An Inspection

I lost my temper with my counterpart yesterday. I very rarely lose my temper, but this time I did. I'm teaching this "experimental program" for teaching math in english. The government has provided zero support for this, in terms of textbooks, a syllabus, a course outline, experience of past teachers, nothing. Which is fine with me - I've been writing my own textbook and doing my own thing. But this week there was an inspection, and my counterpart asked me why I didn't follow the government's experimental "plan". She had heard me say to a school board member that I was making up my own textbook and syllabus. What plan? I asked. The plan I showed you at the beginning, she said. The plan she showed me at the beginning was for a math class, and they were following it in their Kazakh-language math classes. It wasn't for English. There wasn't a plan for English. So I was making my own plan. Well, if you don't follow the plan, the city school board will cancel your program, so you have to follow the plan, she said. And I lost my temper.

But in a (for me) proud moment (for my counterpart, probably the opposite), I dodged entertaining the very same commision that day. They observed one class, and I had another scheduled after that, but after the first class they wanted to sit and "discuss" things with me. But I have a class, I said. My counterpart told me, just give them an assignment and let's go, and I evidently (judging by her reaction) gave her such a look that she said, oh forget it, just come down when you're ready.

I've moved into a new apartment. Pictures are attached, courtesy of Don and Robin, two very nice Americans who are staying in Kokshetau in accomodations luxurious enough to have a high-speed internet connection. They found me through this blog; by having done so, they further enabled my bloggin. This is sustainable development. Brian and I will show them the shashlik place tonight.

Isn't it about time I started looking seriously into graduate schools? It is.