Mr. & Mrs. Vandebilt + kids

For the amount of time I spend at school, I talk very little on here about my students. I guess it’s because they are such a part of my everyday life that I don’t really notice the funny things anymore. Here are some highlights.

Roopio

In one of my older classes from last semester I had a student named Roopio. He was one of those rare gems of a student that actually enjoyed speaking English and would take any opportunity in class to do so. His English was decent, not the best I’ve heard, but the fact that he was willing to speak so much more than made up for it. So one class, we’re talking about hair colour and I say my hair is red. Roopio however, disagrees and says my hair is actually blonde. We have a bit of an argument and finally we agree that my hair is mostly brown now because it’s winter. This just about blows his mind. I tell him that my hair will change from brown in the winter to red in the summer. He sits for a few minutes with this and then says, ok teacher, but my hair in winter, black, my hair in summer black. We leave the subject for a while when all of a sudden he says he has  a question:

Roopio: Teacher, I have a question

Me: Sure Roopio, what is it?

R: I’ve wondered for many MANY long time. Teacher. Your head hair brown.

M: Yes

R: But your hair everywhere brown? I know Korea everywhere black, but foreigner I don’t know.

Tests

This past week we had speaking test. Speaking test also involves a written component. Here are some samples. And no, there are no typos, this is how they wrote it.

These are both from a GetOn5 class, which is about 10 year old students. The question was: What do you want to do in the future?

I want to eat Japen sesi at Japan restaurant in the future. I want to play soccer with Ji Sung Park in the future. I want to sing with g dragon in the future. I want to docotor because I like white Jacket. I want to soccer player beacuse I like soccer. I want to baseball play beacuuse I’m throw ball very well. I want to tallman because I’m short man. I wan tot artist because I like music. I want to soccer in the k-rige in the future.

I want to be a fix the animals the docotr Becouse I want to look for cutest animals and I want to be a teacher Becouse I’m look For cute and preety and handsome student. and I want to be a bird Becouse Bird is look for a Freedom. and Bird can Fly. and I looking For my tellent. and I want to be a swim player Becous I like water. I want to be a ice player Becouse I like ice rink. I want to be a puppy Becouse puppy is cute. I want to be a cooker Becous I’m every day eats the food. I’m hungry.

This last one is from  a Tosel1 class, these are middle school students. The question is, Which do you like better, summer or winter? Why?

I like iwnter I like skate I am go ing to Ice link I’m go to sister friend I play snow fight and make snow man and spring is surnal because visit my grandmother, father and uncle, aunt I love snow I like speed skating I love winter vacation and many birth day because my sister is 10th thirty Summer is very very don’t love be cause my five old very very hot water mmy body this I go to hispital go thirty day live in hospital I’m very sad very tired and very angrly I’m and summer is long vacation winter too. Vacation is very love winter go Jeju island Jeju Island go to han la mountain hanla mountain is many snow I go to Jeju jeju is snowy I love snowy I’m no climding I want climbing hanla mountain because no climbing hanla mountain I’m said I go to condo I’m sleep next day go my home I’m sad sad very sad I LOVE WINTER! I want next year and next grade middle school two 2 grade I’m 15 years old U.S.A years 14 I’m by the gun Oh! ye! ye! New grade is I want 2 grade.

Lunch

Two of my students, Liz and MinaGrace asked if they could come over for lunch. I made some spaghetti and cookies. They were both very excited because they’d never been to a foreign apartment before. Despite me telling them it was just like any other apartment in Korea they treated it like they were coming to Canada. They arrived with cotton candy for me and Jacob and a cute little cactus plant.

Half Body Bathing

With my two private students, Yu-Ji and Tae-Ya, I went to half body bathing. Basically its a ‘workout’ but just for your legs. You start by standing on this machine that just shakes you then you sit in a half sauna. Afterwards you sit on this chair that’s supposed to realign your hips. You finish up with a back and leg massage.