Life as a Teacher

So, that last post was really long. Thank you if you made it through! Like I said before, it's so hard to know what to include and what not to include, especially in the beginning when EVERYTHING is new. If you have specific questions please just email me and let me know; I will be happy to have some guidance.
I have just one more class left to teach this week, but it is Friday afternoon from 1-2pm. That time is not conduicive to long weekends I imagined in other places so I am going to see if I can change my schedule a little bit. Keep your fingers crossed.
So far, the hardest part about teaching is managing the time. Some things will go quickly, other things slowly, and it also changes with each class. I am teaching three different classes, 105, 106 and 107. The numbers tell me what their majors are. Then the classes are split up into sections based on the students English level. Since I am a native English speaker I get all sections that include the top English students in their majors. It sounds like it should be fairly easy for them to understand me but it is not. 106 is medical and dental students--they are very advanced and I can do a lot with these students because they understand what I am saying. They are the most outgoing and talkative in class. 107 is science and technology students--they are quieter, less sure of their English speaking ability and when we do speaking activities they like to write down what they want to say first. I'm not sure if I should let them but this first week I allowed them to hold onto some vices. There will be other times where they will have to speak in English, without writing it down. 105 is students who are majoring in another foreign language (not English). Most are majoring in Japanese, Chinese, German, or French. Their levels seems to be right in between the levels of 106 and 107. With any class, there are some students who can understand much better. Some students have been foreign exchange students in America (mostly the midwest too, so they know where Minnesota is!) and their English is much more advanced although they still struggle more than I expected. All in all, there is some variety in classes and at other times I am teaching similar material. 106 and 107 has the same book but 107 covers 1 less chapter for the midterm and final exam. 105 has a different books which is nice to spice things up a little bit. For both 106 and 107 I teach two sections right in a row and it is hard to do a class for an hour and a half and then walk to the next room and do an identical lesson for another hour and a half. Tuesday/Thursdays with 107 the rooms are also not air conditioned...just to make it that much harder! So I feel very tired from the heat and teaching on those days--which is today! So all in all, I have 15 hours of class time but since I have some classes with the same book and sections that have similar abilities I do not have to plan lessons very every single class. it's nice so I have time to write in this blog for all of you special people.
I have pretty much avoided all spicy foods--which is more like Joey orders and tells me things that are not spicy. I have tried some of his spicy dishes but it does not taste good enough to withstand more sweating and watering eyes. I have had many good meals. It's hard for fresh food to be bad and the only thing I would say is that some dishes taste sorta bland...yes I know, I should be putting hot sauce or something on it. I always have the choice to top my meal with: fish sauce, vinegar and sugar. I haven't ventured into any of those yet. Last night Joey and I stopped at a fruit market near our house. The fruit was hit or miss...we got quite a few rotton fruits which was too bad. I ate a delicious mangosteen, something called a sala, and something else. Sorry for the lack of names but I don't know if names would help anyways. There are baby bananas waiting for me at home so I'm hungry to try them. At the stand we were asking what a certain fruit was and the lady grabbed one, peeled off the skin and gave it to us to try. Red flags were going off in my mind but I figured I better just get over it. It was delicious and I am not sick! I'm trying not to have Western standards and even though I do not feel I have high cleanliness standards (Kyle can attest to that) it still makes you think when you see ants crawling near your plate or someone finds a bug in the food. Thais say "maibpen dry" which means no problem. Which it really isn't a problem. you get used to it and things really are very clean...but of course not every place is.
Today was the first day I took the song thaew into work. I took it in with my neighbor Carl and it was fairly easy and only took 15 minutes longer than taking the motorbike. I am going to start doing this on some days depending on Joey's schedule and how it matches mine. The song thaew took me to neighborhoods I had not seen before so it is nice to get to have some different scenery. Not that I have seen much of KK at all but it's nice to see something different on the way to work. On the song thaew I got some stares from people but I think I have already gotten used to it. I will see a group of college students look at me, say something to their friend, and then they all turn around to look at me. I wish I knew what they were saying. Supposedly, Thai men like American women because they think we are easy. It's an interesting feeling to think that perhaps the reason they are looking at me is in hopes that I am easy!
Off to home. I am riding the song thaew back home with Carl and having dinner on my own. Jordan and Joey are celebrating their wedding anniversary tonight. I plan to listen to some Thai and relax in my humble abode. Sawatdee kaa