The Principle Went BESERK!

May 20, 2009

This morning I woke up late…AGAIN!  Hillary was so cute; she knew I wouldn’t have time to breakfast so she set out a banana and a yogurt by my backpack so that I would have something to snack on during the day.  She’s great.  I made it to school on time.  As soon as I got there I went to the bathroom, which is right by the Principle’s office.  Well he’s not called the ‘principle’ he’s called the President of the school.  I don’t remember what his name is.  When I got out of the bathroom I walked by his office and I heard a lot of yelling.  I didn’t think anything of it because people always talk so loudly here that they always sound like they’re yelling to me.  After I got into the teacher’s lounge everyone was sort of acting really weird.  And then that’s when it happened…The President stormed out of his office, this time really yelling and shouting saying things like, ‘I CANT TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!’  and ‘THIS IS A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A SCHOOL!!’.  He was storming up and down the hallway throwing a full-blown tantrum.  I think he was arguing with another teacher but his voice was so loud that everyone stopped and was really quiet.  As other teachers walked by the entrance into the teacher’s lounge they just had their heads down and their eyes wide open like little kids when they get in trouble.  Man, what a SHOW!  I don’t think I’ve ever seen the principle of a school freak out like that.  It was weird because it was in a professional situation and place.  So…here’s what I understood from the situation.  The education system in Italy right now has been going through a lot of changes and everyone is unhappy about it.  Curriculums are changing, hours are changing, funds are changing, everything.  Like I think I’ve explained already one of the classes will be cut next year.  The President had already gotten all of the teacher’s schedules made but since a class will be cut then a couple of teachers are going to have to be dismissed and he’s the one to decide that.  Also, it’s nearing the end of the school year and teacher’s need to know whether they will be the ones staying or the ones going because they have to get their books and syllabi set and approved for next year.  Also the President isn’t just the head of this school but he’s also the chair of the school board committee for Siena, or something like that.  So basically the guy is super stressed and I guess today he sort of snapped. 

After that was over, Professor M. and I went over to get him his coffee before going to class.  We were so busy talking about what had happened that we walked in the wrong class like three times. It was funny.  Our first class was the 3^rd class.  Professor M. interrogated some of the kids on the history of Britain while the rest of the kids just sat there in a zombie state supposedly listening to the interrogation.  To stay awake I took notes and what they were talking about.  At one point they talked about Anne Boleyn.  It occurred to me how nerve wracking it would be to have been in her place at that time.  I can’t imagine the suspense in wishing it would turn out to be boy so that she could produce an heir for Henry the VIII.  I can’t imagine how disappointed she probably was when it wasn’t.  Anyway…this is the sort of thing that I have to do to stay awake during the first hours of the day. 

Our next class was the 4^th class.  This is the class with the twins and I like them because they’re so cute!  Today they were wearing the exact same shirt only one was yellow and the other was orange.  It was adorable.  So today the teacher gave them back the last test that they took.  Their grades were all pretty low and everyone looked at me with this really mean look as if it were my fault because I watched them during the test and didn’t let them cheat.  Wow, I sort of felt really bad for them but I can’t believe they would actually think it was my fault.  Professor Monaci went through the test with them and answered questions.  There was one question on the test that the students argued was worded badly and I actually totally agreed with them.  It was a true/ false question and it said: ‘Answer the following questions by marking true or false.  Correct the false sentences.’  Apparently Professor Monaci wanted them to correct the false sentence by writing out an explanation why it was wrong.  They understood that they were only supposed to change a few words on the sentence that was only there.  That’s what I would have thought too.  Then they complained some more because the test was all memorization and their not capable of memorizing lots of things all at once.  Man, these kids can complain about EVERYTHING! 

During the prep hour I wrote up a survey for the students to fill out so we can get feedback on the class.  Professor Monaci is going to let me administer the survey to the students and discuss what things could improve.  This is going to be next Friday with the 5^th class, which I really like. 

Then we had the 2^nd G class.  Professor Monaci passed back the test that they took the other day.  This is the class with the little cheating monsters.  Almost the whole class failed the test.  Again, they looked at me accusingly.  Man, I’m going to be very popular with these kids.  Professor M. then lectured almost the whole class on how they really need to pay more attention and actually study.  Everyone looked at him all doe-eyed and innocently.  He likened the situation to how you can’t cheat on things like horse riding.  You either know it or you don’t.  He said that they were the type of people that would try to write the answers on the horse’s ears to try to cheat their way.  I wonder if they actually listen when teachers or parents lecture to them about doing better.  I wonder how much they actually understand and how much the feel from it.  I think that lecturing about these things isn’t very effective because these things are learned from life’s experiences.  If only there were an easier way to make someone understand.

The next class was the last and it was the 5^th class.  Today was Romeo’s interrogation.  This student, Romeo, is a genius!  He gets 100% on everything!  His grammar is awesome and he always knows his stuff.  The funny thing about this guy is that he hardly EVER talks!!  He just sits there quietly at his desk and pays attention to the lecture all the time.   For his interrogation he presented the subject of Wordsworth’s poems.  He was so good!  He used really big words too, and they were all in the correct context.  Professor M. tried to trip him up with some questions but Romeo was awesome!  Towards the end of class a former member came in and chit chatted with some of the students and the teacher.  Another student was leaning back in his chair and broke it…so there were quite a few distractions but Romeo still did well. 

After school I went over to the library and checked out “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.  I’d never seen it before.  Wow, Audrey Hepburn is a GENIUS!  I love her.  The movie was sort of weird but I liked the ending.