Yes, we women are complex, so there are many things to understand. Probably not a book to take to read at the beach, and likely one that would implode an iPad.
I am spending the next few weeks working with my mentees on their self assessments. Most of my mentees are women. I think this book might have a few chapters on them. Add a cultural aspect to a woman and there becomes many new chapters. I find these self assessments exhausting. I am sure they do as well. The format is a series of questions, asked several different ways, to find out if they are actually answering them honestly. The first page is a benchmark appraisal of English. That is where we have a great deal of difficulty because they are afraid that they must score high there or be in trouble with the ministry. I cannot fully convince them that the ministry will not see this. It is simply an assessment for them to see where they are, and for me to know where to work with them. So, a result in artificially high levels of English is always claimed; because they have the final say in the assessment. It is true, some of the mentees yesterday do have ability to speak fairly fluently, but definitely not at the level they chose. That also often tricks me, because I think they are higher levels then they actually are; but when responses are required, there are none, or if some are given, they are wrong. I constantly tell them that a second language will produce this until mastered. I could not even begin to respond to them appropriately in their language anywhere near what they can with mine. Forget about verb tenses for my efforts (although there are none in their language), my speaking is a series of words, pictures and mimes to get my point across. I proved (somewhat) to them by speaking at the level they chose for themselves, asking them a question. They usually recognized the words I spoke, but did not realize they had been asked a question and just stared at me, waiting for something they could reply to. Once we made our way through that section, we moved on to pages that they had to score for their own teaching skills broken down into about 30 categories. Again, not wanting to appear low, they scored themselves higher than they were. They are learning well, but what I am teaching them is a completely foreign methodology and it takes time to learn a new trick. Even after explaining in detail that they will have to defend these choices on another page, the scores were high. Now, at the defending page they freaked out. And rightly so. There was no defence, because they did not have the words or mastered skills to back their statements. So, back to the other page, and a tad more honesty was revealed, always with whiteout because what they do is always immaculate with no scribbles, cross-outs, or corrections. Each of these takes about 3 hours to complete. So, imagine the intensity of communication that goes on during that time. Do this 25 times and you can see why I am exhausted. Only four more to go, and then my own report for each and the exercise is over. Those four should be available to me next week. For the next three days I will be attending the new training for year 3 student methodology with some of the mentees. I think it only fair that I go along and support. I will be like the coles notes for them. I don't understand why other mentors do not do this. Imagine a bunch of people being placed in a room for 3 days to learn a methodology that they do not understand in a language that is foreign to them? I will be there to interpret and remind them of what we have been doing for the past two years which will now apply to another year of students. And like last year, I will be presenting a topic that I know will be useful to them applying this new language arts teaching. They are ravenous for resources, so that is what I am taking and modelling for them. You can be sure that next year in year 3, my mentees will be able to incorporate at least one language art into this new syllabus. Now, to stuff my bag with the Mickey Mouse and Pooh Bear, and little books and pencils I have purchased, along with a giant sponge and the tools to make a spongebob squarepants doll I am off to teach the gang how to write letters to these critters - just like they will do next year with the students.
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