Lessons learned from my first week as a high school teacher

1. High school teaching means short, intense bursts of creative genius
In elementary school, I had 6 hours in which to impart knowledge. In high school, I'm a 50 minute segment in a long stretch of information. It has to be memorable and concise. In other words, I have to be smart and quirky. There has to be a hook that by the end of the day when they are doing their homework, they'll go, "Oh, I remember that. Miss Ernst explained what adultery was. THAT was awkward."
PS: We're reading The Scarlet Letter so I'm not a complete perv.

2. In high school, they talk back...in a good way.
I'm used to elementary kids talking back in inappropriate ways. High school kids (at least my fabulous Korean and Chinese kids) talk back and make me laugh. Case in point: I was told by an administrator I talk too fast for ESL students. So I talked slower. And here was the conversation that ensued:
Sam: Miss Ernst, where are you from?
Me: San Diego, but I've lived in a lot of different places.
Sam: Why do you talk so slow?
Me: Hahaha...should I talk faster?
Sam: YES!
Me: How'boutthis? ShouldItalkthisfast? Canyouunderstandme? Yagoodyagood?
Sam: (laughing) YES, YES!!

3. I can have conversations that have nothing to do with Hannah Montana.
Thank God. I can have real conversations during passing periods. I can sympathize with their frustration at not knowing where anything is. I remember what it was like to forget your homework assignment on the first day and feel like the world had collapsed.

Hopefully I'll continue to learn more about this strange and fun world called high school ESL. My department head has been astounded at how well I've adapted considering I had two days to prepare. I'll keep you updated with any more epiphanies that happen to bonk me on the head.

Now...I'm off to learn my own language so I can teach it...past present progressive tense anyone?