#14: Bliss

I have two kids classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The first class is basically a bitch. They're not all bad, but generally the worst ones love to perform that subtle form of psychological bullying that as a teacher, the most you can do is to stop it when you spot it - but tricky to do without disrupting the class too much/showing favouritism/taking too much dignity away from the victims. There's a ridiculous and surprising amount of politics that go on in that particular elementary-level classroom. Generally, I need every minute of the 2hr session just to be able to get the minimum of the set course done.

The second class, in contrast, takes all that frustration from the first class and just fly-kicks it out the window. They'll talkback to the teacher as well, but its all in cheek and playfulness and in the end - they always listen and find themselves having fun without the spite. By the time I get to the end of the 90minute session of this class - I'm surrounded by laughter and lit up smiles and I'm loving my job again.

The age range of the first class is around 9-12yrs old, the second class goes from 7-11yrs. The only real differences between them are their maturity and their levels of ability - the older class is several grades ahead of the younger class. Intellectually - both classes are just as smart as each other. If the second class had been exposed to English just a few years earlier - they would easily be a match for the first class.

But then again, maybe then they would have also lost that sense of innocence that allows them to have fun without the need to put down fellow students at every opportunity.

Though another opportunity to be able to put some serious foot to arse towards the future of our generation makes my job just that lil bit more fun. ^^