I Live In Korea

Korean kids have NO SHAME in talking about their teachers. Kids walk right up to me and say I have a big nose, big head, I’m ugly, when my nostrils flare I look like a dragon, I smell like "ddong" (shit), the lines on my forehead are disgusting, etc. They pull no punches, it’s really weird because they are much better behaved than kids in the US, but it’s somewhat acceptable to comment on people’s physical features.

So we have to read journals for our students, the Korean teacher and the English teacher read them. The journal topic for one lesson is “Write About Your Teacher." A few weeks ago this one class I have wrote about their Korean teacher, I was a little bummed, I was hoping to read things about me. One of the students wrote in his journal that he “got sick looking at the Korean teacher. Her face is disgusting and I hate her.” There was more to the journal (a lot more) but that’s the gist of it. Again, when the journals are finished the Korean teacher AND me have to read it, and this kid wrote nasty things about the girl!! When I read it, I ripped his journal entry into pieces! He may have gotten in trouble for not having his journal, but I don’t care.

Anyway, last week, the same class had to write about "Ben Teacher." Let’s see what these little devils had to say..

“Ben teacher hit John, but he didn’t hit me so I like him. Thinking him to hit John because John is very noisy and John me next to seat and not understand his speak. His speech so fast, I want slowly speech and I am thinking he heigh is 185 centimeters. I want slowly speech Ben teacher. By the way first I think teacher very kind but now I think teacher very so-so.” LOL, I never hit John, I think the kid means I HATE John, which I kind of do. John is the kid who wrote the nasty things about the Korean teacher and he is often a pain in the butt.

“Ben teacher is very very very very very very very bad. Haha, no, he is so-so. He is funny and he kind because he give me some gift. I’m not love him but I’m not hate him.”

“My English teacher name is Ben. He is very tall. He takes glasses on his eyes. He everyday have a bottle water. He is funny, he can’t Korean says. He is everyday wear t-shirt, I see he is very cold. My English teacher is a good teacher.”

“My teacher is name is Ben teacher. He is very bad teacher because teacher drink water but we are doesn’t drink water he says. Teacher I am so thirsty I says. Teacher says ‘no sit down,’ teacher is very heartless.” That’s John, the kid who said the Korean teacher’s face makes him sick and who’s friend claims I hit. lol.

“My teacher’s name is Ben teacher. He is my English teacher, he is from America. He is tall. He is handsome and he is smart. Tomorrow is Ben teacher’s class. I like Ben teacher.” I LIKE YOU TOO CHLOE!

“My teacher name is Ben teacher. Ben teacher is very kind and angry. He teaches English and speaking very well. He works at JC school. He has short hair. He is from America. I like my teacher.” Kind AND angry? Interesting…

“Ben teacher is very kind and handsome. Very will English and very nice teacher. Teacher, I study English very well yes!”

“My teacher name is Ben. He is English teacher. He from USA, he has big eyes, short hair, a big mouth, he is tall and he is very kind and smart because he teaches many people. I think he is a very good teacher.”

“My English teacher is Ben. I think Ben teacher is very like mischief. Because from day one very very mischief but I like Ben teacher and I love Ben teacher.”

This is just from ONE of my 14 classes. I look forward to the “write about your teacher” journal topic in the future.

I know the kids are young, but I really can't imagine kids in America being so...open? I think we would lie or just skate around the subject if we hated our teacher. It's fascinating to read some of the journals where the kids talk about their family, if they think their parents love them or not, their friends, etc. They are sharing their thoughts and emotions with me and they don't even realize it, or do they?