Frustrations

So, in typical fashion, our coteachers told each of us about school dinners happening today yesterday. And in typical fashion, Jessie and I do not really want to go.
Jessie's case is the worse one. Her school has only two teachers who speak to her, one of whom is her coteacher. If this is an indication of the conversation, it won't be great. Jessie's coteacher is really nice, but her english is not so good. She also has this habit of not realizing that a) Jessie does not speak Korean, b) not being able to talk to anyone makes dinners boring, and c) that talking about someone who doesn't understand is still really obvious when you continually refer to "Che-she-kka" and "Canada".
As I am writing this, Jessie is trying to fake sick in order to get out of attending. It is a work function, but it is after school hours, and honestly, no-one seems to have any idea that these dinners are less fun for her than the Korean participants.
Honestly... the dinners are just really long boring periods. For the other teachers, it is an opportunity to unwind, talk to eachother, and to form team bonds. But they do not realize that they just make us uncomfortable because we cannot communicate with them!
Yesterday I was told that today the teachers would be playing pingpong, and that the students would be sent home early. So I wore jeans, which is pretty normal anyways.
Today I got told that after the pingpong, we would be having a party. My situation is a little less dire, because there are two co-teachers that I converse with, and a couple other teachers in the new staff that talk to me too. But a whole dinner is boring.
Anyways... I'm going to have fun playing pingpong, no matter what. But I will probably skip the party because I have a piano lesson. Which normally I would skip in favour of a party...

I'm also frustrated because of my grade threes. Last year, they were in grade two, and they were my favourite students. Favourite classes. They were very involved, and they really seemed to be excited to practice their english.
Now it is like pulling teeth to get them to say hello. I guess at some point you realize that english will not help with YOUR career, so you give up on it. And it is just horribly disappointing to me, because I had such high hopes for them.
My grade twos are also frustrating, but at least there it is no surprise. They are at such a low level it is actually shocking, because they are behind even my grade ones. I did the same lesson with them that I did with the grade ones... I will have to split it in half for the twos. They can't handle so much stuff.
Ridiculous.

Enough complaining!