Careless and impatient...

I'm a very careless 'facilitator'.  I have lost another two students.  I'm sure I had them last week, but they were nowhere to be seen this week!!

So now I'm down to 9.  That number where they 'start bonding and helping each other', or so I am reliably informed!  I hope it doesn't diminish to the number 6, where they 'start to focus on the teacher for individual attention'!!  I'm told by those in the know, that 'desertion' is common at these sort of courses and I shouldn't take it personally!

Are my pupils deserting the sinking ship or did they just know that they had their first 'module test' this evening and decided not to show up for it?  Well we had to proceed with or without them, and the course books were handed out and the fun began....the questions were studied....there were some anxious looks....the pens started to write....the questions were studied again....the pens came to a halt.....the pens were chewed....the questions were studied again....the pens hovered over the page, trying to decide which box to tick....!!  Oh the pressure and the tension...did I explain it enough times...did I explain it correctly enough times....Come on guys, you can do it, don't let me down.

It was hard to watch them struggling a bit and not be able to help!  I kept wanting to jump up and explain something, anything, to somebody, anybody!  But I didn't, I kept my head down sat on my hands and didn't make eye contact and pretended to be very busy!  Every so often I would have a look around and catch somebody's pleading eye, or waving pen, desperately trying to catch my attention so they could get some help, get an answer and tick a box!  But I had to look away quickly and resist the urge to jump up and answer the question...

Anyway, it was all over in a few minutes, and I must have done something right too, as they all seemed to be able to answer the questions eventually (the answers were actually in the front of the book that they were writing in, and I might have told them that....oops!!).  Afterwards they did some of that 'bonding and helping' stuff which I was delighted to be able to join in with, and we were then able to move on to the next chapter, and try to get through it so we can do this all over again next week!  

I will have to learn between then and now, to have some patience or acquire some sitting still techniques so that I don't want to rush off my chair and help the first one that looks at me with a questioning glance!

Anybody got any suggestions??