Grumble. My classes for this term start on Monday, and I still don't have...

[confusedsafferinkorea]

Well, it is Sunday and tomorrow classes start and I still have no clue which I am teaching tomorrow. Interesting !!!!

[bormay]

Did you get with your co-teachers and at least get a copy of the English books?

[confusedsafferinkorea]

Bormay.....all I got was some students books, no CD, no teacher's guide and my co-teachers also don't have any idea what we will do tomorrow.  .  We haven't been told which classes we will teach or which Grade we will start with.

[Cy&Leon]

Assuming you had no classes whatsoever, you could do an introductory/orientation class. Explain the rules, why English is important, reward system if you have any, what to bring to class, Bingo about yourself. The students just need a scratch paper to mix the 9 words about yourself. Then call on a student to ask you a question. This way you can kind og gauge their speaking ability as well. If time allows, you can write 9 questions they need to answer in a word or so and ask other students to make a bingo. If the students are high level, maybe you can have them do a survey what they want from English and what they are are weak at. Just a thought. 

[confusedsafferinkorea]

Thanks Lisa36...I can do the things you suggest and I have many games/activities etc, but it REALLY frustrates me that they can't get things worked out on time. How hard can it be?  I was a Deputy Principal of High School back in my country prior to coming here and I can assure you that things like timetables were worked out long before the school closed for a vacation.

[Morticae]

Eh, don't sweat it.

Back home these schedules would have been worked out long ago, but they do things differently here. I literally had to annoy my CT more than a dozen times... then he annoyed somebody else about it, and the chain ensued. Eventually he made up my schedule!

Quite a bit different than last quarter.

Four classes a day every day. 20 regular classes a week. Though the hours are the same, it used to be heavily weighted for classes on certain days of the week. The before/after school schedule isn't done until this next week so I suspect I will get at least another 4 classes, if not 8 hefted onto that load. I'll hope for 8, could use the extra $.

[kerrym]

Got my schedule last week, but two of my new co-teachers are so shy about their English that they want to wait to teach with me until tomorrow. My other co-teacher is still doing her "orientation" for her classes, so while I was prepared to teach with her today, when I arrived this morning, I was told I could "take a rest" until tomorrow. Then, another teacher told me that all grades are taking a "diagnostic test" tomorrow, so I can "take a rest" tomorrow, too.

They are all three so sweet and kind, so I don't get upset at all. After almost three years, I've come to expect these sudden "take a rest" opportunities. Just wish the "resting" could be at home, but I'll take what I can get.