interesting mix of students!

Maria Grazia said...

@HJ
Thanks for your tips. I'll change that. Does "watch your thoughts, words,actions, etc. convey the meaning of "mind, take care, watch on" ?