mix-up.

i started writing this post about something that happened in my elementary class this afternoon, and it occurred to me that it's possible i've never actually laid out what my day looks like so here it is:

from 9:30-2:30, kookje english village (the name of my school...also have i mentioned this before?) is a kindergarten for 23 little angels (devils) ages 5-7 korean age, which means 4-6 american age. (when kids are born here, they are automatically age 1, and when january one rolls around, everybody in the whole country turns another year older. so, for example, if a kid is born on december 31, already 1 year old, he will then turn 2 the next day. a two day old is considered a 2 year old. so unfair! koreans are always trying to get a jump start on us westerners...actually though it's so fitting with the whole 'nobody's allowed to be an individual here!' thing that EVERYBODY turns another year older at the same time. pfffff!) so anyway, the classes are 30 minutes each and we change rooms for each class while the kids stay put. a lot of moving around for us! but it makes the day go super fast.

then from 3:00-5:15 we teach elementary students who come for classes after their regular school. these are also 30 min classes and a nice change after the kindergarten since they can wipe their own noses, etc.

OK. so here's the story. today in the highest elementary class , we were working on our weekly essay, this week the topic being, 'how often do you see your gradnparents." as all 4 students were scribbling furiously so as to lessen the amount of homework they would have that night, one of my students named mark shot his head up and asked me how to spell the word 'crap.' here's how the conversation went:

mark: carolyn teacher, how do you spell crap?
me: crap? how do you spell crap?
mark: yes teacher, crap.
me: why do you need to know how to spell crap mark? what are you writing about?
mark: how do you spell crap carolyn teacher?
me: um, ok. c-r-a-p.

2 minutes later....

mark: carolyn teacher, how do you spell bitch?
me: excuse me? what?
mark: bitch.
me: bitch? mark, what...what...what are you writing? this is an essay about your grandparents...
mark: bitch, teacher, please. how do you spell?
me: mark, crap and bitch? what?
mark: (nod.)

pause....

anna (student): sigh. crab and beach, carolyn teacher.

me: oh, CRAB and BEACH!!!!!!

apparently, he was writing about the time he went on vacation with his grandma. whew.




me: why do you need to know how to spell crap?