Kitchen: stove, small washer, sink, fridge, and microwave
Bathroom: "Korean style"
Bedroom: not really a room. It's connected to the kitchen area.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
中华 (Chinese) channel in Korea
7/16/2008
As mentioned before, there is a Chinese channel, which shows news from China, and entertainment programs from China and Taiwan. Lately, because of the Olympics, many people are touring/visiting China. I’ve seen a program that teaches the Koreans/foreigners how to bargain when in China. The 3 hosts are Korean, they invites some Chinese people on the show to teach them how to bargain in Chinese and then they would go out to different shops in China and practice using the same phrases and see what kind of deal they can get. I thought it’s pretty interesting. Later on, I saw an American host who basically does the same thing and teach people how to bargain, the only difference was she bargain in English instead of having to learn Chinese. Surprisingly, she was able to get the price she budgeted at the end. Most Chinese store owners/salesman know the basic numbers in English, and or they would take out a calculator and communicate that way.
As mentioned before, there is a Chinese channel, which shows news from China, and entertainment programs from China and Taiwan. Lately, because of the Olympics, many people are touring/visiting China. I’ve seen a program that teaches the Koreans/foreigners how to bargain when in China. The 3 hosts are Korean, they invites some Chinese people on the show to teach them how to bargain in Chinese and then they would go out to different shops in China and practice using the same phrases and see what kind of deal they can get. I thought it’s pretty interesting. Later on, I saw an American host who basically does the same thing and teach people how to bargain, the only difference was she bargain in English instead of having to learn Chinese. Surprisingly, she was able to get the price she budgeted at the end. Most Chinese store owners/salesman know the basic numbers in English, and or they would take out a calculator and communicate that way.
Subway stations and Korean lessons
7/12/2008
Today was the 2nd time for my Korean lesson. I realized although it’s a bit far, I actually look forward to the class every Saturdays to learn more of the Korean language. Korean is truly a hard language (in my opinion) especially its pronunciations; some sounds that neither English nor Chinese possess. Even my Korean teacher said that Korean is getting more difficult the more she learns/studies. For example, last week we learned about different endings/forms of a sentence, and there are at least 5-7 (maybe even more) different ending forms to express the same things depending on the person (age, status) you’re speaking to and the situation you’re speaking in.
Another reason I enjoy the class is because I can once again be a student. Being a teacher from Monday through Friday, it is good to be on the other side. It is a big responsibility as a teacher because you are responsible for all the students in the class; however, being a student, you just need to be responsible for yourself. Also, it puts me in a different shoe to feel some of the feelings that my students have and also gives me some ideas of teaching my own class. In a way, I’m just like those students of mine who have just started learning an entirely foreign/new language (it’s English for them, and Korean for me), despite of the age differences, some of the struggles are very similar. I also found myself start identifying myself with some of my kids depending on what type of student I am in class. For example, when I’m being more active in class as a student, it would remind me of the kids who are being active learners in class as well.
Kangnam station is one of the bigger subway stations. There are a lot of stores and vendors in the station and they sale almost EVERYTHING. In fact, most of the stations I’ve been to in Korea all have stores/vendors but depending on the area, the stations further from Seoul are usually not as crowded and busy. Another reason Kangnam is a busy area is because there are colleges nearby so a lot of students. One thing worth mentioning, not only the station has stores/vendors, even on the subway, you can see couple sales men go from compartment to compartment selling their products right there on the spot. I’ve seen people selling umbrellas, shirts, and cleaning products. People actually purchase items from them as well. I thought that was interesting, not sure if they need a license or permit to do that though.
Today was the 2nd time for my Korean lesson. I realized although it’s a bit far, I actually look forward to the class every Saturdays to learn more of the Korean language. Korean is truly a hard language (in my opinion) especially its pronunciations; some sounds that neither English nor Chinese possess. Even my Korean teacher said that Korean is getting more difficult the more she learns/studies. For example, last week we learned about different endings/forms of a sentence, and there are at least 5-7 (maybe even more) different ending forms to express the same things depending on the person (age, status) you’re speaking to and the situation you’re speaking in.
