Freshmen and Frustrations

Last week the Freshmen started their classes. I thought I was only going to have one Freshman class, but I ended up having 3 more added to my schedule. I wasn't too happy about it, but then I found out that I would get paid extra for those classes, so that made things a little easier to accept. The Freshmen though...they're something else. :) When you walk into the classroom for the first time, there's a loud "OOH!" and then whispers of excitement. The cell phones come out and they start taking your picture. It's all flattering at first, they sure know how to boost the ego! :) But then each time they talk to you it's, "You're so beautiful", "Do you have a boyfriend?", "Do you think you're beautiful?", "What kind of boys do you like?", "Do you think I'm handsome?" (oh yes, I got that question!), "How old are you?", "How old do you want to be when you get married?", and on and on and on! It gets kind of annoying after a little while, but they can be kind of fun, and they hang on your every word!! Unlike...

My Juniors!! Most of the time they're pretty good. But they can be so frustrating!!! I think the biggest problem for me to deal with is that their classroom experience is different than what I'm used to. In American university classrooms, the teachers encourage discussions, students ask questions, and learn to think critically. My experience has been so different here! When I ask a question, I get blank stares. I understand that there's a slight language barrier, so I give them a little extra time to process the question. Then they look down at their textbook and read a sentence that may or may not have anything to do with what the question was about. When I try to initiate a discussion, I get nothing. The students look down at their books, or look at their friends with a "Is she serious?" face. They're not used to an interactive classroom. They're used to being lectured at. They're not used to critical thinking, they're used to memorizing their textbooks to find the correct answer.

And the cheating!! Oh my word! It's practically an art form. Now not all of them do it, but the ones that do have perfected their craft. They write the answers on the desk, shamelessly look at a friend's paper, leave their notes or textbooks wide open on their desks, or just ask someone what the answer is. I had one student that missed a quiz because he was sick. When he came into class the next day I gave him the quiz and told him to go directly into the next room to take it. He went back to his desk, grabbed his cell phone, and tried to walk out. I told him to give me his phone. He did, but then went back to where his friend was and asked him for the same quiz that I had already handed back to the others! You have GOT to be kidding me! Right in front of my eyes! It wasn't like I was distracted or anything, he knew that I was watching him and waiting for him to leave. I went over, grabbed the quiz and told them (and the whole class) that if they ever pulled anything like that again they would get zeros. They just kind of smiled, and the kid went to the next room and took his quiz. He got a 100. I'm still trying to figure that one out... But whatever. Cheating is a big problem here. It's almost expected. So now I have to make them sit at least one seat apart from each other, and I'll make them switch desks to throw them off a little. I have to be just as creative as them.

I now have even more respect for teachers and all the junk they have to put up with! I only wish I had been a better student! Now all the stuff I tried to pull is coming back to bite me in the behind! :)