Giving Them What They Want

Adventures in teaching, continued...

Had a class today that went really well. It was especially satisfying because it was Teacher Catherine's class. Catherine is the senior teacher at our school, and tough as nails. She gave me a ton of stuff to do and a limited time to do it. I had to pull out all of the stops and kick some butt. Catherine is very intense and not a big fan of game-playing, a staple in my teaching approach. I wasn't about to abandon my style, but I knew I had to streamline it a bit.

I showed up for the class and realized I had forgotten to bring my "tool box", a little box that contains my markers and other aides to teaching...duh!. Not the kind of thing you want to do when you are performing in front of Catherine. She sits off the right in the class and watches closely. I should say that she is very cool and is not unfair. She simply takes her job very seriously and wants everyone to succeed. Forgetting my box was a silly way to start the class. No worries, I was about to get into my groove. I started the class with a review activity that is about as far from Catherine's way of doing things as possible...lol. At this point, I'm sure she was skeptical about the possible success of the hour. I was in hyper-fast mode because she gave me so much stuff to do and playing a game wasn't one of them. I had to get the kids moving at a furious pace. To make a long story kinda short, I kicked butt. I managed to get everything done that she requested. After the class ended, she approached me and told me "good job". Her written review of my performance was great and she seemed to be more than satisfied with the way I dealt with the stuff she gave me to do.

Once again, I came out of the challenge feeling great. That's what this whole teaching gig is all about, a lot of small victories. Making a difference in these kids lives one hour at a time is good stuff. It ain't brain surgery, but it can be a serious challenge.

I hope that many more experiences like the above are in my near future.

Total Bedlam!

This past Friday I was supposed to have an easy day, supposed to is the key phrase in that sentence. I was scheduled to teach a two-hour class for one of the Chinese teachers, who took a few days off to tend to her sick mom. That's it, just two hours. I was glad because I didn't feel too well that day and thought I'd take it easy.

When I got to work, everything seemed hunky-dory. About 30 minutes later, Sandy, one of the Chinese teachers showed up. She had a PTA that day and wanted to know which foreign teacher was helping her out. A PTA is when the parents of the students in a particular class come to the school to see how their children are progressing. One of the foreign teachers takes the kids in the second half of the PTA so that the teacher can talk to the parents. This is unusual because they are usually little kids and they don't speak much English, tough to teach without the Chinese teacher in the room. None of the foreign teachers were scheduled to help Sandy that day. After a mad scramble, my boss discovered that she made a mistake on my schedule and that I would have to be the one to help Sandy. Ugh, I wasn't in the mood.

So, after some preparation, I headed upstairs to the PTA. One thing I should mention is PTA's are generally pretty crazy because the kids are wound up after performing for their parents. The teachers spend weeks preparing the students so that they can shine for their parents. This means that the kids are ready to blow off steam and raise Cain. This class was no exception. The problem was I wasn't in the mood for craziness.

Five minutes into the class, I start losing my grip. The kids were bouncing off the walls. Suddenly evil Teacher David appeared. I grabbed one kid by his shirt and pulled him to the front of the class, it was time to lay down the law. I had him stand up near the white board and hold a marker on top of his head. The rest of the class thought that was pretty darn funny, but the kid wasn't happy...he stood there for about 30 minutes looking incredibly goofy. This tactic wasn't enough. Not soon after I brought him to the front, some of the older boys in the back of the room started getting wild. By this point I was at the end of my rope. I walked over to their desks and had them take out their books. No more mister nice guy. I had two of the boys open their mouths and I put the books in their mouths and told them to bite down! These two boys spent the remainder of the class totally silent and embarrassed...not nice, but I was grumpy.

The class was a bit more subdued after that. I just wanted to get the heck out of there as quickly as I could.

This is not my normal way of dealing with problems. I rarely have situations like this and I wasn't prepared to deal with it in a sane manner. I hope I don't have to teach that class again anytime soon.

Thailand

Needless to say, I'm a bit worried about the stuff going on in Thailand. I was watching CNN last night and couldn't believe it. It's crazy, I was just at the Presidential Palace. The image they keep showing on the news is the Palace surrounded by tanks. I certainly hope things return to normal because I plan on going back there in a month or two. When I was there there wasn't any indication of unrest. Travel there might be rough for awhile. In the end, the Buddhist mentality will take over and all will be well, I hope.

