Week 20, Thursday
Final Week of Fall Semester
This is the first week I’ve sat more than I’ve stood and my back is answering for it. I’m wondering how I’ll survive the next three weeks of desk warming.
3-4 also declined class today so H and I had a long discussion about come versus go in Korean. It ended again with H saying I needed to stay at this elementary school for another year (she’d return for the last half of it) and saying I need a Korean boo.
“Where should I meet him?”
“Um maybe in the street?”
“Should I make business cards with my phone number that say ‘date me’?”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
Grade 3 watched the German film Fiddlesticks and I’m proud to say I could predict exactly when they would mutter “aw cute”. The younger boys love using this phrase when they watch movies. Jaekyung entered class with a sheet of small stickers.
“You can a choose one.”
“But these are so small!”
“Okay you can choose five.”
I saw her with her mom and little sister yesterday and told her that they look very similar. She responded that her little sister is going into second grade.
A boy named Geoni and Strong Girl won first and second place for school representatives respectively. I couldn’t place the boy’s name until twelve hours after H described him as “small, cute, loud, good at English”. It just now clicked. And that is an apt description. I’ve been impressed with him since he demanded to know if this is straight hair and that is curly hair, what’s in between?
Three girls of 6-4 saw me between class and asked me using their recent chapter knowledge, “would you like to come to my graduation?” Very proud. I may or may not be required to attend so yes, I’d love to.
The girls of 6-4 are clever and funny too, there’s an outgoing one with very short hair, which is extremely uncommon, who wore basketball shorts in the warmer months. She and another were play fighting: teacher she is a boy! No, teacher, she is a MAN.
“Well I think [short hair girl] is cute!” She really does rock her haircut and has the confidence for it, too.
There was a tall quiet boy in 6-2 who appeared and disappeared just as suddenly. He wasn’t on the photo sheet either. Had I instructed a ghost? I asked S about him. “Was he white or tan? Tall? What was his name?”
“Well I don’t know his name, I guess he’s not tan. He is tall.”
Some of our grade 6 boys are light skinned and some are darker-skinned, Korean skin tones actually run a large scale. I’m on the pale end here.
S ran it by the other teachers. He transferred into this school and then transferred out which you can do by moving or if you are an exemplary student. He was the only good boy in 6-2 so I wish him the best.
Language Corner
My third graders were very confused when I pronounced “a” as “A” instead of “uh”. Teacher what are you saying? I suppose they’ve never heard a native speaker say it as long A for emphasis. Which is also why kids need to hear native speaking.