‘“Heads, shoulders, knees and toes”: all places I currently feel like smacking you’

For my first group kids’ class this week I came into the class feeling highly satisfied with a great, fun-filled day of school, ready to kick some English-teaching ass, and totally carefree. I came out of the hour with the 3 pre-schoolers ready to teach the entire vicinity some very bad English words. I doubt they learnt anything from that class, but I learnt that trying to hold a class when the students are in their own home, surrounded by their toys, in the presence of a romantically involved pair of 5-year olds, with a teacher who is unwilling to discipline them for fear of being rejected as a sister-like co-resident, DOES NOT WORK. The teacher becomes the student.