That's a verb?

Unfortunately, this story starts with a sad moment. One of students was misbehaving, and I rebuked him. He didn't seem to mind that I had had to reprimand him. So I asked him, "Doesn't it bother you when I constantly tell you to stop doing wrong?"

"No," he replied in all sincerity.

"That's very sad, " I replied. "It's sad that you are sinning and it doesn't bother you."

I was about to continue the conversation when another student says, "Sinning? This is a verb?"

The student sitting in front of the questioner turns and says, "Yes, it means 'to sin'."

"Oh, okay," replied the questioner.

Life is never boring with these kids.

What's that thing called?

Working in an ESL environment frequently means interpreting the student's version of English into a real meaning of some sort. The funniest times are when the student has gotten a word that means basically what they want to say, but without the nuance or with an added nuance. It is frequently a frustrating occurrence for the student, since I must determine what he is intending to say instead of what he is saying. Several days ago, one of my students presented me with this situation.

Student raises hand during homework time, and I acknowledge him.

"Mrs. Smith, may I go to my cupboard?" I was momentarily perplexed by this. I thought I knew what he meant, but I had to make sure.

"Where would you like to go?" I asked.

By the way, this is the same student that wasn't sure what class he was in at the beginning of the year.

"To my cupboard," he replied.

"What do you mean, your cupboard?"

"The place where we keep our things with the blue door." Now I was certain of what he was trying to say because at SCS the student lockers have blue doors.

"Do you mean your locker?"

"Yes, my cupboard," the student replied, apparently not even noticing that I had used a different word.

Locker, cupboard--same thing, right?

Where am I?

Seventh graders are famous for being clueless, especially during the first few months of school. Here in Korea things aren't any different. Our seventh graders were traumatized the first week of school. Apparently several went back to the sixth grade teacher during the first week and told her that seventh grade is very hard. Few though have managed to be as confused as one young man was about two weeks into school.

First some background. I give a homework check pretty much every day. Students are given a quarter sheet of paper with space to write their name, the date, the class name (Algebra 1, Geometry, etc.), and the section number. There are also places to put the answers to questions that are indicated on a transparency that looks like their homework check. To help, I typically write the section number on the transparency along with the problems that they are to give the answers for. The students are expected to know the other information--name, date, and class.

So, now back to the story. One day, I noticed that filling out the homework check was becoming automatic for most of my students, and I was pleased because that meant I didn't have to explain the process everyday any more. One student in the back row, though, had a perplexed look as he raised his hand.

"Yes, [insert student name]"

The student looked at me for a moment longer before responding, "What class is this?"

"When in doubt," I told him, "Check the cover of your book." So the student picked up his book and read the cover.

"Pre-Algebra?"

"Yes, this is Pre-Algebra." I wasn't sure what to think at this point.

Dance Crazes of Past Decades

Now for a story. Our seventh graders are a very lively and spirited group. They never fail to amuse at least one teacher a day, if not several. During the first week of school, one of the seventh grade boys was apparently bored during my Pre-Algebra class. In the middle of my lecture, he started doing the "YMCA". I asked him stop, and he promptly did so. The students in the two rows behind him giggled but came back on task fairly soon.

I began working a problem at the board, and when I turned around to ask a question, the same student was now doing the "Funky Chicken". Trying to keep my composure, I once again told him to stop and pay attention. I kept teaching.

Again, when turning around from writing on the board, I saw the same student, this time performing a move from a popular commercial*. I don't think anyone knew what math was going on at this point. I worked to get the class under control and went back to teaching--again.

During homework time (seventh grade usually ends up with 5-10 minutes to work on homework), I looked up from helping another student, and the same boy is now performing "Walk Like an Egyptian"! How did he learn all of this stuff!

Needless to say, I now use the overhead projector to work problems becuase I never have to turn my back on the class.

*The third "dance" by my student involved placing the right hand on the right shoulder and the left hand on the left hip. The hand positions are then reversed, with the right hand going to the right hip and the left hand going to the left shoulder. As the hands are switched, head is thrust slight forward and pulled back.

Funny Stories

Since the avowed purpose of this blog is to preserve for posterity some of the funny things that my students have done, I will post one soon for your consideration. By the way, if you would like to see what my classes are doing now, click on the link to "SCS Math Classes". It will send you to the page I give to my students. But be warned! There is no return link! That is business, and this is pleasure. The only reason I provide that link is because several people ask about how school is going.