Another reason I enjoy the class is because I can once again be a student. Being a teacher from Monday through Friday, it is good to be on the other side. It is a big responsibility as a teacher because you are responsible for all the students in the class; however, being a student, you just need to be responsible for yourself. Also, it puts me in a different shoe to feel some of the feelings that my students have and also gives me some ideas of teaching my own class. In a way, I’m just like those students of mine who have just started learning an entirely foreign/new language (it’s English for them, and Korean for me), despite of the age differences, some of the struggles are very similar. I also found myself start identifying myself with some of my kids depending on what type of student I am in class. For example, when I’m being more active in class as a student, it would remind me of the kids who are being active learners in class as well.
Kangnam station is one of the bigger subway stations. There are a lot of stores and vendors in the station and they sale almost EVERYTHING. In fact, most of the stations I’ve been to in Korea all have stores/vendors but depending on the area, the stations further from Seoul are usually not as crowded and busy. Another reason Kangnam is a busy area is because there are colleges nearby so a lot of students. One thing worth mentioning, not only the station has stores/vendors, even on the subway, you can see couple sales men go from compartment to compartment selling their products right there on the spot. I’ve seen people selling umbrellas, shirts, and cleaning products. People actually purchase items from them as well. I thought that was interesting, not sure if they need a license or permit to do that though.
[There’s a sandwich shop at Kangnam station worth mentioning. I was surprised to see there are still people who are so trusting of others in this day and age. The way to pay for your order is simple, there are couple bins in front of the counter with the change (coins and bills) and customers would put down the $$ and get their own change. They probably think they can save time this way by just concentrating on preparing the orders; however, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that payment method before if ever, totally self-service!]
I would normally shop at the Kangnam station after my Korean class because they actually have some really cheap stuff around 4,000 to 10,000 Won (which is about $4-10 U.S. dollars). The only thing is it’s non-returnable for cheap items like that. Since those are little shops, I don’t see dressing rooms anywhere and people don’t seem to be trying on clothes anyways. One of my friends told me some of them are hidden and you have to ask to see if there’s a dressing room. Of course, with my Korean language ability, I don’t ever ask. It’s not a big deal to by tops (especially loose, big t-shirt) without trying on, but I’ve learned not to buy bottoms without trying it on first. I once bought a pair of skinny jeans and didn’t fit and could not return. I actually don’t really know my size in Korea, because they have different system for tops/bottoms and shoes, and Asian girls are normally petite, so their sizes might run even smaller. I found this online size chart (link), but since every shop might be a little different; it’s still wise to try on first before purchasing. In Korea, the trend/fashion is to wear big, long shirts and a lot of jumper style of shorts, pants, and skirts. I also confirmed what one of the Korean girls in the states told me: It is ok to show your legs but make sure the top (especially the breasts area and midriff are covered fully). Therefore, you see a lot of very short, tiny shorts and skirts, but long T-shirts. They also wear the tight leggings a lot as pants/shorts. Korean guys tend to wear stuff with bright colors and sometimes with floral patterns or some complex patterns. It is very different than the simple styles/colors in the U.S.
My Korean class and church with English service
7/5/2008
I started taking a Korean class at the Seoul Language Academy today. Although it’s a bit far (an hour bus ride one way), but it’s the only place offers Saturday classes. So I decided to go for it because learning the language was one of the reasons I came after all. A teacher at my school told me that there’s a bus go directly from Gunpo to Kangnam station (the stop I get off for my Korean class) so I didn’t have to take the subway and make 2 transfers. Also, the bus stop is right outside my place. It was definitely a challenge the first time because I had to listen intensively for the stop announcement on the bus, and it’s all in Korean. My “survival” trick was to listen for the name because I know “Kangnam station” is “Kangnam yo” in Korean, so when I heard the name and saw the stop says “kangnam yo”, I got off and followed the directions I got from the academy there.