It's More Than A Paycheck

I signed a new contract this past week. If you have been following my blogging, you know that I have been anticipating this event. I had planned on going into the meeting with an agenda. The agenda included a decent pay raise. The meeting took place a few days ago and much to my surprise, I didn't have to debate my boss on one matter. She expressed her satisfaction with the job I have done and gave me the exact amount of pay raise that I had planned on asking for...I didn't even have to ask!

Regardless of the pay raise, I love my job! Making lots of money is a great thing, but so is contentment. The positive atmosphere and wonderful reinforcement I get from my boss and co-workers is priceless. I will never get rich doing this work, but I will sleep well at night.

Just this past week, I have had several great interactions with my students. Tonight, one of my students took my picture so that she could include me in one of her projects at her regular school. Anne, the student with the project, is exceptional. She is a kind-hearted, hard-working kid that always brings a smile to my face. She is very quiet and shy, but I can always get a giggle or two out of her. I think she is going to be a teacher, a GREAT teacher.

As much as I'd like to live closer to everyone back home, it looks like I am going to be here at least another year.

Pics!

I can't resist putting pics of the kids on here. This is a fun group that I teach every couple of weeks. They all wanted to be in the picture.

This is downtown, across from Taipei 101. Oddly enough, this place is called New York, New York. It's pretty neat. Lots of fun stuff to do inside. Check out the miniature Statue of Liberty.

My apartment building. It's kinda grungy looking on the outside because the pollution here is brutal. It's actually a very nice building, pretty modern. My apartment is on the top floor. See the two air conditioners on the top, left side of the building? The one on the right is my place. I dig it, very good location.

This is a shot from the top of Taipei 101. Yes, it's insanely tall!!! Looks more like a shot from an airplane. As you can see, the buildings in the pic are not one-story houses, they are big office buildings. Taipei 101 is one of the most remarkable structures I've ever seen. I didn't take this shot, I stole it from another blog...lol.

Folks, THIS is Rock N Roll

As you may have noticed, I have placed a video on the right-hand side of the blog...it's right there, check it out! Click on the "play" button, not the screen, unless you want to link to the You Tube website.

Before you click on it, please understand that this is NOT over-produced, American Idol type crap. This is down and dirty rock n roll, the way it's supposed to be! These two guys recorded this stuff in the drummers basement in my hometown, Akron, Ohio. The entire album cost them about $50! They are quickly becoming one of the hottest bands on the planet.

This is The Black Keys live on Letterman. This video is a few years old, from a couple of albums ago.

Enjoy!!!!!

Congrats Tricia & Steve

I talked to my mom this morning, she told me that my cousin Tricia had her baby! Liam was born this past Friday. Awesome! They are going to be great parents. Enjoy! One thing is certain, little Liam is going to be spoiled rotten...Aunt Janet & Uncle Pat will see to that...

Sandra & Hockey Pucks

Sandra, one of my students in my Wed/Sat class, is one of those kids that you just know is going to succeed in EVERYTHING she does. She is a real joy to teach. Seems like she raises her hand with an excellent question every class. A teacher would be in 7th heaven with a classroom full of kids like her. Anyhow, after class yesterday she came to my desk and asked me if I wanted to watch her perform in another class she was taking...of course I said yes. She is also taking a summer composition course which requires students to get up and speak in front of the class on the final day, which was yesterday. I feel so honored that she cared enough to ask me to watch her. Most kids her age (13, I think) are big-time embarrassed when performing, not her. I followed her into the room and sat down to watch. She went first. It was great. Her topic was her favorite holiday. Shockingly, she chose "Teacher's Day". In Taiwan, they set aside a day every year to honor teachers. She talked about how she likes to give her favorite teachers gifts...last week, Sandra gave me a beautiful necklace! The speech was wonderful, I clapped loudly and told her I was very proud of her.

