10 AM: The Demon Class did great. They still, you know, swung their headphone cords like cowboy lassos (Youngmin) and tossed balls until I confiscated them (Seongtaek), but overall we had a super good time. I sat with Sujin and worked with him, because I know he's been wanting to hang out. Sujin's got a sly sense of humor and we made each other laugh with ideas for the Thanksgiving acrostic.
Then I moved back to work with Tall-Jeongwook, who likes me and has amazing hair, and Jiwoong, who doesn't hate me as much as I thought. We had a lovely time joking about whether or not Jiwoong actually contributed to the completion of the worksheet and whether he should get chocolate at the end of class.
I was five steps past happy to see Jiwoong laughing and using English to protest the Jeongwook was a liar and that the whole worksheet (except the word "toilet") had been entirely his idea. Jiwoong crowed in victory and Jeongwook groaned in defeat when I wrote both their names on the paper, qualifying them equally for after-class chocolate. Ah, Jiwoong. You don't know how it brightens my day when you're feeling glad.
Ikgwang's name isn't Ikgwang, it's Ikhwan. Don't know how I got it wrong--I probably misspelled it in August and something distracted him from correcting me. He kept score for me in the turkey game and wrote me as one of the things he was thankful for. KBR-Teacher was telling me that he's in her homeroom class and he always helps her with things. He's a very thoughtful, protective boy, the epitome of a Southern gentleman, really. After class, I gave him two pieces of chocolate, and then handed over I third when he said "Please may I."
Sujin stopped me in the hallway to talk again, then Gyuchan came up to show me a card trick. They're fun people to be around.
In the special needs room, Yeongchang called me over to the piano to show him the left hand part for Canon again. He's getting it so quickly, I think he's actually got a good propensity for music, he just hasn't had the benefit of lessons.
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3 PM: Good day! Kids in 1-5, 1-6 B were cute and awesome, and by now I can stand at the front of the class and simply call out names to answer questions because I know almost all of them, and they like that.
Baby Heekyu was on the verge of sleeping in class like usual, because after 9 hours of school he goes off to hagwon, but I nudged him awake just enough to do his worksheet for chocolate. My new policy for the worksheets is, if you complete them and bring them to me at the end of class, you get chocolate. This keeps the boys holding on to their papers and it reinforces my memory of their names because I write their names on the papers, then see the papers once more when they hand them back.
Jeongminnie was waiting for me both before and after lunch and we got to finish watching his video together. His friend Woohyuk tagged along, but Jeongmin made a subtle point of saying, "Woohyuk is here, but you can't talk because you don't speak much Korean."
Listen, sugar, I get along okay with Korean, and Woohyuk is A-ban and knows more English than you think he does. But Woohyuk's actual communicative ability was not what was at stake, here--Jeongminnie just wants to be special to me, to be the only boy I can have conversations with. Woohyuk is meant to be a mere afterword to the novel that is Jeongmin. He is a wingman, only.
While finishing the video with Jeongmin, Talkative-Jinseo and Blackhaired-Seonghyun (previously 'C-class Seonghyun' but that seemed too elitist) came by. "Teacher, cards. Cards please." And with them was Jiwoong! He didn't play with us, but Jiwoong came over with Jinseo and stood around my desk for awhile. Aww.
At cards, Seonmoon from yesterday joined us, as did Daesung. Then Giant-Shion got into the game, and he's just as delightful as I predicted. He's so big he looms over everybody, but he has the nicest disposition. Euijae joined us as well, and Wooseok. In between games, I arm-wrestled Wooseok (stalemate--he kept cheating. I might actually be stronger, but I'm not willing to wrench my wrist to find out) and Euijae, who won easily, and Shion who won easily using only two fingers. That's how strong this kid is--my whole hand is not equal to his first two fingers.
Jaehwan and Jinhwan showed up and Jinhwan translated between me and Wooseok, which says something about Jinhwan's intelligence because he only scored 10% on his last English exam. And still, he's a smart kid.
Wooseok was again trying to figure exactly where I live, and now I know the purpose--he wants to walk me home from school. I was trying to figure out if he wanted to walk today, but he seems to think it should be on Friday. He also wants to know what floor I live in and seems to think he will be coming inside. No, honeybunny. But I'll buy you gimbap at the corner store, how does that sound?
2-5, 2-6 B was awesome. Seongsu talked a mile a minute, and Dongjin flirted incessantly...
Dongjin: I love you. Teacher is my wife.
Me: Hi, honey. *continues preparing lesson*
Dongjin: So pretty. Leigh Teacher my girlfriend.
Me: Ah, but I'm Junho's girlfriend. *connects internet cable to computer*
Dongjin: No, no Junho! I Junho dead.
Me: You're going to kill Junho? *connects audio cable*
Dongjin/Seongsu: YESSSS.
Me: But he's so big.
Dongjin: No, I strong!
Seongsu: Teacher, I get knife. Knife. *mimes stabbing Junho*
Haven't seen Junho in two days--he's either skipping school or he got suspended, because he's not at lunch, not in the hall or with his two BFF's, who are currently plotting his demise, it would seem.
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10 PM: Names to remember in 3-3, 3-4 B (The Apathy Class): Hosun, Hunyeong, Juyeong, Jaemin. Because I had no Mr. B for this class period and even though I was just playing them a movie, it's hard having a class I can't engage at all, even in low-key games. Two weeks ago, the only kid who would play UNO with me was Jaebom, but the next week I didn't even offer to play with him because the other boys were teasing him too hard about it.
But today, I saw one kid looking at me curiously while I set up my computer, so once the movie was playing, I went to his table and said to the 4 boys there, "We're playing spoons." They were so interested, they forgot their shyness/discomfort/apathy/ and had a great time. Hunyeong even came from way across the room to join. We had a lovely time, and I met some amazing kids. Here I thought this was a dead class, but I was just asking the wrong kids to participate! I look forward to seeing them again.
Byeongyoonie surprised me twice today, once in the office, once in the hallway, and the second time he turned a shoulder-grab into more of a hug.It was adorable.
Seonwoo sang "Joah" to me and followed me down the hall to ask for chocolate. I miss you too, Seonwoo-yah.
Had a killer time with my 1st-graders in afterschool. I assigned them a crossword that even I had trouble solving, but we got through it all together.
Sat with HH at the bus stop for a while. He looked really tired, but he told me he just rides the bus home instead of going to hagwon after school. I was so relieved! I don't want any of the boys overworked.
Sujin said, "I love you. I think of you every day. Please give me chocolate." He also said that his birthday is on Saturday when Dongjun said, apropos of nothing, that his own birthday was on Friday. Why are the boys suddenly telling me their birthdays? Angling for more presents? I already feed you lots, kiddos.
Jinhwan and Yeonghyo think they're also walking me home on Friday. Who all is going to be doing this? Is it officially a group activity, like a field trip?
Inha got absolutely verbally torn to shreds by O-Teacher today. I found out later that it was because he was hurting Seongwon. All the boys roughhouse and it's to be expected, but Inha takes it too far sometimes and O-Teacher had had it with him damaging Seongwonnie. But I didn't see anything, I was just in the room hearing Inha getting yelled at. Jaehyung took me by the elbows and carefully steered me out the door, saying "Dashi oseyo" or "come back again". All I can figure is, he didn't want me to see the ugly scene that was playing out because he never ever wants me to leave the special needs room.
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