the bee's knees.

classroom characters.

sarahmm — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 01:24:14 +0000

Lately I’ve been thinking about how blessed I am by the characters in my class. Let me tell you, I have quite a few. I have eleven boys and eight girls in my class, and they make me laugh every day. Some days it’s a laugh of frustration, but mostly, they just warm my heart.

This week, I picked up my class from recess, and suddenly, one of my most unique students fell down on his knees and exclaimed as he bowed down,

“Oh queen of 5M, please have mercy on me! Please, I beg of you! Spare my life. Show me mercy!”

“Of course J. I’ll show you mercy.” I replied.

To which he stood, acted completely “normal” and said with a shake of his head, “I don’t know why I just did that.”

Ah. He had character all right. And I love it. I would rather have a classroom full of unconventional individuals than a room full of cookie cutter students.

empathy.

sarahmm — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:49:25 +0000

There is no doubt about it: I’m overly empathetic.

I cry whenever I see someone else cry. I get upset when others are upset. I get nervous when I see others nervous.

Some people think that empathy is a wonderful characteristic to have, but let me say that when a community is dealing with a crisis, empathy is the worst. Prayer is the only way to get out of this one.

truth.

sarahmm — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:46:20 +0000

“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” -Mark Twain

There are no words for this school situation…

19 days.

sarahmm — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:35:31 +0000

It has been 19 days since my last post… I can’t believe how fast time flies by.

I have 19 (plus one) days until I’ll be on a plane home for Christmas.

In 19 days, half of the instructional year will be over.

I’ll get to spend (one less than) 19 days with family for Christmas.

I have so much to be thankful for. In the midst of school craziness, I have to remind myself of that.

Psalms 19…

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the LORD are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

They are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

chinese rock, paper, scissors.

sarahmm — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:06:46 +0000

Everyone seems to play Rock, Paper, Scissors in Korea. It is the end all. If my students are in disagreement, they will Rock, Paper, Scissor to decide the winner; no one would dare complain. If you lose, you lose. That is the chance of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

I have even seen younger men hanging out, and they’ll break into Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who wins an argument. Powerful stuff.

My students started playing this game they saw on a tv show; they call it “Chinese Rock, Paper, Scissors.” I have a Chinese student in my class who informed us that they really don’t play this game in China.

In any case, I find it highly amusing. Watch and enjoy.

comparison.

sarahmm — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:35:14 +0000

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

-Teddy Roosevelt

heinz.

sarahmm — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:01:30 +0000

As I was walking down the grocery aisle at EMart last night, I discovered this…

I’m sorry Heinz.

‘Asia’s hot flavor?’

Really? As a Pittsburgh native, I’m a bit offended.

P.S. You misspelled “chili.”

corn and peanuts.

sarahmm — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 06:48:38 +0000

Last Christmas, a very close friend of mine gave me peanut erasers. They are very realistic looking.

Today, one of my students gave me a corn eraser. She said it is from China. Apparently, you can’t find corn erasers here in Korea. Go figure.

skinny jeans.

sarahmm — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:01:03 +0000

Today during class prayer time, I had a male student pray that his skinny jeans would stop being uncomfortable. Ah, the joys of being a boy in Korea.

crazy, crazy.

sarahmm — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 07:00:08 +0000

The past few weeks have been crazy. Between PYP training in Bali, the end of the grading period, student portfolios due, and parent-teacher conferences coming up, I’ve been going non-stop.

In times like this, I think it is always to take stock in what makes me smile. Here are a few things:

My students’ “funny face” contests at lunch. Two teenage boys riding one bicycle (this happens often). Sprinting for buses. Exploring the city. Going to the Ceramic Festival in Icheon. Friendly Koreans. Laughing with new friends. Students being kind to one-another. Skype sessions with family and friends.

Proverbs 15:13 - “A happy heart makes the face cheerful…”