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Published: December 15th 2008
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Classes have been going well for the most part. A lot of my students love me and that makes me happy. A few of them have written me letters of appreciation and many of them greet me with eager hugs or smiles. But I have one class, LT kindergarten, that hates my stinkin’ guts. I am under a lot of pressure to get them to finish a certain book called English Time. They don’t like the book. I don’t like the book. And basically nobody wants to be there. But finish this book, they must.
One of my students, let's call him Booger, is pretty terrible at constructing grammatically correct sentences. “Me no like this soup, Teacher. Little, little soup, teacher.” But he recently impressed me with an amazing sentence. “I don’t like English Time, because I don’t like Margaret-teacher.” I was so taken aback with this well-constructed sentence that it took me a minute to comprehend.
“Wow! Booger! Great sent- … wait a minute. Booger, you don’t like me?”
He gave an overzealous shake of the head. “No, teacher.”
“Me too, I don’t like Margaret-teacher,” said little Annie from the corner.
“Margaret-teacher fat like baby in belly,” yelled Beth from across the table.
“I like you Margaret-teacher,” came a weak little voice next to me. It was JJ, the dumb kid. You know it’s bad when only the dumb one likes you.
So I did the mature adult thing and told them all (except JJ) that I didn’t like them either and if they didn’t like me they could stop coming and my life would be much happier without them. So nah. They talked all class period and I couldn’t get anyone to shut up, sit down, listen or learn. So I began peeling their stickers off of their sticker sheets. After they fill up a sticker sheet they can hand it in for a stupid little prize.
“Minus ten for anybody talking or out of their seats.” That went over really well... not. They’re absolute freaks for these stickers. “TEACHER NO! THOSE ARE MY STICKERS!!!!” They kicked and screamed and cried. Some fell to the floor in despair.
“Maybe you will respect Margaret-teacher from now on, huh you little shits?”
Anyways, that week my boss held a work meeting regarding treatment of the children. Apparently, there’s some sorta global economic crisis going on and it’s taking a toll on the amount of parents who are able and wiling to pay for their children to learn English. “Be nice to the children please,” urged Sherry, the wicked witch of the East. “This school is expensive, and we need to have the children begging their parents to come here in order to get them to come back in January. So please, no telling them you don’t like them, and don’t take too many stickers from them. Instead, give them many stickers and make them smile.” She looked straight at me as she spoke. I wondered which one of those little brats squealed? Who went home and cried to their mommy like a little baby? I bet it was Booger. Minus ten for Booger.
I’m being a bit nicer to them, now. This morning I played with them for ten minutes. We got a little carried away and were running around the room like idiots, yelling and screaming and roaring, but laughing. I gave most of them stickers (not Booger, that jerk). And I have been giving them candy. I realize that rewarding them for good things is a pretty easy way to get them to behave. Instead of picking out the bad kids and yelling at them, I have started picking out the good ones and going “WOW! George is sitting so nicely. Plus one for George.” The rest of them shut the fuck up immediately. It’s amazing. Then I just give them all stickers. And guess what? At lunch today, little Annie told me she liked me. And Booger called Beth fat. That made me happy because I’ve been wanting to call her fat since she called me fat.
Supposedly this job is supposed to change me. It’s supposed to shape me into a way different person. And, I guess it has. I am now an ornery, annoyed, fat, old lady who keeps getting more and more immature by the day. Fantastic.
The weather is pretty good. Compared to Milwaukee, anyway. No snow and temperatures in the 30’s and 40’s. It’s supposed to get up to 50 this week. I have been wearing fall coats mostly. I have been enjoying myself on the weekends and intend to go to Seoul this next weekend.
Vanessa broke her foot by falling in the street so I took her a pizza yesterday. She’s gonna have to stay off of it for 6 weeks which really sucks.
I also went to the Korean War Memorial in Songdo, which was where the Incheon Invasion of 1950 took place. It was a neat place and not far from my house. Haven’t seen a cockroach in a while and my boss fixed my heat so I don’t wake up miserably cold and afraid of cockroaches anymore… which is, of course, a plus.
Peace from SK.
-Margaret
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JenJen
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oh my god, I can't believe that little bitch called you fat!! although the way she said it was kinda funny, I have to admit I laughed when I read it. well it's snowing right now in mke and it's supposed to snow again on thurs...ugh...so be glad you're not around for that! went to yield last weekend and it reminded me of you :) miss you!