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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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 Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 10:55 pm Post subject: 6th Grade "too cool for school" syndrome |
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The sixth grade is a Korean kid's first taste of what it's like to be at the top of a food chain. So I was very interested in seeing how long it would take for my angel 5th graders to morph into little sh*t demons this term. Apparently, the transformation takes place overnight. They've gone from keen-eyed, obedient, fun-loving pupils to everything-is-boring-and-all-adults-suck-the-big-one teens instantaneously! I was expecting at least a little bit of a transition period, but no. As of day 1, they are all now officially too cool for school.
I can pinpoint the exact nanosecond I realised this. As I was implementing my patented over-the-top chain drill name game race, which causes 5th graders to completely lose their sh*t in a cacophony of I-heart-the-English-teacher delirium, the 6th graders start in on me with a bunch of moaning and groaning clearly intended to convey the message of what a frikin' tool they think I am. Why? Because this activity necessitated that they actually get up out of their seats. The gods of teen-dom forbid they should behave in such a lowly, 5th-gradish manner! This kind of stuff was knockin' their collective socks off not more than a few months ago. Personally, I blame Confucius. |
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Daechidong Waygookin
Joined: 22 Nov 2004
Location: No Longer on Dave's. Ive quit.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: 6th Grade "too cool for school" syndrome |
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| manlyboy wrote: |
The sixth grade is a Korean kid's first taste of what it's like to be at the top of a food chain. So I was very interested in seeing how long it would take for my angel 5th graders to morph into little sh*t demons this term. Apparently, the transformation takes place overnight. They've gone from keen-eyed, obedient, fun-loving pupils to everything-is-boring-and-all-adults-suck-the-big-one teens instantaneously! I was expecting at least a little bit of a transition period, but no. As of day 1, they are all now officially too cool for school.
I can pinpoint the exact nanosecond I realised this. As I was implementing my patented over-the-top chain drill name game race, which causes 5th graders to completely lose their sh*t in a cacophony of I-heart-the-English-teacher delirium, the 6th graders start in on me with a bunch of moaning and groaning clearly intended to convey the message of what a frikin' tool they think I am. Why? Because this activity necessitated that they actually get up out of their seats. The gods of teen-dom forbid they should behave in such a lowly, 5th-gradish manner! This kind of stuff was knockin' their collective socks off not more than a few months ago. Personally, I blame Confucius. |
God..I have grade 6 all day tomorrow...first week was great...I hope you are wrong. Last semester the Grade 6 kids were fine until the end of the 2nd semester, I hope this group doesnt morph into what you describe too fast. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:00 am Post subject: |
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Take heart. This time next year their life is going to suck big time. 6th grade is the last year to be a kid before they go off to university.  |
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manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:44 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| Take heart. This time next year their life is going to suck big time. 6th grade is the last year to be a kid before they go off to university. |
Actually, as the Middle School is just across the way, I've been running in to some of my 6th grade punks from last year as I'm heading home. There does appear to be just a slight glint of that first-time weight-of-the-world look in their eyes. I might venture over there, and while they're getting reamed by one of their slave-driving math teachers, I'll stand at the window doing a happy dance, and mouth the words "haksaeng baboooo". |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:15 am Post subject: |
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| manlyboy wrote: |
Actually, as the Middle School is just across the way, I've been running in to some of my 6th grade punks from last year as I'm heading home. There does appear to be just a slight glint of that first-time weight-of-the-world look in their eyes. I might venture over there, and while they're getting reamed by one of their slave-driving math teachers, I'll stand at the window doing a happy dance, and mouth the words "haksaeng baboooo". |
I teach at a middle school and most of my first years are these cute little buttons I just want to take home with me. A couple of them had done something bad and they were crying today. I really hate that.
To quote one of my friends on boys crying. I hate it when little boys cry. Girls cry at the drop of a hat but little boys really have to put their whole heart into it. |
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trevorcollins
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| crazylemongirl wrote: |
| To quote one of my friends on boys crying. I hate it when little boys cry. Girls cry at the drop of a hat but little boys really have to put their whole heart into it. |
You think?
I find that K boys cry more readily than the girls. Generally they're super spoilt and it's like the last resort when you have a dozen of them all stampeding to get their own way. I find young K chicks (like elementary age) to be far far more emotionally adjusted than the boys their age. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 3:45 am Post subject: |
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Middle schoolers are the most pointless specimens in existence..
There is no good reason for them to even be in school...they should sent to try and survive on a desert island, or doing voluntary work in the third world.
Its the age where they demand the same treatment as adults, yet behave like 10 year olds: they appear to have all wisdom and knowledge, yet no experience of the world: they still enjoy the spoiled attention and shelter of parents, yet rebel at the same time...with a hefty cocktail of hormones thrown in..
And due to school schedules, their painful classes are always the last, most numbing and tiresome, at the end of a long day...
Definition of futility... |
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pollyplummer
Joined: 07 Mar 2005
Location: McMinnvillve, Oregon
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:12 am Post subject: Of Mice and Men |
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My high school students act like what I would expect from grade six students, especially the boys. They giggle like little girls when I speak to them. When I ask one of them to stand up and read a sentence aloud and he uses a whisper voice, I say, "What is this mouse voice? Where is your man voice?" They respond, "We are mice." Hmm... What does this say about Korean men? My male korean co-workers act like what I would expect from freshmen in high school. Maybe my expectations are askew. Afterall, I'm not at home. I'm in Korea. I hope to systematically destroy this mouse mentality in my students wherever I see it. Perhaps this is too optimistic- I've only been teaching one week now.  |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 4:41 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
You think?
I find that K boys cry more readily than the girls. Generally they're super spoilt and it's like the last resort when you have a dozen of them all stampeding to get their own way. I find young K chicks (like elementary age) to be far far more emotionally adjusted than the boys their age. |
My boys seem fine. A little innocent in some ways and not in others compared to the kids back home.
There is this one kid who barely puts a toe out of line in class. But he missed a vacation class due to a test but he forgot to tell me about it. He came to school later that morning after his mother had reemed him out for missing the class and not telling me. He was back in the teachers with big tears rolling down his face. The Korean teacher and I just about started crying because he is so sweet and he was so upset over a really small thing.
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| Middle schoolers are the most pointless specimens in existence.. |
As always thanks for you valuable imput.  I see the whole gammit of kids from the spoilt princes walking around with their 600k handphones down to the ones where the homeroom teacher sends them home with the left overs from lunch for the family.
Most of my boys aren't that wealthy. For the most part they are funny, sweet and kind. I actually miss seeing them during vacation. And it's always good when they seem me on the street that they will cross the road just to say hello.
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| What is this mouse voice? Where is your man voice?" They respond, "We are mice." Hmm... What does this say about Korean men? My male korean co-workers act like what I would expect from freshmen in high school. Maybe my expectations are askew. |
If you've only been here a week your students and co-workers are barely getting to know you. They aren't going to come out of their shells and risk making a fool of themselves for a lot longer than that. |
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