Lessons learned (or is that 'learnt'?)

"Hi. My name is Patrick. And I like football."

So began my first lesson to Senior I Class 7A way back when, last Sunday . So too began my second, third, fourth and fifth lessons too - all the way up to lesson number 18. It was a good lesson plan and I wasn't going to change it for anyone.

So, I've been a teacher for a week and I got through it without getting the sack. On the contrary, we (along with all the proper teachers in the school) got a little bonus on Friday. Better still, one of my classes made a card for me, wishing me all the best for Teachers' Day (which is tomorrow, by all accounts). I find teaching so rewarding.

The very first lesson, I have to admit, was a bit ropey but, then again, it was only the third time I'd stood in front of a class and the first time it was one hundred percent for real. But over the week things have got slicker, I've not had to refer to my notes at all and, best of all, I've learned how to go with the flow, to teach 'off-piste' I suppose and not be constrained by a fixed-in-stone plan.

As for the kids, they've been great. Naturally some classes are more lively than others but they've all made the effort and the nightmare of a completely mute class just hasn't happened. Some classes even ended up in applause for goodness sake! There's a range of ages and abilities not only across classes but within them too which makes things a little tricky. But with a little encouragement, even the most reticent ones at the beginning have had the confidence to get up and say their piece by the end of the lesson.

We begin by introducing ourselves to each other and saying what we like. Happily they have all adopted English names for their classes; more happily still, they haven't limited themselves to the conventional Peter, Paul and Mary names either. I have a 'Cabbage', an 'Onion' and a 'Potato'; a 'Yummy', a 'Yoyo' and a 'Yuki'; 'Toyota' and 'Morgan', 'Angel' and 'Doom Freedom', 'Monkey', 'Bear', Arthurs 'One' and 'Two' plus 'Dolly', 'Daisy', 'Ada', 'Flora' and 'Nora'. Last, but definitely not least, I'm teaching 'George W Bush', 'Blair' and 'Napoleon'.

The lesson goes on to introduce them to a bit of my life in England. You would not believe the reaction a simple photograph of my Mum and Dad can have on a class - "handsome" being the most frequent response... Forget fancy teaching aids and your multimedia shennanigins, just show them a picture of my brother, Julian (whose name always raises a laugh for some reason), and the lesson takes on a life of its own. I did a different lesson in the middle of the week all about mobile phones which involved cutting up endless strips of paper so the class could piece together a dialogue; it involved laboriously putting the strips in makeshift envelopes and ensuring I didn't duplicate - or omit - any strips in any envelopes. It took hours to prepare but didn't have half the effect of an old photo of my Mum & Dad in their Sunday best on board the QEII.

Oh well. You live and learn.