Lessons 89 - 91

(1/12) Lesson 89: My class is in need of cultural sensitivity lessons.

During lunch, Ellie and I were discussing politics while the children were talking amongst themselves about dinosaurs. Ellie was asking me what I think about Obama and Sally overheard. She giggles, "Hehe, Obamasaurus!" I found it to be cute and clever at first. Then she goes, "Hehe, Obama is chocolate dinosaur!"

Um, Sally? Not appropriate. I tell her that that's not a nice thing to say and she says it again. I firmly tell her to stop. Then she goes, "USA is white-chocolate nation!" I had no idea what to say to that. She explains, "Obama is chocolate man and you are white." After explaining that we don't say "chocolate man," I told her, "I am not just white, Sally. I am also part Native American." (As diluted as this part of my heritage may be.) "Indian?" she asks, totally confused.

"American Indian." I forgot how foreign the term "Native American" is to many Koreans. Thomas made an Indian war whoop and started singing "Indian Boy" by MC Mong. Sally asks me why I don't wear feathers in my hair. I ask her why she doesn't wear her hanbok to school every day since she's Korean. Then she got it.

(1/19) Lesson 90: My students know their K-Pop.

Well of course... why wouldn't they? Although I remember being more interested in Disney songs when I was seven years old. Not songs like"Abracadabra" or "Nobody" by the Wonder Girls. Today for Show-and-Tell John brought in a speaker with a flower atop it. The flower would dance to the music playing through the speaker, so Ellie got out her iPod and turned on some K-Pop to make the flower dance. The overwhelming request following "Nobody" was "Sorry Sorry" by Super Junior. Thomas was the only one that repeatedly insisted on "Indian Boy" only because he loved doing the stereotypical war whoop.

(2/10) Lesson 91: My afternoon students totally dig yoga.

Our current unit is about being healthy and staying active, so I thought a little yoga at the beginning of the class would be an interesting experiment. My morning class hates it because Eric, the ringleader, complains loudly about how boring it is and everyone just follows along. My afternoon class loves it - Tony, the charmer (all the girls in the class are in love with him) and Rachel, the smart little princess (all the girls in the class wish they were her) complain loudly when I tell them that yoga time is finished and we have to start our lesson. When they're finished with their work, they go to the carpet and do the yoga poses I taught them if they feel so inclined. They especially love the ones that require balance and they compete to see who can do it the most like Miss Cally and who can hold the pose for the longest time.