What does this all mean? It means that I have a fan and I gotta stay sharp! There is no way that I am going to give anything less than 110% for this great kid. She doesn't now it, but her actions do wonders for me. Knowing that this kid looks to me to better herself means that I have no choice but to continue to strive to do better. I graded the classes latest written tests last night, these tests are extremely difficult. The average score for the past eight units is around 89 to 90%, she scored a 97%, the highest score any of my students has ever earned!! I'm so proud.

My faith in Taiwanese food has been given a boost. Yesterday, my boss Gavin came into the office with a bag full of food that smelled incredible. I asked him if I could try whatever it was..he was shocked because I NEVER eat what the Taiwanese teachers eat. He gave me one. I took a bite and nearly fell out of my chair. It tasted like my mom's meatloaf!! (a.k.a. heavenly). They are called Sien Bing, or something like that, my Chinese is hysterical. They are about the size of a hockey puck and have a shell that is similiar in texture to that of a dumpling/pot sticker. The inside is a scrumptious blend of beef and onions. I'm hooked.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Bullseye!!

MSNBC Anchor Keith Olberman on 9/11. This is terrific.

Half a lifetime ago, I worked in this now-empty space. And for 40 days after the attacks, I worked here again, trying to make sense of what happened, and was yet to happen, as a reporter.

All the time, I knew that the very air I breathed contained the remains of thousands of people, including four of my friends, two in the planes and -- as I discovered from those "missing posters" seared still into my soul -- two more in the Towers.

And I knew too, that this was the pyre for hundreds of New York policemen and firemen, of whom my family can claim half a dozen or more, as our ancestors.

I belabor this to emphasize that, for me this was, and is, and always shall be, personal.

And anyone who claims that I and others like me are "soft,"or have "forgotten" the lessons of what happened here is at best a grasping, opportunistic, dilettante and at worst, an idiot whether he is a commentator, or a Vice President, or a President.

However, of all the things those of us who were here five years ago could have forecast -- of all the nightmares that unfolded before our eyes, and the others that unfolded only in our minds -- none of us could have predicted this.

Five years later this space is still empty.

Five years later there is no memorial to the dead.

Five years later there is no building rising to show with proud defiance that we would not have our America wrung from us, by cowards and criminals.

Five years later this country's wound is still open.

Five years later this country's mass grave is still unmarked.

Five years later this is still just a background for a photo-op.

It is beyond shameful.

At the dedication of the Gettysburg Memorial -- barely four months after the last soldier staggered from another Pennsylvania field -- Mr. Lincoln said, "we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract."

Lincoln used those words to immortalize their sacrifice.

Today our leaders could use those same words to rationalize their reprehensible inaction. "We cannot dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground." So we won't.
Instead they bicker and buck pass. They thwart private efforts, and jostle to claim credit for initiatives that go nowhere.
They spend the money on irrelevant wars, and elaborate self-congratulations, and buying off columnists to write how good a job they're doing instead of doing any job at all.

Five years later, Mr. Bush, we are still fighting the terrorists on these streets.

And look carefully, sir, on these 16 empty acres. The terrorists are clearly, still winning.

And, in a crime against every victim here and every patriotic sentiment you mouthed but did not enact, you have done nothing about it.

And there is something worse still than this vast gaping hole in this city, and in the fabric of our nation. There is its symbolism of the promise unfulfilled, the urgent oath, reduced to lazy execution.

The only positive on 9/11 and the days and weeks that so slowly and painfully followed it was the unanimous humanity, here, and throughout the country.

The government, the President in particular, was given every possible measure of support.

Those who did not belong to his party -- tabled that.

Those who doubted the mechanics of his election -- ignored that.

Those who wondered of his qualifications -- forgot that.

History teaches us that nearly unanimous support of a government cannot be taken away from that government by its critics. It can only be squandered by those who use it not to heal a nation's wounds, but to take political advantage.

Terrorists did not come and steal our newly-regained sense of being American first, and political, fiftieth. Nor did the Democrats. Nor did the media. Nor did the people.
The President -- and those around him -- did that.

They promised bi-partisanship, and then showed that to them, "bi-partisanship" meant that their party would rule and the rest would have to follow, or be branded, with ever-escalating hysteria, as morally or intellectually confused, as appeasers, as those who, in the Vice President's words yesterday, "validate the strategy of the terrorists."

