My first experience of teaching |
As I stood at the front of the classroom
With a pen and a shaky hand My face felt funny and my legs were numb Thinking twice about wanting to stand. The intros began with a fevered grin And a guiding hand to the chairs The silence corrosive, breaking me down Not knowing how to survive the stares. I began with pictures that linked to me Hoping for student cohesion I was witnessing discombobbled mouths Speaking complex words from their region. The slowing clock said two minutes had passed Puzzled, how would I fill the gap? I should impress them with my new Russian Maybe then I would get a huge clap. Ditching the pictures I partnered them up Persuading their curious minds To seek out unique things within themselves Something I was struggling to find. This idea became a small victory The room at once full of chatter Admittedly, it wasn’t all English To me, this didn’t really matter. They disclosed their motivation to learn And explored their family tree Proud of the words they could already speak Showing their skills off for all to see. The end of class and my feelings had changed New senses made me feel alive I learnt something quirky about myself That in the future, will help me thrive. |