I will be totally honest. When I made the decision to teach English abroad the thought of ‘teaching’ never crossed my mind. It sounds silly, but I’m being serious. I would tell my friends I would be, “Molding young minds,” and give them my best Grinch face. While in Cambodia completing my TESOL training there were several moments where I would think to myself ‘What the hell am I doing!? You have have no desire to teach – you barely enjoyed coaching little kids!” I suppose I just really wanted to live abroad and travel.

When I landed my first teacher job I was scared AF. I’m not really fan of kids – I find them grimy and gross. Teenagers? They irritate me – the too cool for school act makes go ‘UGH.’

However, after finishing my first round of classes the things I’ve seen and heard makes teaching FUN. I actually LOVEloveLOVE most, if not all of my classes. I’ve even gone as far as requesting to have the same classes for the next level.

WHO AM I.

With that being said, sometimes my students words and actions are too much for me to handle professionally and I have to immediately document it in some way.

Enjoy a small piece of my world as a teacher.

•••••

T e a c h e r C h r o n i c l e s

Quotes (in the form of a Tweet):

“Teacha! Teacha! Pick me, pick me, I’m so cute!”

My student asked me where I am from. I said United States, California. He responds, “So, India?” I made him stand in front of the class and dance to California Girls.

You know the kiss in the ‘Boom Clap’ video? Probably not. Anyway my students freak out about it. I mean, top of the lungs screaming, covering their eyes in horror, throwing themselves underneath desks. So I rewound it. 6 times. Their fear, my pleasure.

One of my students just said, “I see you,” and proceeded to sass face me. WHAT HAVE I DONE.

My heart swells with pride when my students request to hear Ellie Goulding.

This is the third time this ‘semester’ I’ve come back from break to find the glass on my door shattered. They play with a piece of stuffed dice. How does this happen. My students are psycho.

I would like to give Katy Perry a shoutout for creating videos and songs that all of my Vietnamese students love, appreciate and can actually watch. You make my job easier…for the most part.

I wonder how Charli XCX would feel if she knew that 70+ Vietnamese students absolutely adore her song Boom Clap

I LOL so damn hard when my students first see Shia in the Sia ‘Elastic Heart‘ music video. They WIG OUT.

It’s a terrible feeling when you think class is over at 9 but it’s actually over at 9:30 – the extra half an hour is serious.

Playing Beyonce – 7/11 in my class of 8 year olds. They need to understand who Beyonce is. They just can’t watch the video.

Teaching 24 Vietnamese six year olds the word ‘peanuts’ and and all they can actually say is ‘penis.’ I’m crying in class. I can’t take them seriously.