shenanigans

today started out like any other day. i finally started bulgarian lessons again, and boy am i off my game! but it's no biggie, i will get back to the flow of things soon. then i had my mini-lesson with one of the students (see picture), helping him prepare for TOEFL (an exam like the SAT, specifically for kids who speak english as a 2nd language). finally, i had my regular ninth grade classes. the first went quite well, and miraculously enough the kids have actually gotten better... opposed to worse, as much of the other classes have.

oh but the second 9th grade class.... sheer madness. we began the lesson in typical fashion with me yelling over all the students, instructing them to listen, walking around and opening their books for them, since apparently they are without function in their arms/hands... and the lesson continued. but suddenly, 20 minutes into class, the students declare that they are "on strike" because it is too cold.

say what?

i don't know what the heating policy is as far as the school building goes.... it probably has to be below freezing (and that's no joke), but as a southerner not quite used to the cold, i assure you, it was not that bad. anyhow, i just kind of sat there as they started to pack up their books, even though we were clearly not finished. i mean, what's a girl to do? well, i just talked with the few students who actually wanted to finish the activity and tried to ignore the loud, swirling chaos that surrounded me..