11:00 AM: Today was good. Morning 2nd-graders with H-Sol Teacher were sleepy and just fine. Next week, I really will make an effort to inject some interest into these deadly-dull topics. H-Sol and I talked about her parents' meeting yesterday. She was at school until 10 PM, as were most of the other teachers, talking with parents about all their various concerns.
3rd-grade was good. BH said he liked my outfit--jean shirt over jeans. He said all that blue made me look cold and he did a dramatic shiver for effect. BY relocated to the front to sit by BH, so I had my two geniuses right there, chatting up a storm.
But for the first time, I heard kids making fun of BY. He laughed at it and it seemed mostly good-natured, but I had to stop them at some point because I knew KBR said the boys resented BY's abilities and his constant need to show off. And honestly, he does have a very imitatable voice with lots of quirks. Yeongjoon is intelligent and witty, so he turned his talents toward mocking BY's voice. I consoled BY by saying that the boys mimicked my voice, too.
BH made me laugh several times. When I did a cutesy little overly-bright, "Let's try it!" to start speaking practice, he immediately made a vomiting sound. Every time I do something cute, he shudders and protests he hates it, but that's just a front. BH secretly loves aegyo. We all do.
Face-Yoonjae and Yeongjoon especially did good jobs, but it's finally sinking in for me just how little English some of the top-level boys have. I couldn't quite evaluate them last year, but when BY has to translate "What did you do yesterday?" for an A-level student, we've got problems. The same thing happened in other classes--HH and Geon were translating for their respective classes, basic questions like "How do you feel today?"
It's startling. But at least I know where they're working from. The saddest thing from 3rd-grade class today was when Jiheum genuinely couldn't think of anything nice in his life. I finally locked on to his enjoyment of computer games, and he wrote about that. Sujin was sitting all alone when he could easily have moved into an available chair by another kid. I sat by him and told him I was worried about him. He told me he simply preferred being solo during class.
KBR told me that BH's mom wants him to go to a special high school that focuses on English. KBR asked me how BH's speaking is, and I told her that there are occasionally words he doesn't understand, but his abilities are among the highest in the school, and his pronunciation is perfect.
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1:40 PM It's all been good so far. My 2nd class of 2nd-graders was good. The sound on the computer was broken, so the kids couldn't hear the dialogues, but eh. We tried. And I had more fun with the class because even though what I was teaching was not fun, the kids themselves are fun.
So many of them tried to laugh and joke with me. It was great. Seongho, Yehoon, and Daehwan in the front were just my little dudes and they joked with me so much. And Gyutae in the back loves me to distraction--he never stops telling me that I'm beautiful. And the middle of the room has Laryngitis Seonghoon and Tall-Minshik. These kids are loveable, and I felt love for them. Somehow, I'll fix the lesson so they can understand better.
I also noticed NG-Teacher being the best ever with the kids. Goodness. They love him to death, and if he let them, they would snuggle him like they do the Technology Teacher. It was really encouraging to see them being so happy in his presence and him teasing them back and smacking them on the head when they got sassy, etc. At first I didn't know if he liked them, but now I know. Even if the kids don't comprehend the lesson, they've got two teachers who really think they're special.
After lunch, Jeongmin and Hyunho caught up with me to walk around the soccer field with me. It was fun, walking and talking with them. Hyunho pointed out his hyung Inho on the field. When we passed the basketball players, Byeonghyun threw the ball at me when I wasn't looking. It just hit my leg, though. I picked it up and threw it back, hitting Byeonghyun in the chest a little too hard. I was just intending to pass it back, but it would up being too forceful. I want to catch up with him later and make sure he knows it was accidental.
Upstairs in the artroom, the 2ng-graders played Monopoly and Duck-Subin was the banker in the beginning. In class, Subin has seemed downright afraid of me, unwilling to say a single word, but now he's arguing with me in Korean over why he should get to be banker. You go, little dude. You bargain with me for what you want. I'm just glad to see you asserting yourself in any way.
I did ask Subin why he was wearing a winter coat in 70-degree weather. He had no answer, though. Wonbin is very excited for Lunchtime Games on Monday. When Myeongcheon wants Monopoly cash he asks for it by saying "show me the money!" which is a tagline from a Korean rap-competition show.
Twins Eungyo and Eunjae spent half the lunch game in asking me to see again and again and again. Jeongmin showed me a paper that says he's going to speak at the assembly for Saturday Class today. I'll be staying at school 'til 5 to listen to the commencement speeches and to maybe meet the parents.
C-Jeongmin came by to give me gum and to ask who I was texting on Kakao. I showed him pictures of my American teacher-friends and let him read some of our messages. He loved that.
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4 PM: Holy cuteness, Batman. The last class of 1st-graders of the day, which had been in the past my only group of really hard 1st-graders, were splendid.
I mean splendid. William-Jiyoon was gone, which made things a little quieter, but still overall things are great because I got close with all my rabble rousers. And! And! Because some of the wild ones are the very kids I made buddies with yesterday in my afterschool! I had never noticed Jinhyuk or Dongjoon in my classes before, but now I know that I do in fact teach my afterschool boys during the week.
Everyone was still really energetic and I had to calm them down several times, but we did okay. And I have a new little sweetheart--Jeongmook looks exactly like a baby version of Wooseok, and he annoyed the fire out of me last week, but he was just trying to get noticed. Today, Jeongmook called me over to help me with his crossword and tried to keep me by his side for the whole class.
Jeongmook also contrived to hold my hand for longer than any kid has yet managed to do. I would stand up to listen to the other kids do speaking practice, and Jeongmook would just hold my hand with both of his, turning it over and inspecting it, playing with my bracelet, etc. Jeongmook also cautioned me I shouldn't cross my legs because it isn't ladylike. Is that a thing in Korea? Maybe in the wrong kind of skirt it is, but jeans are another matter.
And I found out that Jeongmook, Jongmin, and Jinyhuk were all taught in elementary school by my friend Michael! So awesome to know they were Michael's kids before they were mine. It's a sweet kind of continuity. He put effort into their education, and I'm doing the same.
Jeongmook was not the only hand-holdy kid in the crowd. I was high-fiving them all as they went out the door but my favorites managed to hang on. Jinhyuk and Dongjoon, the two students from afterschool, both held on for several seconds, and I barely managed to dislodge Jeongmook at all.
When school was over, I saw him outside as I was walking around the building. We talked for a while about weekend plans, then he took my hand and turned himself around until he had wrapped my arm around him. To clarify, I did not officially meet this kid until one hour previous, and he was already maneuvering for hugs. That's a record.
Saw Bossy-Dongseok leaving school. He told me he has dropped to C-ban, too. I told him I miss him.
About to be time for the Saturday class commencement!
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7 PM: Ohmygoshness!
I walked into the gym for the Saturday class commencement and as I was standing around, talking to B-Teacher, I was swarmed by three little 1st-grade cutiepies: Leader-Jaehoon, CoolGuy Hyunseo, and Helper-Eunseong. Ahhh!
They high-fived me and danced around excitedly, telling me that they were going to be in class with me. Here I was thinking the only kids I'd know in the program were Jeongmin and Hyungro, but lo and behold! Three of my little guys are in there. Not only that, but I must have interviewed them all in December because I interviewed the elementary kids. Now I'm trying to picture them all in that little interview chair--I can see them 3 months ago, if I try.
On the day of the interviews, I gave every child a Reeses' cup, so that came back to me in a good way. I started off on the right foot with these kids. They are so jazzed to be my kids. I love their joy.
Got to prepare lessons for tomorrow, now. Off I go!
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