So, even though it was Spring Break, I only got to sleep in on Monday. I have VIPKid classes to teach all the other mornings. Ah, well.
Tuesday, I had my first two back-to-back classes. The first was a sweet and talkative girl. Teacher notes said she likes Hello Kitty, so I had reward slides that revealed Hello Kitty. She loved it! She even showed me a picture of Hello Kitty that she had colored. We had a great lesson, she was really trying to have a conversation! The second class was a boy who didn't seem too excited to be there...at first. But he liked my "feed the monster" reward and even laughed at my "full belly" impression. He also got a kick out of my impression of a Dad - muscle flexing and saying "Dad" in a deep voice. Plus, every time I gave him a star, he was so cute. "Thank you, teacher!" So polite!
Wednesday I had two back-to-back classes again, but the first one ended up being canceled twenty-two minutes in because of IT issues. I sat there the whole time trying to get the video or sound to work, but the problem was on the China end, according to their "firemen" (their term for IT people). So I don't get docked for it since it wasn't on my side!
The second class was a unit assessment, not my favorite to do. The girl seemed to be in a terrible rush to "get this over." She read too quickly and made mistakes I'm pretty sure she didn't need to do.
Thursday...more back to backs. The first girl - another assessment - seemed distracted and bored. She wanted to bounce on her bed more than do class. She did fine, though. The second was a jewel - four or five years old, she was bouncy and full of fun! Her mother sat beside her to keep her on track...can you say squirrel? She was adorable and giggly.
Friday morning I was only supposed to have one lesson at seven, but awoke to find I had a short notice booking at seven-thirty. She was great, too! She was twelve and only beginning, but boy, did she want to talk! We did manage to get through the lesson, but had a lot of extension (which the parents love, by the way). She told me all about school, what she likes to study, her favorite sports to play, how much she loves eating and what she loves to eat! I was so touched when, at the end and we were saying goodbye, she said, "I love you teacher." I'm a mush-mellow!
I had two classes in the evening as well. I had another giggly girl who wanted to connect with her teacher. We were talking about the concepts of "light" and "heavy," and she caught on quickly. She brought out toys to show me she understood. Also, we talked about rain as a noun and a verb. When I opened my umbrella up behind me, she busted out laughing. She thought I was hilarious. At the lesson's end, she spelled my name out on the screen. I would love to teach this kid every time!
Saturday, I had a morning class - a repeat student - and an evening class. Except my evening class canceled at the last moment. I was up on the computer, props and rewards ready, orange shirt and red lipstick on (they have to be able to see my mouth to help them pronounce hard words) and sitting ready to go when I got the message. Oh well. I don't lose out, though. Cancellations under 24 hours don't penalize me.
So, I started with only five bookings on Monday, and ended up teaching (sort of) twelve classes. I was amazed how it kept growing and growing. I was really tired, but satisfied that, finally, I had done some serious teaching.
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| My ice cream reward was very popular! |
The downside is priority booking requests. I've had seven students come back and ask to have me again...in the morning. I can't; Spring Break is over and Seminary starts up again Monday. It breaks my heart because I really enjoy it and I'm a softy for these kids. I drafted a little note explaining my situation that I sent to the parents when I turned down their request. I let them know when I was available and encouraged them to book then, if they could. So far, I have one for a week from next Saturday. Ah, well, my commitment to Seminary comes first and there are great blessings for that. I'm sure things will all eventually work out as more students who can do the times I'm available find me.
Did I Do Anything on Spring Break Besides Teach?
Sure. I spent one day vacuuming and shampoo-cleaning our sofa. Rabbits and people sit on it and do whatever. It needed it. It was a bubbly, messy proposition, but it came out looking and smelling nicely.
I made an apple pie with apples that needed using one day. We served that to the sister missionaries at dinner on Thursday. I also made homemade cheddar biscuits to go with oven "fried" chicken we had for dinner Saturday. That was messy - both the biscuits and the chicken! There was flour and buttermilk (soaked the chicken in it) all over. Poor Analiese was up for KP!
On Wednesday evening, Analiese and I accompanied Ken over to the Church. There were no youth activities scheduled for Spring Break, but one of my Seminary students had received his mission call and they were having a party for him to open the email!
They had us all guess first where his call would be.
Thursday Analiese had a little soirée for some of her friends from Church and from the musical. Only three came, but it was a fun group. Analiese, a good little hostess, provided pizza and drinks and baked cookies for her guests. They played games, gabbed a good bit and...played with Legos. Yes, 14-16 year-old girls were playing Legos. Mind, it was more of a drama involving Lego people with Analiese videotaping. These girls were funny. One girl from the musical who I hadn't met before, was particularly amusing. I think Analiese's first get-together group was a success.
Did I get a lot of rest? Well...I took naps when I could, but I was super tired. Plus, my eyes got itchy and strained. I would sit down and cover my eyes to rest them from time to time. Or, I'd use an idea I picked up in a workshop: I had two spoons in the freezer and would place them on my eyes to reduce bagginess in the morning and to help calm down the strain.
To be honest, the week got busier than I expected, so it was not all what I had planned. I got some extra cleaning done, like the sofa, but not as much as I had wanted. But I cannot complain, I got all those extra bookings and lots of experience!
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