WAAAAAAA

After making a 12 year old cry like a rainstorm in front of all his friends in class today, I thought it would be appropriate to shed some light on the sensitivity of Korean children. 

 

Ben Teacher: "Ok, take out your books, and turn to page 35."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher (looking austere but more importantly giving this delinquent a chance, maybe expecting a "nothing nothing nothing"): "What did you just say to me?"

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher: "Get out of my class."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher (getting off of chair to open the classroom door, and then sitting back down on chair): "Get out of my class."

Kid: "No."

Ben Teacher: "(kid's name) get out of my class.  NOW!" (trying to/succeeding in/ looking scary.  Also lunging self at kid with the wrath of khan)

Kid (regretting birth/ whining like a little "mom are you reading this?"): "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."

I don't know if I have ever seen someone literally burst into tears before.  Anyways I went up to his desk, took his book, and threw it into the hallway.  Along with his dignity.

This was most definitely not the first time I have 'made' a kid cry in my class over the 6 weeks I have been teaching thus far.  

I teach science class once a week to some 7 year olds.  We were making windmills by blowing wind through a straw and having a paper with slits in it turn in circles.  One kid thought it would be a nice idea to come and show me that he got his working.  He started to blow the air and spit that had been camping out in his mouth over the preceding minutes into my face. 

Ben Teacher (receiving a face full of stupid kid spit): "Don't blow into my face."

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAA"

Really?

When the preschool kids are bad, and yell, and fight each other, you put an angry face beside their name on the name tag board.  3 angry faces and your sorry behind has to eat lunch in another class.  Option A, you eat all by yourself.  Option B, you eat in front of another class as they ridicule you to your face... depending on how I feel that day.  A couple of days ago this one kid had accumulated 2 angry faces from being his usual obnoxious self in class.  When we were walking back to class from the washroom somehow he thought it a good idea to physically strike another kid while I was watching.  Fast forward  through all the yelling that I have learned to enjoy, and I'm giving out the kids their lunches.  When I get to his I say "Follow me" as I walk towards the exit of the class.

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

That one makes more sense.

Currently the most well behaved kid in the class.

He had option B.

Ben Teacher: "Stop yelling or I will give you an angry face."

Kid (yelling): *yell*

Ben Teacher (takes angry face, puts it beside kid's name)

Kid: "WAAAAAAA"

Oh, come on!

By the way this is the kid who cried in my class the first 3 days in a row I started teaching at this school.

Ben Teacher (still learning about kids' English proficiencies, and makes a test for the class that is way too hard for their level) 

Kid: "WAAAAAAAAA"

Oops...

Sorry.

Ben Teacher: "Please walk, don't run."

Kid (runs, takes a giant spill all over the floor, breaks glasses): "WAAAAAAAA"

Ok, that one wasn't my fault.