lesson planning and grading...until all hours of the night...every night- learning grammar in order to teach it (knowing how to use it well doesn't mean you have any idea why it works that way!)
- overhead and lcd projectors that either aren't there when they're supposed to be or don't work when they are there (for those of you who were wondering, an overhead projecter is really just a bright light when it won't focus!)
- figuring out what in the world my students gave me because after about 6 lectures on the topic and numerous examples, they still don't quite comprehend the concept of headers (papers without the assignment written on them are pretty common, but from time to time even get things without names...these are adults!)
- explaining something for the um-teenth time, not because they don't understand, but because they don't listen
- asking, "Does everybody understand? Does anybody have any questions?", getting absolute silence (and no, they're not shy), then students acting like they've never heard what I'm talking about the next time it comes up
- lecturing about grammar that doesn't make sense (or that does make sense, but is far too complicated to explain at my students' comprehension levels)
- accepting late work (this one is about to stop..."No exceptions" is quickly becoming one of my favorite expressions)
- making photocopies...LOTS of photocopies (300 just today!)...the broken copy machines...the lines to use the copy machine when it is working...and copying 300 things and making other teachers wait in line while I figure out how the copy machine works (I may know how to do just about anything with a computer, but a copy machine!? those things are crazy!)
- the crusty edges on paper torn out of notebooks (sure it decorates the apartment...and my teacher bag, but really, who wants that kind of decoration!?)...next time, it's a zero, kids!
Have no fear...that's not the end of the story. To be continued...
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