Students - Enough Said

This post is about several unrelated topics.  Well, I guess the one thing they have in common is school.

The first topic is about speaking tests.  Each semester, I spend a week giving my students speaking tests.  They individually meet me in the hallway and I ask them 2 questions in English.  I then grade them on the following: propriety, contents, fluency, and behavior for a possible total of 100 points.  Last semester, I created the questions based on the material we covered in class leading up to the speaking tests.  This semester, the Korean teachers created the questions.  A week before the speaking tests, I spent a week reviewing the questions.  Each grade was given a paper with 5 possible questions and example answers.  My favorite answer came from a grade 2 student.  Here is the question and the answer (according to my Korean co-teachers):

5.  Look at the three pictures of a Ramyun (라면) recipe.  Tell me how you can make Ramyun.  You should use one sentence for each picture.

Answer: First, boil water in a pot.  Next, put the ramyun noodles and seasoning powder into the boiling water.  Finally, add an egg and boil it with the ramyun for a few minutes.

While we were practicing last week, this is an answer I got from one of the students:

First, boil water in a pot.  Next, put the ramyun noodles and MSG powder into the boiling water.  Finally, add an egg and boil it with the ramyun for a few minutes.

I died laughing.  He didn't know why I was laughing so hard but he was pretty proud of himself.  The same kid said the same answer for his actual speaking test.  I couldn't help but give him a few extra points for the clever answer.

The second topic is about students being punished.  During lunch, I go up to the English room on the 5th floor and sit there while students are supposed to come up and do homework or read books in English.  This rarely happens.  Anyway, I am usually up there by myself without the Korean teachers monitoring the 5th floor.  For the last week and a half, I noticed more and more kids going into the computer room during lunch.  As the week wore on, I noticed that many were playing games - something I didn't think was allowed, but whatever!  I never said anything.  Two days ago, the computer/technology teacher came upstairs and lost his shit!  Apparently, they actually weren't allowed, but were sneaking in.  Boy did they get in trouble.  The teacher took all of their names down and made them get into the punishment stance.

Sorry for the poor quality

This stance is pretty common at my school when the students get in trouble.  Since then, no one has been going into the computer room.  It's back to being quiet on the 5th floor during lunch.  Haha!

The third topic is about one of my second grade students.  He has a mental disability but I don't know exactly what it is.  Every time I see him in the hallway, I am sure to say "hello."  He usually replies, but sometimes he is in his own little world and won't reply until I'm halfway down the hallway, "Sam-man-da, hello.  Hello Sam-man-da!!!"  I don't know if him spacing out has something to do with his disability or not.....  Anyway, he is in the low-level English class even though he can speak way better than some of my mid-level students.  He brightens my day every time I see him.  I just love having conversations with him.  Yesterday, as we were leaving school, one of his classmates hid around the corner and jumped out just as he was was rounding the corner.  He screamed and they both laughed, so I did too.  That's when he jokingly told me that I was not allowed to smile.  But, we continued to smile anyway.  When we got down the stairs, I asked him if I was allowed to laugh.  He said, "No, you cannot laugh."  So, I just puffed up my cheeks and crossed my eyes.  That made him laugh even harder.  As I was changing shoes, he came over and said that he was sorry and that I was allowed to smile and laugh.  I just love this kid and I'm sad that my time with him is coming to an end very soon!

Fourth and finally topic.  Today I wore a skirt to work.  I NEVER wear skirts - ever!  I am usually in jeans and since it's been hot, capri pants.  Two of my co-teachers have come up to me and asked, "Are you wearing a skirt today?"  Duh!