It has once again been awhile, and I feel terribly guilty about that. But I do have a plan! Awhile ago, one of my facebook friends started writing down the special moments in her class (and I mean special in all possible ways). I used to love reading it and could almost feel some of the students personalities reaching out to me across the pages. So I have decided that I will start writing down some of the gems that I get and putting them here for the world to see so that my students' personalities can touch you like they have touched me. Here are some from yesterday and today:
Teacher: In Korean, pumpkin can mean someone who is ugly. Not pretty.
Students: *Nod enthusiastically*
Teacher: In English, a pumpkin can be someone who is cute or sweet. You understand?
Students (or at least some of them): Yes.
Two minutes later...
Student: Teacher! You're a pumpkin.
After a moment's silence from the whole class...
Student: Teacher! I mean it like America!
***
When explaining metophors to the students, a couple of them started coming up with ones of their own.
"My brain is a lemon!" - It doesn't work.
"My mind is a playground!" - It is empty.
"My foot is a computer mouse!" - She had pins and needles and was moving it around a lot.
***
While I was walking up and down the aisles checking homework...
Student: "Teacher! Bus handles!"
Teacher: *Confused look*
Student: "Bus handles!" *Makes a motion with her hand as though grabbing hold of something."
Teacher: "I don't understand."
Student: "Earrings! Bus handles!"
Teacher: "Ah. Yes. I have big earrings."
Student: "Can I pull them?"
***
Trying to explain what "stick up" means...
Teacher: "Do you know "protect"?
Students: *Blank stares*
Teacher: *Writing on the blackboard* "Protect means keep safe."
Silence for a moment and then a gasp of realisation from the back.
Student: "Guard?"
Teacher: "Yes, guard."
Sudden outburst of computer game terms from all the male students.
***
I am sure that there are more pieces of wisdom that I am forgetting about for the moment simply because the idea only dawned on me this afternoon. From now on, I will be sure to write them down and dispense them here on a regular basis.
In other news, tonight is going to be the first night this week that I am going to skip Taekwondo (shock! horror!) because I made plans with Maria and Jess for dinner before the classes started. Also, I am stiff, sleep deprived and energy deprived and almost collapsed at least twice today, so I feel that one night off isn't too much of a disaster.
I got my lovely white Taekwondo uniform on Tuesday (see pictures on the left and right) and it was ruined within ten minutes as my finger 
mysteriously started bleeding and wouldn't stop. I now have a couple of blood smudges and one blood patch on my uniform, which I am not impressed about. On a positive note though, it could be seen as blood of my enemy and then no one will want to mess with me. It didn't stop people laughing at me in my uniform as I walked to class last night though. *Shrug*
Teacher: In Korean, pumpkin can mean someone who is ugly. Not pretty.
Students: *Nod enthusiastically*
Teacher: In English, a pumpkin can be someone who is cute or sweet. You understand?
Students (or at least some of them): Yes.
Two minutes later...
Student: Teacher! You're a pumpkin.
After a moment's silence from the whole class...
Student: Teacher! I mean it like America!
***
When explaining metophors to the students, a couple of them started coming up with ones of their own.
"My brain is a lemon!" - It doesn't work.
"My mind is a playground!" - It is empty.
"My foot is a computer mouse!" - She had pins and needles and was moving it around a lot.
***
While I was walking up and down the aisles checking homework...
Student: "Teacher! Bus handles!"
Teacher: *Confused look*
Student: "Bus handles!" *Makes a motion with her hand as though grabbing hold of something."
Teacher: "I don't understand."
Student: "Earrings! Bus handles!"
Teacher: "Ah. Yes. I have big earrings."
Student: "Can I pull them?"
***
Trying to explain what "stick up" means...
Teacher: "Do you know "protect"?
Students: *Blank stares*
Teacher: *Writing on the blackboard* "Protect means keep safe."
Silence for a moment and then a gasp of realisation from the back.
Student: "Guard?"
Teacher: "Yes, guard."
Sudden outburst of computer game terms from all the male students.
***
I am sure that there are more pieces of wisdom that I am forgetting about for the moment simply because the idea only dawned on me this afternoon. From now on, I will be sure to write them down and dispense them here on a regular basis.
In other news, tonight is going to be the first night this week that I am going to skip Taekwondo (shock! horror!) because I made plans with Maria and Jess for dinner before the classes started. Also, I am stiff, sleep deprived and energy deprived and almost collapsed at least twice today, so I feel that one night off isn't too much of a disaster.
I got my lovely white Taekwondo uniform on Tuesday (see pictures on the left and right) and it was ruined within ten minutes as my finger 
mysteriously started bleeding and wouldn't stop. I now have a couple of blood smudges and one blood patch on my uniform, which I am not impressed about. On a positive note though, it could be seen as blood of my enemy and then no one will want to mess with me. It didn't stop people laughing at me in my uniform as I walked to class last night though. *Shrug*
I think Bus Handles mean your ear-rings were as large as bus steering wheels. Handle is konglish for steering wheel i think.
Well from the movements it looked more like they were holding on to something from the roof. And she did ask if she could pull it. *shrug*