They promised protection, and then showed that to them "protection" meant going to war against a despot whose hand they had once shaken, a despot who we now learn from our own Senate Intelligence Committee, hated al-Qaida as much as we did.

The polite phrase for how so many of us were duped into supporting a war, on the false premise that it had 'something to do' with 9/11 is "lying by implication."

The impolite phrase is "impeachable offense."

Not once in now five years has this President ever offered to assume responsibility for the failures that led to this empty space, and to this, the current, curdled, version of our beloved country.

Still, there is a last snapping flame from a final candle of respect and fairness: even his most virulent critics have never suggested he alone bears the full brunt of the blame for 9/11.

Half the time, in fact, this President has been so gently treated, that he has seemed not even to be the man most responsible for anything in his own administration.

Yet what is happening this very night?

A mini-series, created, influenced -- possibly financed by -- the most radical and cold of domestic political Machiavellis, continues to be televised into our homes.

The documented truths of the last fifteen years are replaced by bald-faced lies; the talking points of the current regime parroted; the whole sorry story blurred, by spin, to make the party out of office seem vacillating and impotent, and the party in office, seem like the only option.

How dare you, Mr. President, after taking cynical advantage of the unanimity and love, and transmuting it into fraudulent war and needless death, after monstrously transforming it into fear and suspicion and turning that fear into the campaign slogan of three elections?

How dare you -- or those around you -- ever "spin" 9/11?

Just as the terrorists have succeeded -- are still succeeding -- as long as there is no memorial and no construction here at Ground Zero.

So, too, have they succeeded, and are still succeeding as long as this government uses 9/11 as a wedge to pit Americans against Americans.

This is an odd point to cite a television program, especially one from March of 1960. But as Disney's continuing sell-out of the truth (and this country) suggests, even television programs can be powerful things.

And long ago, a series called "The Twilight Zone" broadcast a riveting episode entitled "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street." In brief: a meteor sparks rumors of an invasion by extra-terrestrials disguised as humans. The electricity goes out. A neighbor pleads for calm. Suddenly his car -- and only his car -- starts. Someone suggests he must be the alien. Then another man's lights go on. As charges and suspicion and panic overtake the street, guns are inevitably produced. An "alien" is shot -- but he turns out to be just another neighbor, returning from going for help. The camera pulls back to a near-by hill, where two extra-terrestrials are seen manipulating a small device that can jam electricity. The veteran tells his novice that there's no need to actually attack, that you just turn off a few of the human machines and then, "they pick the most dangerous enemy they can find, and it's themselves."

And then, in perhaps his finest piece of writing, Rod Serling sums it up with words of remarkable prescience, given where we find ourselves tonight: "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men.

"For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own -- for the children, and the children yet unborn."

When those who dissent are told time and time again -- as we will be, if not tonight by the President, then tomorrow by his portable public chorus -- that he is preserving our freedom, but that if we use any of it, we are somehow un-American...

When we are scolded, that if we merely question, we have "forgotten the lessons of 9/11"... look into this empty space behind me and the bi-partisanship upon which this administration also did not build, and tell me:

Who has left this hole in the ground?
We have not forgotten, Mr. President.
You have.
May this country forgive you.

Workplace Issues

Lately, the foreign teachers, including myself, have been mumbling and grumbling a lot. Seems like we have been getting the short end of the stick recently. For the past few months we have been negotiating our office hours with the boss. It can be frustrating at times because we are required to "work" 34 hours a week, while only teaching about 15-20. This leaves us with an awful lot of time at our desks. We are all competent teachers and don't that mush time to prepare for our classes. Therefore, we spend a lot of our "office hours" doing something close to nothing. It has always been this way and I am alright with it, for the most part...easy money. Carrie & John on the other hand, are much more type A, and don't dig the down time. I can understand where they're coming from, it can be mind-numbing. They have managed to convince Carol (the boss) to cut down our Saturday and Wednesday hours and we all are liking the changes. Perhaps some more changes are coming in the near future?