My Korean co-teacher told me about a church that has English service and it’s about 40-50 minutes bus ride away. So I decided to check it out as well, only this time, my “survival trick” didn’t work quite as well. I’m supposed to get off at the “Miguem station”, but I got off a stop earlier. Later on, I realized that the announcement says the same stop name twice. It would say the name of the current stopping station and also the next stop coming. I wasn’t aware of it and just got off the first I heard the name of the stop. However, I still found the church ok. I actually liked the church; it reminded me of Asian churches in American except they have a lot more foreigners. The pastor is Asian American; he came back from Canada and speaks pretty good English. I also enjoyed the message; it’s very practical and it is intended for foreigners to fell “at home” when being in Korea. They also have an orphanage ministry, which I might join if I have the time and energy. I do wish the church could’ve been closer to where I live, but at least I know where I can go for worship and fellowship on Sundays.
I started taking a Korean class at the Seoul Language Academy today. Although it’s a bit far (an hour bus ride one way), but it’s the only place offers Saturday classes. So I decided to go for it because learning the language was one of the reasons I came after all. A teacher at my school told me that there’s a bus go directly from Gunpo to Kangnam station (the stop I get off for my Korean class) so I didn’t have to take the subway and make 2 transfers. Also, the bus stop is right outside my place. It was definitely a challenge the first time because I had to listen intensively for the stop announcement on the bus, and it’s all in Korean. My “survival” trick was to listen for the name because I know “Kangnam station” is “Kangnam yo” in Korean, so when I heard the name and saw the stop says “kangnam yo”, I got off and followed the directions I got from the academy there.
My Korean co-teacher told me about a church that has English service and it’s about 40-50 minutes bus ride away. So I decided to check it out as well, only this time, my “survival trick” didn’t work quite as well. I’m supposed to get off at the “Miguem station”, but I got off a stop earlier. Later on, I realized that the announcement says the same stop name twice. It would say the name of the current stopping station and also the next stop coming. I wasn’t aware of it and just got off the first I heard the name of the stop. However, I still found the church ok. I actually liked the church; it reminded me of Asian churches in American except they have a lot more foreigners. The pastor is Asian American; he came back from Canada and speaks pretty good English. I also enjoyed the message; it’s very practical and it is intended for foreigners to fell “at home” when being in Korea. They also have an orphanage ministry, which I might join if I have the time and energy. I do wish the church could’ve been closer to where I live, but at least I know where I can go for worship and fellowship on Sundays.
My kids and the school life
July, 2008
Like any other jobs, there are good days and bad days in teaching as well. Depending on the mood of the kids, how well they behave, my conditions, and the materials covered; it differs. Generally speaking, although I’m not super passionate about teaching, but I love and enjoy working with kids. Despite of all the drama, I love having them around most of the time. I even miss them sometimes at night after school. Some of my friends know that one of my dreams is to have my own orphanage/children’s home someday for kids who need a home and stability.
Due to different age groups and levels of the students, I have to come up with different ideas for each class. My teaching style is more interactive than just lecture. I believe kids need to have some fun when learning to I always try to come up with some kind of activities and games (except when they’re behaving badly, I would then give them tests or worksheets instead). Most all the kids love to play games especially the younger ones (1st to 2nd grades) get really excited very easily. The older ones (5th, 6th grades), it sometimes works well just to talk to them about something they’re interested in. It’s a great learning opportunity for them as well because they have to use the stuff they’ve learned and try to communicate it back to me. Sometimes they would draw or ask each other for help if they do not know how to express something in English.
Since my Korean co-teacher and I are in the English zone, separated from other classrooms, we rarely see other teachers except during lunchtime. Even then, I only talk to people who speak English (the 2 other native teachers and the English program supervisor). The school principal is a middle-aged man probably in his 50s. He looks like the dads in Korean dramas, short, bald, and authoritative. When he first met me, he thought I was Korean so he spoke Korean to me. Even after he learned that I’m not Korean, he still tried speaking Korean to me several times. Maybe he thinks I should at least understand some because I am Asian. The principal was very serious with us at the beginning, he would yell at my Korean co-teacher if he needed something done or giving a command. There’s another interesting “adjushi” (older Korean man) in school who is always very loud and always clearing his throat. He seems to be living in the school; he would come around our classrooms after our classes to check on/close the windows in the hallway. At first, he would “yell” at us to close our classroom windows, but I think that’s just how he talks. He is also short, bald, and we can hear him constantly clearing his throat even in the hallways. It’s funny, for the first about a month, we didn’t think the “clearing throat” adjushi know who we are although he sees us everybody. After our last class, we usually walk the kids down and see them off by the door, and adjushi would come and lock the door in front of us even when we were still outside. For awhile, we thought maybe the principal and the adjushi didn’t like us much but had no idea what’s going on in their minds. Both of them seem to treat us a lot nicer then, no more yelling, and the principal even greeted me in English couple times.
