What I Am Learning in Skool....

One place where you will NEVER, EVER hear any complaints about the way the "elderly" are being treated is in my ESL class. It's been running on the weekends in April--every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Most of my classmates are kids....full of enthusiasm and smart as whips. Two of them have jobs waiting in Europe the day after this class is over. The only other person over 30 has a job waiting in Africa. She retired a few years ago after being an RN, an EMT (volunteer), an actuary, and...get this...a race car driver!! Now she's off to East Africa in July to teach English as a volunteer in a small village where, if she's lucky, there will be enough water to shower every three days or so. She's not as old as I am, but almost!!

This is a very humbling experience. I guess I have believed all my PR and my previous job titles gained while I was deaf. But really...what the hell have I been doing? Just going to work, day after day, and not doing a whole lot for anyone, humanity least of all.

It's been years (10) since I sat in a classroom, and many more than that (35) since I stood in front of one. I've just begun to hear after being deaf for 45 years or so. I am so out of touch with popular culture and so effing forgetful, I feel as if they may send me to the Alzheimer's Unit rather than give me a certificate for teaching ESL. "Where are you going?" they ask, meaning, which continent and which country. "Ummmm...." I say.

Actually, as the young kids and Supergrandma have told me, it takes some years to get your plans in order. Yeah, right. Well, years it will be, then. Korea is looking pretty good....they pay the most US$$, plus air fare and room & board. Gee....

Update 4/28/08: Whaddya know? On Sunday, April 27, I passed my practicum and got my teacher training certification in TESL/TESOL (for the curious, the O stands for Other = "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). English is not always a pupil's second language. Some of them know and speak many other languages besides their first language.) Anyway, the teacher wrote some very nice comments on her evaluation. Modesty prevents me from typing ALL of it, but here's the first comment:

ORGANIZATION Engaging, thought-provoking warm up. Transitioned
into study and activation very smoothly; well-planned, well educuted--good elicitation of responses (Oh, what the heck. It's all such a boost for my ego. Here's the rest:)

VERBAL DELIVERY Good delivery; good pace & articulation; excellent engagement of students; good flow

NON-VERBAL DELIVERY Good eye contact; comfortable mannerisms; good presence

MATERIALS Integrated activities with activating activity, use of board; worksheet very fun & engaging, clever; stimulated learning & completed "study"

INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS Very good interaction & rapport; excellent questioning, positive reinforcement

That pretty much confirms the evaluation of my ONE YEAR of full-time teaching back in 1967. I was between babies (Tom came along in 1968), and I continued to stay home and teach religion (mad, hysterical laughter) on Saturdays.

When I needed to look for work in Iowa, I applied to a parochial school for a position teaching biology (my college major). I already had a ND certificate for junior high life science & earth science, but the principal, a nun, agreed to interview me. However, she changed my appointment three times. Then, on the day I got there for the interview, she was not at the school--she was across the street taking a nap! I called the convent, roused her from her slumbers, and she agreed to meet me there.

When I arrived, she then told me she thought I wouldn't be able to get a state of Iowa certificate in time for the school year. She said she had colleagues who had needed MONTHS to get a certificate from Iowa. So, no job. I thanked her and went home, thinking of how people tell you their intentions by their actions, without saying a word.

Just for the heck of it, I sat down and filled out the application for a first class (the permanent, good classification) certificate in secondary Biology for the state of Iowa. I mailed it that same late afternoon. The certificate arrived in FIVE DAYS.

But needing a job, and despairing of finding a school who would accept a very deaf teacher, I accepted a very kind offer from my friend Deb's family to hem pants in their tuxedo shop. I went on that fall to hem pants until after the first of the year, when the tuxedo business slacked off, and they laid me off.

I then worked in a wonderful little restaurant doing food prep and assembling orders at mealtimes. I quit that when the kids arrived for the summer, and I cleaned student apartments until time for school. After that, I painted houses for a while, many thanks to our friends who supplied me with jobs.

I applied finally to a marketing research firm as a proofreader. The first guy that interviewed me mumbled that they needed an "English teacher." No job.

About two months later, the same place again advertised for a proofreader. This time I told them that, yes, I did have a degree in English. (As a published writer, I figured if I didn't have a degree in English, who did?) They hired me, and some 10 years later, when I retired the first time, I was director of editing and writing.

Anyway, I did like teaching. I like chasing commas and "fixing the English" well enough, especially if it puts food on the table, but there are other things out there. I'd say taking this class and not quitting every weekend (as I wanted to do) was well worth the $900 tuition. And maybe I'll be able to actually earn a few bucks doing this!! What's not to like?