Despair

So, at 5h50 this morning the first of my 3 alarm clocks goes off, followed shortly by the second and then the third so how oh how did I manage to fall back to sleep until 6h30??! It meant there was only 30 minutes to get ready. Good job I discovered last night that it is a semaine impaire with enough time to come home for lunch because there certainly wasn't enough time to make lunch this morning! I got to school for 7h50 to discover there had been a break-in over the holidays meaning there is no internet, no IT facilities and more inportantly, for me at least, no printers, grr. That completely throws my lesson plan for Dorrean (my private student) tomorrow. Nevermind. Off I went to my first class of the day - a BTS class. I noticed there was a tick besides them on my timetable, that means I like this class. I was just sent 2 students today, one of whom I'd seen before. He had obviously worked on his report about his work experience over the holidays. It was good, I was impressed. The other one however hadn't even brought with him the work he had done so far! (Presuming of course he had done some work so far) Some of today's mistakes included 'my school called Lycee Artaud' and 'the firm created in 1985'. They were also having major problems with making the third person singular agree. I think I need a huge 's' on my wall that I can point to everytime. My second class of the day from 9am to 10am are supposed to be 'anglais renforce' but, believe me, there is nothing 'renforce' about this class! I asked them about their holidays, what they had been doing. It was like trying to get mustard from a pickle jar. One of the students mentioned Hallowe'en so I asked whether they knew what it was. I explained trick-treating and dressing up. I then asked them what was special about November 5th. They had no idea, none what so ever. That's what I'm doing next week. 15 minutes at the beginning of the lesson on November 5th. Poor kids, completely deprived, not knowing what bonfire night is! We then progressed on and looked again at the text 'An unkindness of Ravens' by Ruth Rendall. Yes, we are still working on the same text. The same questions every week. When I first saw this extract I thought what a good extract it was and and how I'd like to read the book. Now I think if I ever see this extract again I'll scream - ear plugs at the ready for next Thursday when, guess what, we'll be working on the same text. I ask them a question, a question I am sure I have asked week after week after week and they don't even look at the text! How are they supposed to find the answer if they are staring into space??! I actually said to them at one point 'you need to look at the text to find the answer'. And when you pick on a particular student they just say 'Pouvez vous le repeter?' ou 'Je n'ai rien compris?' Argh! After this class I had my third and final class of the morning - a terminal group. I couldn't believe it was only 10am. It felt like it should be at least lunch time! It was at this point I realised I'd forgotten my board pens - could the day actually get any worse?? Yes, it could. I was sent three students who may as well have been mute. I felt like hitting them over the head. When they told us at le stage to 'ne pas frapper les eleves' I thought it was ridiculous. Now I see why they did it - they knew how tempted we'd be when faced with a wall of silence and blank looks! Their reluctance to speak coupled with being faced with the same picture of the Sudanese child and the size zero model is enough to have anyone looking at their watch. What?! Another 30 minutes to go. Someone help me please! If I hear one more time 'je n'ai rien compris' where 'rien' sounds like 'reng' when said with that lovely Marseilliese accent I will cry. There is only so slowly I can speak, there are only so many ways I can phrase the same thing before I give up and just give it to you in French. I think it does them good to hear me make mistakes in French, it shows them it's ok to make mistakes. I don't care if they make mistakes when they speak English, just for them to speak English would be a start. In fact, no, just for them to speak would be a start! Spanish, Japanses, Arabic, anything, please, just speak! Argh! Never has a morning been so long and so hard. After that lesson I put myself on a bus and then a metro and I am now at home having eaten the second half of last night's tea with a mince pie. Yes, I know, it isn't Christmas but I think I've earnt it! I am also on my second cup of tea and am now beginning to mentally prepare myself for going all the way back to Lycee for my last class at 15h. It shouldn't be too bad. I will be in the classroom with the teacher. The class is nice, I like the teacher. It's the one where she said I could do the grammar. It can't possible be any worse, surely?! I'll get back to you.