Desk Warming: Day 1

My desk warming log:


I walk to school. A fools notion that I'd get a kick start to my resolution to be more healthy for the year 2013. My steps are slow and my breath is labored but the music buzzing into my ears keeps me going. I get to the top of the mountain and see my school, it's bright red and white covering a sharp contrast to the winter blue sky in the background. My eyes seek out any sign of life--none but a weathered old man devout to his own exercise regimen that neither snow nor rain nor heat nor darkness can keep him from accomplishing his appointed course with all speed. No cars. I’m alone, it would seem. I stomp up the steps and notice a splash of color. Oh no!!! A bird (a kind of finch, I think) has flown into the glass doors. Its helpless flutters and tweets sing a sad song to that fills soul with sorrow. I bend down to scoop up the scared creature in my gloved hands. I coo and speak softly as I gently check its little body for serious injury. I know to act quickly because its panic is strong. Cupping it close to the warmth of my body I tug my own glove off and lay it on the ground, a resting spot for the bird until it gets its bearings. I lay it lovingly on the glove as my heart beats quickly for the joy that maybe, just maybe, this little life could be saved. As I rise up to go into the office I hear another little tweet and then nothing. The stillness in the air and the absence of its little wings fluttering tell me that my actions had proved in vain. Its little life was over. Upon reflection I can’t help but see the correlation of his death to the death of this year. How fitting, and sad, that both shall end. However, I shall take heart in this little one’s life and death and continue forward into the near year. Happy New Years Eve!! May your 2013 be filled with Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Gentleness.

Bullying

The other day I found out that one of my students has been the victim of bullying. Pissed me off to no end. She's one of my best students who dances to the beat of her own drum. I remember when I first met her last year and she told me that she wanted to be a UN Interpreter or a Fashion model. She thinks she could both but the stress from both jobs would ultimately be too much so she has to choose between the two.
She's a bit awkward but in an endearing way. I've always been envious of the people who seem to just KNOW who they are and don't give a fig newton what other people think.

To find out that she is being bullied because she dares to be different makes me see red. When I found out about it I wanted to hunt the girl down and demand names, class numbers, and home addresses. Sadly, there is a communication barrier so even if I did find the girls who messed with her I wouldn't be able to say anything that they'd understand.

Thankfully the school is handling it. They are having a meeting today where the bullies are told to join so they can be punished (not physically) by the entire staff. Their parents have been invited as well. Apparently there had been death threats made and it scared her enough to tell her parents.

Her entire middle school life so far has been filled with situations like this. I remember a time last year when her friends decided to make fun of her and call her nasty names. She came to me crying and it took everything in me not to want to step up and find the girls who made her cry. I get possessive and it saddens me that I felt the need to protect her from my students.

I love all of my students dearly and I just wish that they would get along and just be friendly with each other. Kids are cruel though (as are adults) so I'm not sure how this meeting will actually help my girl. In fact, it might hurt her in the long run. I just wish that uniqueness could be celebrated instead of damned. That intelligence could be awarded instead of criticized.

I guess that's asking for too damn much.

Happy Chuseok!

Actually, it's finished, but the party is still going. This year Chuseok fell on one of the biggest festival days in Korea=The Andong Mask Dance Festival!

This entire week I've been lazy and haven't done much. I've gone to the Mask Dance and partied all night and met some pretty cool people. Since this is my third one the excitement isn't as high. I haven't taken any pictures and might not. Really, it's just like last year and the year before.
This time, however, I"m on the commercial for the Mask Dance!! Too bad I can't find it online or else I'd show you. My friend Sara and I were taken from the crowd and asked to learn one of the traditional dances. They were video taping it and it was a lot of fun. :D I feel like a movie star!!

The beautiful part about Chuseok for a foreigner are the days off. I only have to go to school on Thursday and then I'm done for the week. On Friday I get to go on a picnic to a Herb Garden with my 1st graders. I'm hoping for wonderful weather :D Every picnic for the past two years has been rainy and quite depressing.

A quick one :)

Me: Why did you want to be a teacher?


Co Teacher: That is a question I ask myself sometimes when the lights are out and I am in bed.

Funny moments brought to you by...

This week I'm having my first year students act out skits about sickness and injuries. I've had a few wonderful deomonstrations but today was the best so far.

A group of girls dressed up using paper props and reinacted a car accident. One girl promptly began acting like she'd broken her neck and was demanding money from the other driver. The other driver refused so they had to call the police. The police woman took the "Injured" girl to the hospital where the doctor said she was "just fine."



Another group of girls had lots of props. One girl came in complaining of having an injury--she'd broken her arm. She even went so far as to shout when the other girl thought to take her by the hand and lead her towards the "doctor". They had drawn pictures of X-rays and even pretended to give her a shot. Amazing. Just when I thought it was over the patient's mother came in dressed in flowery print clothes, fake (paper lips), and crying "MY BABY!!" When the mom found out her daughter was going to be OK she took out her mirror and started putting on her Chanel lipstick. Hilarious!

One group had their patient die...

All in all I'm very impressed with my first year students. =)

Apology letters

When my students use make up, mirrors, mp3, or their cell phone in class I take it away and won't give it back until I get an apology from them. Usually they write it themselves or have a friend help them with it. Today I got one that was totally google tranlated.

Amanda sir? I class at the time by touching the mirror Teacher cours, I'll clear that for the first time that depriving Touching momentarily forgot to boldly really worry. Am on the mirror Amanda in fhte future to avoid such a thing to keep in mind the teacher who taught me how to forget the rules and they'll remember.
To avoid his to happen again I'll ask once. Back mirror we not?

사과문 = Apology

늘 행복하시기를 = Always be happy (I hope you will be happy)
주위에있는영어찾아서적었어요 = I used English Dictionary to write this.

Funny Moments

So I've been wondering what I should be writing about in this blog. Everyone has a unique experience in Korea but the gereral theme is the same. Rather boring for someone who has lived her for two years already. So, instead I'm going to take a leaf from Bill Cosby's book and talk about some of the things my kids say or do.
Two instances readily come to mind and here they are:

My school has two buildings. The 3rd grade is in one building and the 1st and 2nd grade are in the other building.
As I was walking to class I spotted some grade three students quickly opening all of the windows in the grade 2 hallway. They were laughing quietly and acting quite suspicious. I walked over to the group and asked what they were doing. After a long debate in broken English and Phone Dictiontionaries this is how it ultimately went.
Me: What are you doing?
Student: Opening the windows. Mosquitoes outside.
Me: Having Mosquitoes outside is good, right?
Student: No, Mosquitoes inside. Bite 2nd year students.
Me:.....(This is my time to think about what I just heard. There had to be a mistake).
Seeing that I was rather confused one student bravely said:

"Biological Warfare."

Brilliant.






Another time we were playing a BOMB game in class. A bomb game is a review game on the computer using power point. In this game randomly a "Bomb" would explode and the team would lose their points. Sometimes the teams would be forced to trade points and other times they would have to give some of their points away.
Group 3 had to give all of their points to Group 1. When it was Group 1's turn they had the question "What do you THINK of this game." The usual response would include "I think this game is...." or "I feel this game is...." or "In my opinion this game is...."
Of course, every once in a while you get a wise response and this class did not disappoint. After a very short time one student looked at group 3 and said, "I think this game...is like life." Her smile was a little triumphant so I think she liked that she was on the winning side of life at the moment. My co-teacher and I laughed for a while. So refreshing :)