Like any other jobs, there are good days and bad days in teaching as well. Depending on the mood of the kids, how well they behave, my conditions, and the materials covered; it differs. Generally speaking, although I’m not super passionate about teaching, but I love and enjoy working with kids. Despite of all the drama, I love having them around most of the time. I even miss them sometimes at night after school. Some of my friends know that one of my dreams is to have my own orphanage/children’s home someday for kids who need a home and stability.
Due to different age groups and levels of the students, I have to come up with different ideas for each class. My teaching style is more interactive than just lecture. I believe kids need to have some fun when learning to I always try to come up with some kind of activities and games (except when they’re behaving badly, I would then give them tests or worksheets instead). Most all the kids love to play games especially the younger ones (1st to 2nd grades) get really excited very easily. The older ones (5th, 6th grades), it sometimes works well just to talk to them about something they’re interested in. It’s a great learning opportunity for them as well because they have to use the stuff they’ve learned and try to communicate it back to me. Sometimes they would draw or ask each other for help if they do not know how to express something in English.
Since my Korean co-teacher and I are in the English zone, separated from other classrooms, we rarely see other teachers except during lunchtime. Even then, I only talk to people who speak English (the 2 other native teachers and the English program supervisor). The school principal is a middle-aged man probably in his 50s. He looks like the dads in Korean dramas, short, bald, and authoritative. When he first met me, he thought I was Korean so he spoke Korean to me. Even after he learned that I’m not Korean, he still tried speaking Korean to me several times. Maybe he thinks I should at least understand some because I am Asian. The principal was very serious with us at the beginning, he would yell at my Korean co-teacher if he needed something done or giving a command. There’s another interesting “adjushi” (older Korean man) in school who is always very loud and always clearing his throat. He seems to be living in the school; he would come around our classrooms after our classes to check on/close the windows in the hallway. At first, he would “yell” at us to close our classroom windows, but I think that’s just how he talks. He is also short, bald, and we can hear him constantly clearing his throat even in the hallways. It’s funny, for the first about a month, we didn’t think the “clearing throat” adjushi know who we are although he sees us everybody. After our last class, we usually walk the kids down and see them off by the door, and adjushi would come and lock the door in front of us even when we were still outside. For awhile, we thought maybe the principal and the adjushi didn’t like us much but had no idea what’s going on in their minds. Both of them seem to treat us a lot nicer then, no more yelling, and the principal even greeted me in English couple times.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Korean Children (culture between east & west)
Date: 7/10/2008
Most of the Korean children attend private classes after school. Like in Taiwan, each kid would sign up to learn 3 or 4 different things, so they often have after-school programs/classes back to back. They even have to go to school every other Saturdays and during breaks. Some kids get really intense and seemed tired especially towards the end of the class because they are worries that they would be late for their next class. Unlike American children, most of them go to school, and after school curriculum is normally sports or some sort of activities. The difference, in my opinion, is because of the competitive Asian culture. Asian people do not like to loose face or be ashamed, so parents compare their kids with others and do not want to be left behind; at the same time, kids compare with each other as well. American parents, in the contrary, tell the kids to do well and give their best effort according to their abilities. In other words, Asian kids bear a lot more pressure to get good grades and to be better than their peers. American kids are more focused on finding the interest and the talent of the individual and do well in his/her own field of interest/study. I have to admit that I agree with the American culture a lot more because not everyone is good at studying. Each kid has his/her different interest, talent, and different ways of learning. Asian parents sometimes think a kid is “less” smart just because he/she doesn’t get good grades and/or feel ashamed because their kids didn’t go to a good college; it could really create a dent and a feeling of inferiority in the kids.
