strawberry milk

I nearly threw up on the way to work this morning- the smog was absolutely unbearable. I'm not usually sensitive to pollution, but today it was like breathing sheer poison. I really tried to keep it down, because I knew that I didnt have a toothbrush at school, and I didnt want to have vomit breath for the rest of the day. The scent of bile isn't nearly as charming and fashionable as it used to be ;o) In my first class, I felt like I was babysitting high school girls so naughty that it threatened to ruin the rest of the morning. Thankfully, that passed with a soft scolding. Most of my classes are either all girls or all boys. I'm still struggling to know how to discipline these students. As I write this, my co-worker is yelling at two boys here in the office. I'm not able to communicate so clearly to them, so I have to use a lot of body language. They're exasperating, puckish at times, but most of all precious, and I want to be careful with them. One harsh word or even a look can dampen any spark of desire to learn and make them instantly feel foolish and small. I don't want that. Some of them are so shy that they are mortified if I catch their eye while speaking.

Every desk has a carton of strawberry milk and a pencil bag, often pink with teddy bears or pandas. One girl has a notebook that says, "Little Princess Plans." So impressionable and so eager to be accepted... my little ladies. Their pronounciation is abysmal, but I am careful not to make them feel ashamed. Most of them will never leave Korea and will never use English, yet it's my task to teach them conversation in hopes that they will be prepared for university. "Teacher, your eyes so big! I want your eyes." I make a motion of popping them out and tossing them to her ;o) "Miss Coffey, is that your real hair color?" No, my dear, it's dyed. "Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?" They want to know every little personal detail. Some foreign teachers are offended by this, but how can we know anyone if we never get personal? Today my lesson was about Personality Traits. As much as I'd rather be sitting around with them in pajamas, watching movies in fuzzy slippers, we have real lessons to do. "Teacher, what does passive mean?" I answer, "A passive person waits for others to act. Passive means not dominant, not a leader, not active. Someday you will meet some guys like this. " ;o) I'm entirely certain that they missed the significance of my parenthetical comment but they'll find out soon enough.

Another class before lunch. "Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead!"