Thanks to a bug, I know my kids are learning.
Written by Bessie on Thursday, June 18, 2009 in Korea, Republic of
Feelin' happy
Teaching kindergartners is everything I thought it would be: snot. tears. hilarity. Sometimes the kids are really adorable and make me laugh, and other times I want to be the furthest place from a child I can imagine. Every half an hour we rotate various books: Math, Picture Dictionary, English Land, etc. I say stuff, they repeat it, they repeat it some more.Feelin' happy
the occasional coloring provides me with sanity
And so we progress through the day in my very pink classroom with me fighting every urge to speak broken English, and the children trying their hardest to not let their cute little heads explode. Over the past two months the blank stares have turned somewhat into comprehension, but teaching doesn't exactly provide instant gratification.
Until the day something magical happened: my students started talking to bugs.
I'll explain. First, I must tell you, Koreans hate bugs. Korea has more concrete than green space, and the whole country seems to have a phobia of anything natural. My first few weeks of teaching, the kids would scream their absurd high pitch screams and run to the door to escape a gnat. They'd smash bugs in the window frames with this psycho "must eradicate the species" sort of look. I made it my mission for them to overcome this.
Growing up with a father that would catch a spider, a wasp, anything and let it go, I inherited a personal philosophy to not kill bugs, and I, too, always catch them and let them go. Buddhism used to be very popular in Korea, but the whole "not killing thing" didn't get passed down to my students.
So, I began to personify the bugs. I told the kids that the bugs just wanted to fly back out the window and look for their friends. I told them they didn't like to be inside, but wanted to play in the trees and flowers. I'd catch them, let them look at them, and then toss them out the window.
So then the Magic happened: Nemo came.
One day, we're sitting at lunch, and one kid points up and goes, "Teacher! Bug!" One girl starts to get a paniced, I might scream face, when out of no where, the worst english speaker in my class goes:
"Hello, Nemo. How are you?" Yes, that's Nemo like from Finding Nemo, who's in one of our books. The kids all laugh.
"Are you hungry, Nemo?" chimes in another kid.
I start laughing and almost crying with happiness all at the same time. I've never heard my kids talk like this in natural conversation. So I make up a very deep, sort of Barney voice back for Nemo: "Hello class. How are you today?"
They're all laughing, and all start yelling to the bug. "Where's your family?" "Want some kimchi?" "How are you, Nemo?" The English starts pouring out of them, from some place wonderful, and the best part is, they're all enjoying it.
Eventually, the bug flew out the window, but my pink classroom will never be the same again: My kids can speak English.
Comments on "Thanks to a bug, I know my kids are learning."
Bessie, how wonderful of you to turn a phobia into something truly magical. Your students are lucky to have you as their teacher. I wish I had a teacher like you when I was young. I still have a spider phobia to this day. You may never realize how much you have enriched the lives of those children.
I'm touched by your article. I love your idea about the bugs. In my case, I usually scream with my students whenever I see the bugs. I should learn teaching method from you. :) Thank you for being our co-teacher.
hee heee, nice Leen. I could do a "how to talk to bugs" demonstration in our next elementary school meeting. :)
Inspired. Delightful. Precious. Children DO Love to Learn. You meet them in Their Little World. And you share YOURS with them. Not only can they speak English --- they speak Bessie! xox
haa haa, and I think speaking Bessie is sometimes a language all its own sometimes.
And you're right, they do love learning. I love seeing their lightbulb moments when things all click.
Bessie: You made my day. In the midst of Hunger Walk insanity you brought some calm. I'll never look at bugs the same way again.
Den
That is incredibly incredibly precious. Such an amazing moment! You triggered something in their imagination that inspired them to use their English without fear. Beautiful story...
Beautiful story Bess! Special and magical just like you!
Ok....now you can reach for extreme "magic." This is something my "kids" always loved....and secretly...me too! If it is possible in concrete Korea...try, when you are out and about, to find a chrysalis or a cocoon to put in a large jar (with stick, leaves, nature...you know). With any luck, it will open and hopefully delight your kindergartners. Just imagine the English conversations then! Congratulations on your teaching success. We are so proud of you.
THANKS FOR REMEMBERING!.....
YES I STILL HAVE MY OLD BUG JAR FOR CATCH AND RELEASE!.....
DON'T FORGET TO SING "BORN FREE" AS THEY LEAVE THE JAR.....
I LOVE YOU.........................
haa haaaa, maybe someday I too will have my own bug jar. :)
Congratulations! That's so exciting!
by Wendy at June 18, 2009 09:58 AM