Couple friends and family have warned me about Korean guys being violent and controlling; they would even hit their women sometimes [I’m not sure how true that is, because so far most of the Korean men I know are pretty nice]; however, it reflects differently among children. A lot of Korean girls in my classes are very controlling and would bully the boys. I see often, the girls “beat up” the boys, and some boys would just take it and still be nice about it. Of there are exceptions, but in most cases, I see more little girls being violent and controlling towards the boys.
Most of the Korean children attend private classes after school. Like in Taiwan, each kid would sign up to learn 3 or 4 different things, so they often have after-school programs/classes back to back. They even have to go to school every other Saturdays and during breaks. Some kids get really intense and seemed tired especially towards the end of the class because they are worries that they would be late for their next class. Unlike American children, most of them go to school, and after school curriculum is normally sports or some sort of activities. The difference, in my opinion, is because of the competitive Asian culture. Asian people do not like to loose face or be ashamed, so parents compare their kids with others and do not want to be left behind; at the same time, kids compare with each other as well. American parents, in the contrary, tell the kids to do well and give their best effort according to their abilities. In other words, Asian kids bear a lot more pressure to get good grades and to be better than their peers. American kids are more focused on finding the interest and the talent of the individual and do well in his/her own field of interest/study. I have to admit that I agree with the American culture a lot more because not everyone is good at studying. Each kid has his/her different interest, talent, and different ways of learning. Asian parents sometimes think a kid is “less” smart just because he/she doesn’t get good grades and/or feel ashamed because their kids didn’t go to a good college; it could really create a dent and a feeling of inferiority in the kids.
Couple friends and family have warned me about Korean guys being violent and controlling; they would even hit their women sometimes [I’m not sure how true that is, because so far most of the Korean men I know are pretty nice]; however, it reflects differently among children. A lot of Korean girls in my classes are very controlling and would bully the boys. I see often, the girls “beat up” the boys, and some boys would just take it and still be nice about it. Of there are exceptions, but in most cases, I see more little girls being violent and controlling towards the boys.
My “troubled” kids!
Date: 6/22/2008
It’s true that kids are heavily influenced by their caretakers and/or people they live with. I realized that a lot of times you can really tell what kind of parents/caretakers a kid have by looking at their behaviors and interactions in class.
*Sam (1st grade)-Attachment issues.
Sam has a very interesting family, his mom and grandmother are always around in school waiting and/or watching him. Sometimes, they take his little brother along too; therefore, Sam has serious attachment issues. He knows his mom is around and always wants to go find her and have difficulties being away from her. Sam’s mom would often watch through the window during class to check on him. I haven’t seen his dad around ever; my Korean co-teacher said she heard the dad is sick. In addition, the mom is always around and watching through the window during class. My Korean co-teacher communicated with the mom and told her not to do that because Sam would want to go find her constantly and could not concentrate in class. She agreed, stopped doing it for a day or two, and went back to normal. Sam’s grandma would always look for him in school as well. Because of such behaviors from his mother and grandma, Sam does not know how to take responsibilities for himself. Moreover, he’s extremely dependable, he doesn’t seem to be able to do anything by himself without asking help from others. He normally doesn’t pay attention in class, likes to play around with others, and does not know any of the materials that we just taught. He never brings pencil to the class and always asking for one and would also purposely break them because he does not want to do work. He’s considered to be one of our number 1 “troubled kids”, not very smart, very dependable, would not listen; thus after 2 months of class, he still only knows the alphabets. However, when my Korean co-teacher communicated such concerns with his mother; his mother seemed offended and did not agree with her on Sam’s behaviors.
*James (3rd grade)-Super naughty!!
