The students in my school are taught this really horrible, awful, annoying habit. Every time they do this, it makes me CRAZY. I will come to class and say something like "open your books, please" and I will have barely gotten that out when one of my kindergartners blurts out "why." The little ones recently learned this word in my class as well as in other classes. Keep in mind that they are always learning new words including other question words. This is not, as was suggested by one of my co-workers who doesn't teach kindergarten, "a new word they want to impress the teacher with." They don't do that. This is the Korean teacher not knowing that that is EXTREMELY RUDE. When they first began this behavior I responded with the classic, "because I said so" and this developed into "because I'm the teacher and I said so." Finally I started going nuts and countering with "DON'T ASK ME 'WHY' THAT MAKES KIMBERLY TEACHER VERY ANGRY." I mean I know they don't fully understand why it's so rude and unacceptable but all I hear when they ask why IMMEDIATELY after I ask them to do something is, "why should I, ya stupid American woman?" So it makes me crazy. In one of my classes that this was a recent development I ended up writing "DON'T ASK WHY!" On the top of the white board to stay. Now in that class when they say it (which doesn't happen nearly as often anymore thank goodness) I respond with a cool, "what does it say on the board?" They read it and open their damn books or whatever.
In one of my slightly older classes, there is one student this has been a problem with. The other day I asked her to get out hr notebook or some other such thing, she of course countered with an impudent "why" and the student next to her turned with horror and whispered to her, "don't ask Kimberly Teacher 'why'!!!!!!" And that made my day. It really did.
Today in my only middle school class, who I have never heard this from and who I was hoping wouldn't have this habit, this kid that drives me nuts woke the dragon. He talks a lot to his friend in this class and so I told him as I have so many times before, "Jeff, please don't speak Korean in this class. It's time to speak English." When he asked 'why' he had no idea what was coming. I raised my voice and gave him the evil eye while saying, "BECAUSE I AM AN AMERICAN LIVING IN KOREA THAT HAS TO LISTEN TO KOREAN THAT I DONT UNDERSTAND ALL DAY LONG. I WANT TO SPEAK ENGLISH AND THIS IS ENGLISH CLASS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ENGLISH THEN GET OUT BECAUSE I AM SICK OF HEARING KOREAN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" I got the smile off his face and his friend said, "teacher's face red!" I felt that my face was very hot because I was so angry at this point. After that the class went much more smoothly.
Well now that I got that out I feel much better. This whole "why" business just really winds me up sometimes.
This time next week I'll be in Thailand. I'm excited but I can never get too excited because it doesn't feel real. I've wanted to go to Thailand for a very long time because I've seen so many pictures in magazines growing up. My friends and I wanted to go around this time last year but it seemed too dangerous so we went to Vietnam instead (ittybitty-boo, as my father might say). Now I finally get to go! And one of my best friends in the whole world is meeting me there on her first trip out of the country! That's the best part really. I get to travel a pretty good deal but usually I have to be on my own. Although last year things seemed to turn around in that department. Last year I got to go with another bestie to Vietnam and about a month later I got to do Japan with my brother. This year it's one of my very best girl friends to Thailand and hopefully Europe with my boyfriend when our contracts are up. That last one isn't definite because it really depends on how much money we have and how much our work will pitch in for the ticket (they're supposed to provide you with a ticket home but since we want to go to Europe they might give us tickets there, or give us money that our tickets home would be worth). Traveling with loved ones is the best!
I think I'm done writing now. I will leave you, my beloved fans, with a picture that tells you a little about some of the materials I have to work with.
Which of these is not like the other? Don't worry I did the good teacher thing and taped a bit of paper with "kid" written on it over the disaster. When I first saw it I laughed quite a bit because it's as if the person making them just guessed what a baby goat was called.