On a related note, corporate HQ recently decided they were going to start docking us pay if we came in late, even one minute. We arrive at work each day at three o'clock, but don't start teaching until five. The train I had been taking for the past 6 months arrives at about three minutes until 3:00...sometimes it's a minute or two late. As a result, I am late by a few minutes a lot. I didn't think this was a big deal because we often stay well past 9:00, when we are scheduled to go home. Apparently, HQ didn't like this and recently started a policy of docking us pay after the third episode of tardiness in any given month. As a result of the punitive, child-like move, I am now taking an earlier train. I arrive at work about 30 minutes early every day and am not gonna be paid for it...the price you pay for being on a salary. As crappy as this is, I am not about to rock the boat. I am still very well paid for what I do and I love my job.

The latest frustration happened today. We are supposed to be paid on the 10th of every month. The 10th was yesterday, Sunday. We all showed up for work today expecting our pay to be in the bank. Much to our dismay, none of us our pay directly deposited as it should be. I'm sure it'll be there tonight or tomorrow. The beef here is if we are expected to march to their drum beat and follow some of these petty new rules, then the least they could do is be sure we are paid on time! A valid argument that will almost certainly fall on deaf ears.

Scott spoke with Brent over the weekend. Brent is the guy who taught at the school for 8 years and now is living back in Canada. Scott brought up the subject of the contract completion bonus and Brent said it has been a problem for years. The school has a long history of attempting to keep their teachers from collecting. They purposely set your hours every month so that at the end of the year you come up just a hair short of 900, the total needed to get the bonus. As I said before, I haven't got up enough nerve to address the subject at work because I am afraid the evil side of me will prevail and I'll say some things I'll regret. I am somewhat optimistic that I will get the bonus...

Carrefour

Yesterday, I decided to finally check out Carrefour. It's a European-based grocery chain that has a few outlets here in Taiwan. I normally go to Jason's, but I'm getting tired of paying so much money for stuff. Jason's is the import grocery store located in the basement of Taipei 101. They make you pay through the nose for the goodies they bring in from overseas. I thought I could probably find many of the same things at Carrefour, not so. They had lots of good stuff, but it pales in comparison to Jason's. The prices were better, but the stock was much more Asian-based. I found a few things that I hadn't seen at Jason's, but not enough to make me switch my shopping agenda. One notable thing, Carrefour has one-pound bags of M&M's...that's a big plus! Also found Del Monte corn and green beans a lot cheaper than they are at Jason's.

The store was packed. Taiwanese steer shopping carts about as well as they drive cars...what a mess. I witnessed two messes as a result of out of control shopping carts. One guy knocked over an entire display trying to round a corner...lol. As much as I hate to perpetuate stereotypes, what is the deal with Asians and maneuverability? Always trying to cut corners and ignoring their surroundings is not a good technique. And to think, I was considering buying a motorcycle...

I thought I might need to start building my ark yesterday. We had one of those monsoon-style rains that lasted the entire day. On the bright side, it cooled off big time. I actually slept last night without air-con.

Kindie on Monday

Romper Room, here I come. The school has recently added a kindergarten class. They haven't had any K classes in a long time because there is so much competition and it's completely different from regular English classes. It's more like baby-sitting, than teaching. The little ones have to be fed and take naps, not the normal teaching fare. Thankfully, I don't have to do those things. My part of the equation is a one-hour session teaching them 12 new words...sounds easy, but it's not. Imagine trying to explain new words to someone who has never heard English before! It requires the use of lots of body language and ya gotta have fun doing it. Five year olds have the attention span of a fruit fly. I'm going to have to play the clown and get them all involved. Getting them involved is one thing, keeping them on track is a totally different thing. I have only taught a K class one time, so this is gonna be intense. The little ones are so darn cute, as long as they don't go the potty in their pants!!!...lol.

Food Issues, Again

It's time for David to make a wholesale change of his diet. I have been eating way too much fried/fast food. I'm heading out this weekend to the expensive grocery store and I'm gonna invest in some good stuff. I eat a lot of fruit, so that's not a problem. Just gotta cut down seriously on the fried stuff. Lately, I have been eating lots of soup, but it just isn't cutting it. I think I need to start eating more veggies and non-fried meat dishes...stuff that sticks to your ribs. Considering investing in a crock pot, like the idea of making stews.