James is super naughty and active, and likes to challenge authorities and be his own person. He likes to bother almost everyone in the class either by taking their stuff and/or hitting them. He seems to love monsters; he would make anybody as monster every time he draws. There was one incident happened that I had to discipline him big time, and he seemed to listen a little better after that, still super naughty though. One time, he tried to use his backpack to hit another girl in the class; I tried to stop him by telling him “NO!” (they all understand NO by now) and tried pulling him away to separate the two of them. After that, I told James to move to another seat, but he would not listen to me. He struggled and tried to pull out from my grip and kept yelling "No! No! No!" Finally, I told him I would cont till 3 and I would cross out one of his stamps if he doesn’t move. Although he probably didn’t fully understand what I said, but I’m pretty sure he was smart enough to figure the situation out by my gestures, tone of voice, and just some common sense. Plus, I’m sure he knew he’s at fault; otherwise, he would not struggle so much to try to fight back. After a bit of pulling and struggling, I ended up crossing out one of his stamps; unexpectedly, he started crying, took his backpack, and stormed out of the classroom. I then went over to talk to my Korean co-teacher to let her know what just happened (because he needs to call parents when kids are absent), and when I came back, I saw James standing outside of my classroom. So I went over and tried talking to him on his level and told him what he did was wrong and also when I say move, he needs to move. He still was yelling “No! No!” and stormed downstairs. About a minute after, my Korean co-teacher came to talk to me, and saw him outside of my classroom again, so she pulled him in my class and told him she would call his parents if he leaves now. So he stayed in, but just stood by the door. All the kids were asking me what’s going on because they came later, but I didn’t really answer them because I know it would be really hard to communicate.
At this point, I just went on to start the class normally and just let him be because sometimes kids need sometime to cool themselves down and I do not want to draw any more attention to him in front of the whole class. James eventually sat down by himself and joined the class, and he was fine at the end. Kids are so dramatic, they are impulsive, emotional, but also get over things quickly.
*Daniel (1st grade)-Super Shy!
Daniel is very small (physically) compare to other kids his age. He’s very shy and always cries. He cried at least 3 times in my class in the past 2 months of classes. He always tries to tell me or ask me something, but I could not understand him. Sometimes, I would bring him over to the Korean co-teacher so they could communicate, but most of the times in class, I would not bother the Korean co-teacher with every little issues except when necessary. My Korean co-teacher also told me, after talking to his mom, that Daniel is scared of English now because he doesn’t understand what I say in class. I know it’s not my fault, but it’s still a little sad that he’s scared of English because he doesn’t understand me. I hope and pray that he’ll break through his fear soon someday.
*Andrew (3rd grade)- Anger issues.
Andrew seems to get angry very easily and is violent. He’s naughty as well, and whenever I try to discipline him, he would get all stirred up, get all red, holding his fists, and stares at you. He hits his classmates sometimes too. When it happens, I tried to give him sometimes to cool down or just talk to him as normal. Unless he hits others, I would make him say sorry and make it serious it’s WRONG. My Korean co-teacher realized the anger issues with Andrew as well, and she spoke with him, and he’s gotten a little better now.
*Thomas (6th grade)- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)?
I think Thomas has ADHD. It’s a very common diagnose among kids in the U.S. and a lot of them take medicine for it. Thomas could never stop talking, fidgeting, and never really pay attention. He seriously talks non-stop either with himself and/or with others. Even when he writes his mouth could never be shut. One time, I yelled at him and told him that he has to stop, and he looked at me but still at the same time, his mouth is still open and saying stuff. If it’s truly a disorder, I guess sometimes it’s even hard for him to control himself. However, I’ve seen him being quiet when he does not feel well and/or when he does work by himself without other students being there.
It’s true that kids are heavily influenced by their caretakers and/or people they live with. I realized that a lot of times you can really tell what kind of parents/caretakers a kid have by looking at their behaviors and interactions in class.
*Sam (1st grade)-Attachment issues.
Sam has a very interesting family, his mom and grandmother are always around in school waiting and/or watching him. Sometimes, they take his little brother along too; therefore, Sam has serious attachment issues. He knows his mom is around and always wants to go find her and have difficulties being away from her. Sam’s mom would often watch through the window during class to check on him. I haven’t seen his dad around ever; my Korean co-teacher said she heard the dad is sick. In addition, the mom is always around and watching through the window during class. My Korean co-teacher communicated with the mom and told her not to do that because Sam would want to go find her constantly and could not concentrate in class. She agreed, stopped doing it for a day or two, and went back to normal. Sam’s grandma would always look for him in school as well. Because of such behaviors from his mother and grandma, Sam does not know how to take responsibilities for himself. Moreover, he’s extremely dependable, he doesn’t seem to be able to do anything by himself without asking help from others. He normally doesn’t pay attention in class, likes to play around with others, and does not know any of the materials that we just taught. He never brings pencil to the class and always asking for one and would also purposely break them because he does not want to do work. He’s considered to be one of our number 1 “troubled kids”, not very smart, very dependable, would not listen; thus after 2 months of class, he still only knows the alphabets. However, when my Korean co-teacher communicated such concerns with his mother; his mother seemed offended and did not agree with her on Sam’s behaviors.
