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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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 Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 2:04 am Post subject: What to do with three girls? |
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I've got one class where I'm down to three 11-year-old girls. There used to be two boys (more like monsters) and the three girls. Since the monster boys have left, the girls have seemed utterly beside themselves with joy. They have smiles on their face, they laugh at my jokes, they just seem to be really enjoying the class and me as a teacher. The other day when I walked in they had put their desks together and they were all drinking hot chocolate. I went back to my office and got them each a choco pie from a box in my desk. We sort of broke from the prepared lesson and talked about Instant Messaging, comparing Western vs Asian style smileys.
There's a vibe in this class where I think "wow, I could be a positive male role model in their life." I'd like to inculcate in their minds that the male of the species is funny, kind, and surprises them with chocolate. I almost wish there was a beading store near by.
I'm thinking about bringing in some socks (new), thread, needles, felt, buttons, etc and making sock puppets with them. Then next class we write a sock puppet play. The class after we perform it, maybe bring in my laptop/web cam, video it, and then burn them each an AVI cd of their play.
Another idea is prepare some sugar cookie dough, bring in various fixings like chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, etc, and my toaster oven. We could make cookies.
Anyway, if there are any women on the board who remember being 11-years old and having a fun male teacher that might have influenced your life I'd love some suggestions. |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 2:40 am Post subject: |
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I have no ideas, but your class sounds like it would be fun. How cool that your boss would let you do some alternative stuff.  |
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Apple Scruff
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| Have a frank discussion about vanity and narcissism before they become brainless 15-year-olds who do nothing but look in the mirror and take pictures of themselves with their stylish cellphones. |
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Homer
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:44 am Post subject: |
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| Have a frank discussion about vanity and narcissism before they become brainless 15-year-olds who do nothing but look in the mirror and take pictures of themselves with their stylish cellphones. |
What? You mean like most teenage girls the world across... 
This phenomenon is on full force here in Canada...to an annoyance factor of about 10 on a scale of 10. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:47 am Post subject: |
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| Apple Scruff wrote: |
| Have a frank discussion about vanity and narcissism before they become brainless 15-year-olds who do nothing but look in the mirror and take pictures of themselves with their stylish cellphones. |
That's not a bad idea. I'm always looking for ways to secretly introduce a feminist or critical thinking agenda into my classes. One of the most powerful courses I took in university was a critical thinking course that examined advertising and the way they played with language and images to make you think the product was more effective or even had any effect at all. The classic example is toothpaste ads. You only need a pea sized amount of toothpaste on your brush but most ads show the brush fully covered. People then, in turn, think they need to cover their entire brush with toothpaste to get their teeth clean. The end result is toothpaste companies sell 4x more toothpaste. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| Corporal wrote: |
| I have no ideas, but your class sounds like it would be fun. How cool that your boss would let you do some alternative stuff. |
My boss is pretty cool. Basically I teach only a speaking class. Really, anything to get the little virus distribution factories to actually speak English, especially around whitey, is considered cool. Once in a while when the weather is good we'll have class outside. I'll bring along some cider and coke. I can sometimes have cookie parties to reward them for good behavior or even take a small class of 3 or 4 across the road to Lotteria for pat bing soo. Sure it's all out of my pocket but 10,000 - 20,000 won a month won't kill me.
I always clear these things with my boss but she's usually like "you don't have to ask." My answer is "Well, I feel better letting you know when I'm removing kids from school property. I don't want to get into a situation where someone is asking 'Hey, where'd our kids go with that white guy?'"
Some of the kids have discovered my apartment is right across the street from my school and they're like "oh can we hang out at your apartment?" The short answer I give them is "No. It's messy." The long answer, which I can't give them, is "You think your parents would really be happy if you came home and told them you spent your night at the apartment of a single 38-year-old white man who has no actual teaching credentials?" |
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ryleeys
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Columbia, MD
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 5:03 am Post subject: |
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| mindmetoo wrote: |
Some of the kids have discovered my apartment is right across the street from my school and they're like "oh can we hang out at your apartment?" The short answer I give them is "No. It's messy." The long answer, which I can't give them, is "You think your parents would really be happy if you came home and told them you spent your night at the apartment of a single 38-year-old white man who has no actual teaching credentials?" |
I live in an apartment attached to the back of my school. When I walk out of my door, the kids open their classroom windows and yell to me. Every day on my way home, I have to race the kids and get my door shut and locked before they get there. Yikes. |
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Sue_in_Daegu
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Location: Daegu...yeah....
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 1:41 pm Post subject: |
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After reading your post, I was trying to remember about if I had any male role models at that age.
Personally, I think the best thing you can do is treat them with respect and like worthy people of intelligence. I am not saying that you don't already, but I can't even begin to understand what it's like growing up in Korean society.
Making and using sock puppets is great. I always enjoyed all kinds of crafts at that age, either making cute things, practical things...it was always fun to bring something home to show my parents. Also, learning about other kids in other countries is also something children of all ages like to do. You can also set up an international pen pal exchange through the internet! Keep up the good work! |
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Michelle
Joined: 18 May 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject: Sure did... |
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When I was in about Grade 4 I had a great teacher.
I seem to remember him as more of a comedian.
He was really funny and helpful, and explained things in interesting ways so I remembered them.
I don't remember him doing any sock puppet things, but that is probably more of a Korean Hagwon thing. |
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margaret
Joined: 14 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 9:06 am Post subject: |
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I've been thinking about your post. In fact I let it brew overnight. I 've been thinking about what male teachers were inspiring to me when I was that age. I totally agree with treating children with respect and like worthy people of intelligence. What stands out to me most were teachers that were excited by what they were teaching and passionate about teaching and liked children. The opposite of that were the ones that seemed like they were there for there for their own egos--some sort of pwer trip. It sounds like you're headed in the right direction--intention is a good start.
Margaret |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Tue Jul 06, 2004 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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| One thing I did notice is that you seem to be leaning towards really "girly activities. Why not ask them what kind of things they like- maybe you could do something with songs, or sports or. . . |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2004 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
| One thing I did notice is that you seem to be leaning towards really "girly activities. Why not ask them what kind of things they like- maybe you could do something with songs, or sports or. . . |
Yeah. I do feel a little guilty about that. First I thought "Can we sit down and, as an exercise, create a hypothetical society that balances the rights and needs of women with 5,000 years of Korean culture, a society that slowly, subtly shifts the balance of power from a male patriarchy to one where the sexes enjoy equal power and then map out for them what they can do to bring about this just society during the course of their lives? "
But then I thought about sock puppets. |
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Grotto
Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 3:27 am Post subject: evil |
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Okay I have resisted posting this for weeks...ever since I first saw it but my evil sense of humor cant stand no more 
You have two of them make out while you and the third girl go at it  
Sorry but I did hold out for 2 weeks at least |
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phaedrus
Joined: 13 Nov 2003
Location: I'm comin' to get ya.
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| Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2004 3:30 am Post subject: Re: evil |
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| Grotto wrote: |
Okay I have resisted posting this for weeks...ever since I first saw it but my evil sense of humor cant stand no more
You have two of them make out while you and the third girl go at it
Sorry but I did hold out for 2 weeks at least |
This thread would have been more interesting if it was what the title initially suggested to me. The "girls" need to be twice as old in my hypothetical thread. |
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