Tuesday, August 26, 2008

They are everywhere!

I guess being a tutor there is just one thing that I can't escape from...that is students who are extremely slow... not just slow...slow BUT, they are the SUPER DUPER EXTREMELY MEGA ULTRA COMBO MAX MODE TOP DEEPLY TRULY SERIOUSLY UTTERLY UNCONTROLLABLY SLOW...

So far I met two. One in my old workplace, who was... word alone cannot symbolise him. The second one is in my current workplace. Well... for this case... *sighs*, I shall be kind... maybe her case... is different. I heard she came down with this high fever or something that resulted her being slow in catching things or... any normal human description of her "Weird".

I am not mad at her or anything but sometimes the things that she said just annoys me to the maximum! I know... I know... being a tutor I should be patient....yada, yada, yada. But imagine... suddenly you have a student in your class that suddenly asks you stupid questions which is by far seriously stupid. At times when you joke... she repeats your jokes and laugh out loud, sometimes she will tell you oh...this word this is how you say it in this dialect...

At times me reaction was just...either (......................................................................................... x 10000000000) or (=_______________________________________=)"""

When you are teaching, she starts to drift away and god knows what she is doing there and I can;t just keep paying attention to her because I have other students to attend to.

Like today when I was in class. I was teaching the past continuous tense, the simple present tense and the present perfect tense. I decided to distribute notes for the students this time and in some of the notes I encouraged the students to write some sentences for me so that I will know whether or not they understand me and I can correct them from there.

She didn't do a hoot and yet she tried to copy from the book and of all the things... MY examples in the notes! I stopped her by saying that I remember what is in the book and she must think of a sentence of her own each for simple present and past continuous. She just can't do it, so I told her to stay back after class to tutor her extra.

After I finished one unit and was proceeding to another unit, suddenly she told me I have not taught the other unit and funny enough I was juts getting to it. I told her that do not worry I will not leave any units untaught.

After the class, I asked her to meet me in the Lecturer's room. So once settled, I asked her to give me the sentences.

Her: Teacher can use "The telephone rang"?
Me: *Looks at the paper and went quiet for a while* SY that is my example and you are not suppose to use my example. You are SUPPOSE to create your own sentence.
Her: Keeps quiet...
Me: Ok... give me the past tense for walk.
Her: *Thinks* Walk...
Me: *Nearly fell down from the chair.* No SY that is a present tense. *Looks at Stacy and asked for help*

Stacy: Ok... do you know what is a verb
Her: Yes... its "Dong Ci" in [mandarin means verb]
Stacy: Ok so what is the past tense for walk.
Her: Walk.
Stacy: *Nearly fell down* No...that is present tense.

After much attempt Stacy gave up.

I re-attempted to teach her.

Me: SY what is past tense?
Her: "Dong Ci" (verb) I nearly cried...
Me: *Patiently* SY no past tense is not a verb, past tense is something that is history and present tense means now and continuous means always happens.
Her: *nods her head*

I then decided to write on a piece of paper...

Walk
Walked
Walking

Me: Which is the past tense?
Her: Walking...
Me: *went speechless and was going to slam my head on the table*
Her: SY, that is a continuous not a past...
Her: Walked.
Me: *Relieved*

Talk
Talked
Talking

Me: Which one is the past tense?
Her: talked
Me: *in my head* Now we are making progress.

But I felt suspicious she was guessing and memorising where I put the past tense.

Ran
Run
Running

Me: Which is the past tense?
Her: Run?
Me: *Looks at her in disbelief.* No
Her: *takes another quick guess* Ran
Me: *Not at all impressed* Ok...good.

Write
Writing
Wrote

Me: Which is the past tense?
Her: Write.
Me: *boiling inside but try to keep calm... wanted to cry but no tears* No, SY that is present.
Her: Writing?
Me: *Looks at her in disbelief* No SY... you are guessing the past tense is wrote.

At the end I explain to her again and as her dad was looking for her. I asked her to go home and give me one each a sentence on simple past and past continuous and show it to me tomorrow.

So... wish me luck tomorrow and hope I don't jump down from CES building...



5 comments:

Anonymous said...

:/

now u know how I feel :/ r = n

-_-"

Anonymous said...

:/

now u know how I feel :/ r = n

-_-"

Anonymous said...

and yes they are everywhere..

haha I nearly jumped off CES last Sunday... try teaching KIDS and CP.. even OD nearly jumped as well

well tht is a tutor's job <3, we have to be patient and understanding :)

ganbatte !!!!

SoRCièRe dE TeMPs said...

Oh dear bro.. dun worry, you're a great lecturer. The bad one will leave her alone since the beginning lo... jia you!! ^^

Anonymous said...

just try your best, bro!! Good luck!! with your patience and dedication, i'm sure your students will do well!!