*James (3rd grade)-Super naughty!!
James is super naughty and active, and likes to challenge authorities and be his own person. He likes to bother almost everyone in the class either by taking their stuff and/or hitting them. He seems to love monsters; he would make anybody as monster every time he draws. There was one incident happened that I had to discipline him big time, and he seemed to listen a little better after that, still super naughty though. One time, he tried to use his backpack to hit another girl in the class; I tried to stop him by telling him “NO!” (they all understand NO by now) and tried pulling him away to separate the two of them. After that, I told James to move to another seat, but he would not listen to me. He struggled and tried to pull out from my grip and kept yelling "No! No! No!" Finally, I told him I would cont till 3 and I would cross out one of his stamps if he doesn’t move. Although he probably didn’t fully understand what I said, but I’m pretty sure he was smart enough to figure the situation out by my gestures, tone of voice, and just some common sense. Plus, I’m sure he knew he’s at fault; otherwise, he would not struggle so much to try to fight back. After a bit of pulling and struggling, I ended up crossing out one of his stamps; unexpectedly, he started crying, took his backpack, and stormed out of the classroom. I then went over to talk to my Korean co-teacher to let her know what just happened (because he needs to call parents when kids are absent), and when I came back, I saw James standing outside of my classroom. So I went over and tried talking to him on his level and told him what he did was wrong and also when I say move, he needs to move. He still was yelling “No! No!” and stormed downstairs. About a minute after, my Korean co-teacher came to talk to me, and saw him outside of my classroom again, so she pulled him in my class and told him she would call his parents if he leaves now. So he stayed in, but just stood by the door. All the kids were asking me what’s going on because they came later, but I didn’t really answer them because I know it would be really hard to communicate.
At this point, I just went on to start the class normally and just let him be because sometimes kids need sometime to cool themselves down and I do not want to draw any more attention to him in front of the whole class. James eventually sat down by himself and joined the class, and he was fine at the end. Kids are so dramatic, they are impulsive, emotional, but also get over things quickly.
*Daniel (1st grade)-Super Shy!
Daniel is very small (physically) compare to other kids his age. He’s very shy and always cries. He cried at least 3 times in my class in the past 2 months of classes. He always tries to tell me or ask me something, but I could not understand him. Sometimes, I would bring him over to the Korean co-teacher so they could communicate, but most of the times in class, I would not bother the Korean co-teacher with every little issues except when necessary. My Korean co-teacher also told me, after talking to his mom, that Daniel is scared of English now because he doesn’t understand what I say in class. I know it’s not my fault, but it’s still a little sad that he’s scared of English because he doesn’t understand me. I hope and pray that he’ll break through his fear soon someday.
*Andrew (3rd grade)- Anger issues.
Andrew seems to get angry very easily and is violent. He’s naughty as well, and whenever I try to discipline him, he would get all stirred up, get all red, holding his fists, and stares at you. He hits his classmates sometimes too. When it happens, I tried to give him sometimes to cool down or just talk to him as normal. Unless he hits others, I would make him say sorry and make it serious it’s WRONG. My Korean co-teacher realized the anger issues with Andrew as well, and she spoke with him, and he’s gotten a little better now.
*Thomas (6th grade)- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)?
I think Thomas has ADHD. It’s a very common diagnose among kids in the U.S. and a lot of them take medicine for it. Thomas could never stop talking, fidgeting, and never really pay attention. He seriously talks non-stop either with himself and/or with others. Even when he writes his mouth could never be shut. One time, I yelled at him and told him that he has to stop, and he looked at me but still at the same time, his mouth is still open and saying stuff. If it’s truly a disorder, I guess sometimes it’s even hard for him to control himself. However, I’ve seen him being quiet when he does not feel well and/or when he does work by himself without other students being there.
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