Charpie's Travels

Early on this morning, Justin earned a frown face in place of a happy face. Not long after, Annabelle insisted that I give her one happy face to Justin. Like...seriously insisted on it. So I did. You should have seen her smile. In return, she received a sticker (worth three smileys!). Before the class could fully flip out, I made a big deal about what a thoughtful, nice thing Annabelle had done. I felt a need to make a disclaimer that I would NOT be handing out stickers to everyone who offered to give away a happy face. (I once gave a happy face to a student who helped another kid, and daily students inform me that I need to give them happy faces for helping people.)

English names are fluid here. Today Annabelle informed me that she wants me to spell her name now without the last 'e'. Andy regularly alters his name... Jandy, Pandy, Mandy (until I told him I know a girl with that name). And, just for today, Justin decided to be Bustin. It's the best when said with a Korean accent.   It's not only the kindergarten kids. Jenny is also Jinny, and Alice is the same person as Sarah. My friend Dawna said that, a day after she started teaching, a girl at that school changed her name to Dawna. I think I'm going to start dropping letters out of my name, too. Or swapping them. Tomorrow you may call me Zabeth.

I teach a lot of cute kids. A lot. JunSeo is a quiet cutie. He's the perfect kid who stays in his chair and raises his hand and only speaks when you call on him. Except for the times I turn around to see him perched on top of a desk peering over my podium at my monitor. Or the times I can't see him because he's disappeared under his desk. Or the times he's lost in his own world playing with toys he pulled out of someone else's cubby. But he's so stinking quiet and well-behaved most of the time. I have a hard time imagining ever being mad at JunSeo. JunSeo has super cute, narrow eyes. Every time he talks, he squints and his eyes disappear. And then I get distracted wondering how in the world he can see anything at all. He also doesn't walk. I wish I could do a demo, but it's more like a combination of walking, skipping, and leaping. Even if he starts out with a walk, he always ends with an funky jump. I don't think he's ever landed simultaneous

Andy looks fairly serious...and possibly a little sad. Do not be fooled. I'm learning to recognize the look that means he's plotting a ridiculous answer to one of my questions. I get these far more than I get real answers. Today, while discussing families, Andy thought he'd be funny and name his beetle among his family members. I thought he said Big Toe. I think he liked that even better than beetle.  I learned from my co-teacher that Andy has a hard time understanding me. I talk too fast. All you people who think I'm slow, take note. There IS something I do too quickly. So I'm trying to remember to slow down, though that's a hard thing to remember in my old age. We started talking about verbs, and everyone was supposed to make a list of things they like to do. Andy wouldn't write anything, and the only "activities" he'd tell me he likes were things like "eat the JunSeo's pencil." Five minutes later, he finally wrote somethi

While making the rounds to grade worksheets, I left my blank copy of the worksheet at the front of the room. When I came back, it was no longer blank. Henry wrote my name at the top, circled all the right answers, and wrote a lovely sentence at the bottom. The boy has skills. I don't even remember seeing him up and about...let alone standing at the front completing the teacher's worksheet.

Annabelle has one of the best laughs in the world. If she laughs in your presence and it doesn't make you smile, something is wrong with you. She was in quite the mood this morning. When I asked her about today's weather, she told me it was "cloudy windy sunny, cold cold cold!"  Making Kelly laugh always brightens my day. Generally, she is pretty quiet (but good luck stopping her in a bicker match). She's also rather perceptive. I make my share of little mistakes, and I try to hurry past them before anyone catches me. Sometimes, even when no one else notices, I know Kelly did. I know it because I hear her giggle. She doesn't say anything though. She just laughs at me, I smile the you-caught-me smile, and then life moves on.