It's already Thursday?!

The first week of classes has flown by! I can't believe tomorrow is  Friday already! Everything is going well so far. I enjoy all of my classes very much.
Here  is a little update on my classes:

G- the babies:
They are so sweet and bubbly! We have a lot  of laughs during class as they struggle with English at a first grade level, and  I struggle with Korean at any level! :) We read stories about Tae Kwon Do in this chapter and they took great delight in telling me (in broken, giggly English) about their Tae Kwon Do skills and classes. They are all about 12 or 13, and the sweetest kids!! However, today, they were falling asleep because they were up until very late last night studying and doing homework. The poor babies could barely keep their eyes open; whenever I called on  them, they would  just smile at me as  if to say "please please... I'm trying so hard... but I have no idea what you're talking about, Elie Teacher!" They all call me "Elie Teacher," because "Elizabeth" is too hard. It's hard to be mad at their cute little smiles.

V-the middlins'
This is my favorite class (shhhhh! I know I'm not supposed to have favorites, but it's so hard!). They are all so eager to learn and understand. They have attacked every assignment! We are reading "Rikki Tikki Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling; it is so difficult but they have done their best at ever turn! I am excited to see which ones will be at Grace Academy in just a few weeks. Today we discussed "cooties." The boys and girls do NOT mix AT ALL! So I asked why and the girls just shrugged, the boys ignored my questions... which of course led to "are you afraid of getting cooties?" Apparently, the Korean-English dictionary translates that to mean "a contagious virus!" So mass panic for a minute then I explained it was "imaginary".... why wouldn't the dictionary include that essential part of the definition?! Hahaha!

C-the bottom of the toppers
This class is such a strange mix-up of people! Some are great readers, but lack conversation skills or  writing skills. Some have wonderful conversation skills, but their reading comprehension skills  are  barely there. I wonder all the time if  this reflects their academic skills in Korean or if it the style they learned English that impacts this difference or the personality of the student. Second Language Learners are just  so fascinating. This class also has the greatest range of personalities. We are reading Across Five Aprils. They are trying their hand at "twang." I (with a hearty pat on the back from myself) am pretty good at mimicking the dialect in the story when I read aloud; to hear these high schoolers laugh as they try in their thick Korean accents to read words like "reckon," "git," "fer," "ya'll," is so hilarious. Everyone ends up laughing so hard we have to take a break because no one is actually listening to the story! Great times in C-Class.

S-The Top, The Nerds, The Academics.... or as we fondly call them "The Library."
Wow. They make American Nerds look like the class clown. I was slightly intimidated by their sheer academia on the first two days, but now I am starting to enjoy their quirky little personalities behind the thick glasses and serious expressions. We are reading Anne of Green Gables and discussing personalities of the different characters. Seeing them struggle with Anne's light, whimsical and imaginative language and character is sometimes funny and  sometimes scary. Have they never  been silly in their lives?! There is a reason they're at the top. :) They are the hardest workers! They also are forcing me to bring my A-Game, because they mean  SERIOUS BUSINESS. Hopefully, Anne can help me bring the imaginative play out of all these Marilla's!

In daily news, we are being blessed with American-Korean suppers.... fried chicken (best I've had in my life), pizza, hamburgers, etc... It is a relief to have slightly recognizable fare. A meal of pizza helps the kimchi go down! :) Today, I ate my first seaweed. It  was.... green. Hahaha... actually, it was not so bad! Like spinach in soup, really not much taste, just a wet-leafy-texture. It was apparently in "birthday soup." It  was good, so  I asked no further questions. Truly, I have liked 75% of everything  I've tried; every once in awhile it is a little much for my gag-reflex (cold congealed noodles served with hard-boiled  eggs in some kind of ice-cube filled liquid? yikes).

Please pray for my students (Karla, Dominique, Brielle & John) as they fly here .... right  now.... I am so so so excited to share this opportunity with these very fun and very unique students. I can't wait for them to arrive! I get to go to the airport to pick them up, as well, so that's going to be very fun!
--> the  S class has an assignment from their writing teacher ("Joy Teacher") to interview 3 Americans and  write an article about them.  All of the  boys in S class are waiting for Karla, Dominique & Brie to get here! Hahahahaha! I was wondering about why Mr. Dawson, his daughter Paige (an 8th grader from Grace Academy), and I were only being interviewed by girls!! The truth comes out... those sneaky boys! Hahaha! I don't think I'll warn the girls, just because I can't wait to see their faces when 10 Korean upperclassmen guys stumble their way through 25+ questionnaires. It was be hilarious...

Anyway... that's my crazy Korean adventure so far! Send me news of your fun summer adventures!
-e