Not to be envied.

So today was my first day of tutoring.

Usually, new teachers have to wait out a 3 month probational period before they can start tutoring. If you read prior posts, you know my day ends at 2 p.m. but I can't leave the school til 4 p.m. No idea why... but not that it matters because Brian doesn't finish teaching until 3:30 p.m. anyway.

Teachers generally fight over tutoring hours because you get paid around 50 Baht an hour per child. It can really add up! Their logic is, You have to stay til 4 anyway - might as well make some extra money. Not that I don't agree with that statement, but I really like those 2 hours to spend in my "coloring class," and preparing for the next day.

Last Friday, May approached me and asked me to tutor her son. He is 3 years old but is in K3 - that is one level above my regular students who are in K2. I am told they did this because they want him to be around older students and learning faster. All I know is his K3 teacher isn't very pleased with the situation.

Either way, I couldn't say no to May. She's the boss. Plus, I did feel a little honored that she asked me - the new teacher. I had totally forgotten about the 3 month probational period when I gladly accepted the position. She offered to pay me 100 Baht an hour to tutor her son between 3-4 p.m. everyday.

In conversation, I let it slip that I had to tutor today. Not thinking about it, I was immediately asked how that was possible. I hadn't been here 3 months yet! Only a week. Ooops.

To my defense, I really did forget about the 3 month probational period. Trust me, I would rather adhere to it because I am totally drained at the end of day! More teaching does not sound appealing to me.

But then again, May makes the rules so the other teachers can't really blame me.

It took me a minute to find Pat.  Luckily, he was in a nice air conditioned room finishing his Chinese lesson. There where 3 other girls from my class in there too learning both Chinese and piano.

Pat was hiding under a table. He wouldn't come out. His favorite phrase is, "No." I know children are shy, but my kids are not like this at all! Nor were they the first day of class. Dealing with this type of behavior is foreign to me. Oh well... more of a learning experience for me....

After following him around, he finally warmed up to me the last 15 minutes of the class. I spoke a lot of English at him, but he didn't really talk all that much. I did get him to identify a couple colors before his grandmother came in to take him home. Thank God!

Hopefully tomorrow will be better. I'm quiet tired to chasing him around on the dirty floor.

Why couldn't they have had a girl? :)