FOUR business classes, and I am completely unqualified to teach it! I have no idea what I'm doing, and my students can tell. I've asked for assistance, but those higher up keep putting it off to a later date. As always, this class of Year 10's (9th graders) is wild. They won't sit where I tell them to sit. A couple of girls sit in the back and laugh and laugh. They blatantly make fun of me--my clothes, my accent, my mannerisms, commenting on the way I walk, etc. It doesn't offend me, just pisses me off that they're disrupting my [View Full Entry]

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As I stroll along the South Bank of the Thames River with my friend and co-worker, Meera, a shy, petite Indian girl, it dawns on me that not everyone enjoys aimless wandering around London. Perhaps people like to actually plan. Perhaps Meera might like to do something with her trip to London. "Hey, Meera?" "Yeah?" "Do you want to see a movie or something?" "Ok, but where is a theater?" "I don't know, but there has to be one somewhere around here." And we fall back into silent walking. I'm completely content. Calm. The sky is clear, the river is beautiful, [View Full Entry]

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When I was back in the States for Christmas, a lady who read my blog emailed me requesting an interview for her next book. Victoria Westcott is the author of Guide to Teaching in London: A Survival Guide for Canadians and the co-founder of the teacher recruitment agency, Classroom Canada. Check out her websites at: http://www.GuideToTeachingInLondon.com http://www.classroomcanada.blogspot.com http://www.classroomcanada.com She plans to write a book for Americans teaching in London and wanted interview me for the book. Since she's in Canada at the moment, she emailed me her [View Full Entry]

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I don't think I can take this school for another seven months. I hate this job so much, it's like destroying my soul. I've never been treated with such disrespect in all my life. I've never felt so powerless. I feel like a loser, but I have to get out of here. And I don't ever want to teach again. I just want to curl up in a ball in my mommy's bed, completely hidden under the covers, and stay there for like three months. I call my mother and tell her I'm coming home. "Oh, thank God!" she says. "I [View Full Entry]

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Where I've investigated job opportunities in the last two days: 1) Metro School System in Nashville, Tennessee 2) Rutherford County Schools in Murfreesboro, Tennessee 3) The TES.com site, where school vacancies throughout the UK are posted regularly. Current problems with switching jobs: 1) My visa legally binds me to my current school. To work anywhere else requires a new visa. 2) If another school wants to sponsor my visa, it will cost me only $450 USD, plus a plane ticket home to wait for the visa. 3) However, the only schools that need to sponsor a foreign teacher ar [View Full Entry]

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Back in October, one of my co-workers suddenly quit. Although he returned for about ten minutes to collect his belongings, he basically just stopped showing up for work. He said, "This is the worst school I've ever seen." I've felt slightly envious of him ever since. Anyway, that left an opening in the humanities department. Since I'm qualified in both science and history/geography, I asked the vice principal if I could switch departments. I like humanities better, and I don't like working under Manir. The VP said he'd see what he could do. He wanted to talk to Manir about it [View Full Entry]

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Stephanie is on a mission to collect Americans. She met a dark-haired American girl, Katherine, who works at Banana Republic, and Katherine has invited all of us to her apartment for a New Year's party. Her apartment is cute, in a cool location near the South Bank. Katherine's energetically bouncy roommate, Caroline, grew up in Connecticut and moved here to get her MBA. "I was actually born here," Caroline quickly explains while she's cooking. "But I did all my schooling in America until I got my MBA." She sounds totally American, and she says "y'all"! I like this girl! After we [View Full Entry]

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When I get to the airport, I realize that my online reservation is nothing more than an online reservation. I have to go to my gate to get the actual boarding pass. As I hand my online reservation print-out to the little old man behind the desk, I ask, "Is it possible to get a window seat?" He smiles warmly, "I'll see what I can do." Shortly, a little printer ejects the ticket. "Here ya go!" the man says. "It's a good one." I laugh, "Alright, thanks!" A flight announcement calls for all passengers in rows one through five to board [View Full Entry]

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Murfreesboro I spend the day running errands, getting things done. I stop to go out to eat at Red Lobster with Rebekah, and then we saw a matinee of Valkyrie, the new Tom Cruise film about the German rebels who plotted to kill Hitler. Quite a tear-jerker, and yet I found it uplifting and inspiring. It's important to remember that even in the midst of total evil and insanity, there are pockets of goodness. According to the book of John, "The light shines in the darkness; and the darkness shall not overcome it." I don't stop running errands again until about [View Full Entry]

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My British debit card didn't work at Walmart, and it's not being accepted by any ATM. After using my American debit card, I rush back to Rebekah's house where I've been staying and hop on the internet to check my American checking account's balance. Sure enough, as soon as that Walmart transaction clears, my account will be in the negative. My only option is to call my bank in the UK as soon as it opens in the morning and find out what's going on with my debit card. So I set my alarm for two in the morning and fall [View Full Entry]

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