3 - "Struggle"

In class yesterday we were discussing healthy foods and the exercise involved planning a healthy menu, with a main dish, sides, and dessert. One girl raised her hand and asked:

"Teacher what is kind of potatoes... struggle potatoes?"

Me: "Do you mean 'mashed' potatoes."

"Ahhh! Yes, yes." She said. " 'Mashed' potatoes."

Oh, thou potato, you valiant and worthy opponent.

6 - Phonetic...

The homework assignment involved listening to sentences online and writing them down.

I kept seeing things like:

"altisstic"

"alrustak"

"alltrustik"

"alltrue-stick"

The word was "altruistic"

Gotta love those phonetic spellers.

30 - Momentus...

Down to the wire here.

I feel the urge to say something profound, but no luck.

I go through my work day (4:25-10PM) hacking through 6 classes, walking up and down the stairs thinking, "only 30 more days of this..." and I'm not sure how I feel about it. One part sad/scared, six parts elated and looking forward to the future. I feel like that's a good ratio.

Leaving for the Philippines on Thursday on this work-sponsored vacation. Returning late Sunday night.

And I leave with a kid quote.

Me: What would you buy with one million dollars?

Kid: A pencil case and mechanical pencil.

35 - White page

On the difficulties of memory:

Student: "Teacher, when I try to remember, my mind goes to white page."

38 - That's the Spirit!

Me: "What does 'unwind' mean?"

Student: "'Unwind' means 'destroy stress'"

Yes, yes it does.

48 - Hallelujah!

Last day of Summer Session. Hurrah!

In celebration, I offer up these pictures of the little munchkins holding their final presentation posters. The topic was "Famous People". Now, I remember looking at pictures other teachers had posted of their students and being like "yeah, and?" but I assure you that these little 'uns have oodles of personality.

First up, Jung Eun (Jenny). She was the lone student in the class the first week and spent four hours keeping four different English teachers entertained with her witty banter and stories. (She's the one with the brother who got the cold shower...) She is very much the epitome of "cute" and wore lacy socks and some variation of ruffles and bows every day. She chose Park Ji-Sung as her famous person.

This is Na Young. A taciturn little thing, she would sit quietly unless prompted to speak, which she would do, but only very reluctantly. I heard from other teachers that she was quite the little instigator, but she never acted up in my class. She is, in her own words, "not a girl-girl", but for her famous person, she chose to research Kim Yun-Ah.

Seung-Soo was the zen calm of the group and would quietly and earnestly complete his work. He chose Thomas Edison and his pictures of lightbulbs seemed to mirror his personality.

Doo Young was by far the most entertaining and on the last day, busted out with his rendition of this song, made popular by one Rob Schnieder . He seemed to have the soul of a crochety 60 year old man in the body of a very antsy 10 year old. He scribbled all the drawings for his poster on Alfred Noble in less than 20 minutes and then wacked them onto the poster board with a glue stick, and announced himself done. I was about to protest, but noticed that his poster was actually quite good. He seems surprised in this picture, but maybe it's just his masked earnestness.

It was a great experience that is thankfully no more than a memory now.

WooHoo!

51 - Things I WIll Miss About Korea, Part 2

Adorable Kid Quotes:

Me: What kinds of magazines do you like to read?

Jae Hwi (international age 10): Furniture magazines!

94- Therapists?

Kid quote: (Shamelessly stolen from one of my colleagues.)

The vocab word is "Therapist"

Question: "Who can make a sentence with 'Therapist'?"

Answer: "The United States of America was attacked by therapists?"

or "Osama bin Laden was a therapist?"

Homebody

Me: Would you want Peter Pan for a friend?  Why or why not?

Kid: No.

Me: Why not?

Kid: It would have lots of travel. 

"Terrible!"

On one of the days I was out sick (see Anaphylaxis Adventures) I got a note from the sub that two of my kids wrote nonsense for homework.  I decided to take them to task for this in our next class.

Me: Tell me about your homework last week?

Student: My homework was terrible!

Good old fashioned honesty.  That's what I like to hear.      

Yesterday, we were discussing emergencies in class yesterday and I asked if anyone had ever called 119 (a topic on which I feel myself to be an expert) A few students sheepishly raised their hands.

Me: Why did you call 119?

Student: Because it is funny.

Me: Ah.  What is that called? (looking for "a prank call") 

Student: Terrible!

You gotta give 'em credit for spunk.  

"Lee Myung Bak is die."

The newly elected president (June 3 marked his 100th day in office) is already embroiled in conflict over US beef imports.  

News has reached the children and they are livid.  Interestingly enough, it's my youngest classes that are the most irate.  Six year olds have such strong opinions these days.  Their phonics practice sentences have included such gems as:  

~"I take the knife from the drawer and put it into Lee Myung Bak's head." 

~"Lee Myung Bak's face in the microwave."

~"I put the pen into Lee Myung Bak's heart." 

~"The lemon is in Lee Myung Bak's eye."  

I allow the carnage to continue, because at least they are killing in English.  

It's almost as priceless as my 13 year old girl students' crush on Obama...