Fine day. I'm not especially tired, but I'm still on that weird Jet-Lag Sleep Limbo, where I go to bed and wake up at odd hours and stay very very alert for short periods of time. Last night, I went to bed at 7 PM, woke up at 1:30 AM, went to bed again at 4, woke up again at 7.
I've been watching "Maleficent" with the kids and I had a great discussion about it with BY this morning. He saw some themes and elements that I hadn't picked up on, and I taught him the phrase "it comes in handy," meaning that something is useful or helpful.
Shion insisted that the movie was going to be "no jam," but he was definitely invested in it after about twenty minutes.
Today after lunch is my last Giant Class. I'm not feeling particularly significant about it, though I almost feel like I should be. It was the class that witnessed my biggest failures, the class that made me cry most, the one that drained every bit of energy I had on most Tuesdays and Wednesdays. But it was also the place where I made new friends and where I learned to chill.
I learned that if the kids aren't bent to learn, nothing I do will change that--not talent, not hard work, not iron-fisted control, not even sweetness. But while educating them against their wishes might not be possible, sweetness was, and is, still always the best route. You catch more flies with honey and in this case what I really want to "catch" is their hearts. They don't have to like me or listen to me, but they need to know that I will listen to them if they need it. Giant Class made me stronger because it made me see that I needed to be sweeter.
In other news, this is the funniest thing I've read this week. I stumbled across it on the internet, it's written by some Reddit user who was describing a phrase he totally misunderstood as a child:
-------------------------------
When I was young my father said to me:
"Knowledge is Power....Francis Bacon"
I understood it as "Knowledge is power, France is Bacon".
For more than a decade I wondered over the meaning of the second part and what was the surreal linkage between the two? If I said the quote to someone, "Knowledge is power, France is Bacon" they nodded knowingly. Or someone might say, "Knowledge is power" and I'd finish the quote "France is Bacon" and they wouldn't look at me like I'd said something very odd but thoughtfully agree. I did ask a teacher what did "Knowledge is power, France is bacon" mean and got a full 10 minute explanation of the Knowledge is power bit but nothing on "France is bacon". When I prompted further explanation by saying "France is Bacon?" in a questioning tone I just got a "yes". at 12 I didn't have the confidence to press it further. I just accepted it as something I'd never understand.
It wasn't until years later I saw it written down that the penny dropped.
__________________________________________________
Love it.
-------------------------
3:40 PM
Classes over but still hanging out at school for a while longer. Today was...ehh. I dunno, just ehh. But I'm listening to peppy tunes to get my spirits upppity again.
After lunch, Hyo wanted some of the green-tea flavored Kit-Kats that I'd bought the boys when I was in Japan. I got a bunch of them so that I'd have plenty to give out, and they've been a big hit. I was surprised because no matter how often I offer it, Hyo basically never wants candy or chocolate. But he ate one mini-bar, then shyly asked for a whole pack.
I gave him one entire pack containing 3 mini-bars, because he is "my boy". I said this as I patted his head and HH, who was sitting next to me, bristled visibly.
Then we re-hashed how he was the first student I had a real conversation with because he was the first kid who was brave enough to come talk to me in the Saturday class during that first week when I was observing. He never gets tired of hearing me describe that time and enumerate the many ways in which he was cool and smart for having done so. He will prompt me to say more if I forget parts of the story.
It's like me not getting tired of hearing my Dad tell stories about when I was young and did great feats of dexterity on the softball field. No one grows weary of hearing about their history when it's a happy one.
Deokryong came by to remind me that his birthday is next week and that I'd better cough up a present. Kiddo, I'd cough up a lung for you. Birthday presents are the least I'd do.
I was standing by the 2nd-floor window after 6th period, watching the kids going home when Yunho scooted in close and shrieked in my ear. That child. I'm going to get him back somehow, though...
Great convo with SY at lunch. She and I have missed each other rather a lot and it's good to be reunited.
Some of last year's graduated students came by the office. One of them, who I rescued from bullying once, remembered me. His friend didn't because he was in C-level English before, but my kid said to him in Korean, "Yes, of course you don't know her. But I do because I was in B-level since my English is so good." That's the spirit, mister. Keep that self-esteem high!
-----------------------------------------------------------