I know I can't completely cut out fried foods, but I can eat a lot less and feel a heck-of-a-lot better as a result.

Free Time and Work Opportunities

Now that I am pretty comfortable at work, I think it's time to start looking for some supplemental income. I have most of my days free, I don't leave for work until about 2 o'clock. I might as well look into turning that free time into an opportunity to make some cash. There are side jobs available to foreigners. Many companies here publish their materials in Chinese & English, and they need someone to edit/proofread their stuff. All you have to do is walk down any street in Taipei and it becomes frightening clear that a lot more editing and proofreading is needed. I have never seen such butchery of the English language. It's under-the-table work and pays pretty well. I plan on doing a search this weekend for some work. I've been told that there are tons of flyers around town with jobs opps., we shall see.

Angry Mom & BBQ This Weekend

Last week, when I wasn't in the office, a mother of one of my students visited the school. She was ranting and raving about her daughter's poor grammar skills. She was insinuating that I wasn't teaching grammar very well in class. She was speaking very loudly in front of everyone in the office. I was told that my boss calmed her down and assured her that her daughter will be OK and sent her on her way.

Two different people who witnessed this event told me that my boss and others came to my defense and told the lady that the problem wasn't my teaching, it was her child. It's nice to see that the folks at work have my back when I am not there. My boss assured me yesterday that she is confident of my skills and told me to keep doing things the way I have been.

I may not be the best teacher in the world, but I try very hard. The child of the mother who was involved in the above event is one of my favorites in class. She is a great kid, but has a very short attention span. She is one of the younger kids in class and I often have to keep her in line. Looks like I am gonna have to be a little more firm with her and pay extra attention to her progress.

The staff at work is heading out to a really cool park this weekend to have a barbecue. We have periodic outings and they are usually pretty fun. The school is picking up the tab, so how bad could it be?

Enjoy Every Sandwich

This week marks three years since the death of Warren Zevon. Enjoy Every Sandwich was an insight he was fond of using prior to his death. I have been a fan of Warren's music for as long as I can remember...I think his Mr. Bad Example album may have been the first CD I ever bought. He had a wonderfully twisted sense of humor that bordered on scary at times. My buddy Perry & I had the pleasure of catching Warren play in Cleveland about a year or so before his death, what a memorable night.

I like to think my time here in Taiwan is about Enjoying Every Sandwich. At work, I try my best to have fun at all costs. See the value in even the smallest things.

In honor of Warren, my Ipod will be playing only his music on the 7th. Not really all that big of a deal, I listen to his stuff all the time.

World Map Project

I have been thinking about putting together one of those giant, wall-sized World maps at the school. I helped put one together when I was in Honduras, it's lots of fun. I'm gonna get 3 or 4 of my students to help me paint the outlines of all the countries, and then have all the other kids volunteer to paint one country each. It's a really cool project. The map will be about five feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide, I hope. I think my kids here will have a million great questions and I am sure I can come up with a bunch of activities related to the map.

The most difficult aspect of putting this together is getting an over-head projector. I don't think the school has one. You use the projector to project the image of the map to the wall. The first step to making one of these maps is to make a copy of a map onto a transparency so that you can use a projector to aid in the tracing of the map borders. If I can't get a projector, this project will be extremely tough. My boss will give me to cash for the paint, I think. She doesn't skimp when it comes to school improvements.

I have a meeting with her this week and I am going to discuss this idea with her.

Wish me luck with this one and stay tuned for updates on the progress of the map.

Magic Potion (Desperate Plea)

OK, someone out there has to do me a HUGE favor! I need the new Black Keys CD!!! It's coming out on Sept. 12th (Magic Potion is the name of the new album)...who is gonna do me a solid and buy/ship it to me??? If you do, I will somehow pay you back ten-fold. This is serious stuff folks, I am unable to get it over here in this musical black hole. If you're so inclined, here is my shipping address:

David Edwards
#280-9th Floor-E
Nen Hua Road Section 1
Banchiao City
Taipei County, Taiwan 220

p.s. I won't tell anyone if you stash a few Reese's Cups in the box with the CD!!