I don't know how it happened...

So, when I taught my beginning kindergarten class (as in they don't speak any english!) for the first time I thought I was in big trouble. I left class for the first couple weeks not knowing how to tackle the problems they had. One has a handicap where he can't walk super well...he walks on his tip toes so it makes it hard to jump, walk, run, dance, etc. He is also really sensitive and had a really hard time listening. Two of them would scream out random English words constantly. One would roll all over the floor and completely not listen. They grabbed my chest, butt, hit me, etc. It wasn't too fun to say the least. I tried a lot of different things and some worked and some didn't. I would have to send them out to the secretaries for discipline because they didn't understand me. I kept hearing how horrible the twin boys' behavior is from the secretaries.

But....

It happened! They are incredible, cute, sweet, loving, precious, smart, fun, and they behave (at least most of the time!). I had to write it down or else I would seriously not believe it. And I think it is not a phase since it has been pretty great for a month now. They speak a pretty amazing amount of english for 3 months and I get to deal with their behavior instead of pawning them off to the secretaries.

We have so much fun. They are like this cute little family. They give hugs to me every day and to each other when someone gets hurt. They laugh like nobody's business. When one of the kids misbehaves, I can't explain too much because they wouldn't understand much, so I tell them it was not good to do it and have them sit in this chair away from everybody else. I walked Lion over to the chair the other day and told him to sit down...but I realized the chair was right next to a table and I knew he would play with the table the whole time. So...right when I told him to sit down, I realized the chair was next to the table and moved the chair a couple feet away from it. It was straight out of a movie. He sat/fell right to the ground. I screamed because I thought for some reason he would be hurt, but he just gets up and looks at me strangely. The whole class realizes what happened and we seriously laughed for 5 minutes. I hope I explained that well enough. Although they are so little, I forget they understand a lot. I love how we think the same things are funny.

Yesterday in class we were gluing some shapes on a crown and a pincher bug crawled across the table. They all screamed so loud and started freaking out. I had to think fast and capture the bug before they fainted. When I finally did, they all laughed at each other for being scared.


Here are some pictures of my cute little students:


The many faces of Evan...


This one is definitely my favorite. This kid is so cute and so small...I just want to eat him. He walks around saying, 'I am small.' And he sure is...seriously tiny.



Hahaha. I keep this wig in my classroom at all times. It is perfect if ever class gets boring (very rare, of course) or if I want the kids to laugh. Also, this is Peter...he is new to the class. The other day (only his second day in class) I brought a bucket into class. He walks up to me and says, 'Teacher, what a beautiful bucket.' What the heck? I didn't even think this kid spoke english. I laughed so hard. I didn't know buckets could be beautiful. hmmm, something to think about.


Okay, click on this picture. Parents don't really care about their childrens' baby teeth, but this is definitely the worst I've seen x 5. The teeth that are missing did not fall out...they are rotting away. She is still so cute.


This is Joy. Seriously, how cute is she? Gosh, look at her cute little hair! She is quite clingy though...sometimes I have to pry her off my leg. She is also super smart.

And this is how ugly Joy can get. haha. I told the kids to make crazy face and she pulls out this one. It kind of frightened me, but not enough to not take the picture. priceless.


I think this might be a funnier picture. Sometimes when the kids are making crazy faces, they make asian eyes?? What?? It's so funny. I'm not sure they realize they already have little almond shaped asian eyes.


I tie my kids up with jump ropes when they are bad. Don't judge me.


Twin brothers love each other.

Beetlemania

I don't get it. Really. The kids here LOVE beetles. We have show & tell every Friday. The kids love sharing their crazy asian trinkets. Not once, but twice, beetles were brought in for show & tell. The latest ones were 4 x as big as the first one.


I was brave the first time. Don't worry, I was seriously freaking out. My kids were loving it. Thankfully, I survived.


What the?? These ones didn't smell very good close up. They do look pretty cool. It is kind of sad. Kids put them in a tiny box that is filled with these little shavings. That's it. You can't even see the beetles because they are buried in the shavings.



I did not hold this little guy. Aragon told me it bites. I was not taking any chances.


Haha. Larson HAD to have a kissing picture after he saw mine. I sure like this guy. (the kid, not the beetle).

Red Sox and Yankees, friends on the front of a hat in Taipei. Jae, we can actually be friends!

byu FOOTBALL

My boyfriend. Okay, not really.



All I can think about right now on a sunday evening is how I missed the BYU/OU football game. I've spent the last hour trying to find clips, reading stats, and even got a bad virus (cleaned up, hopefully, by a wonderful roommate) when I clicked on some dumb link. Then, I realized how I am going to probably miss every game. During my last BYU football game as a student, last touchdown of the game, I got to go down to the field and shoot the cannon. How sweet is that? Either way, I am really sad that I can't go to the games or even watch them.

Favorite things about football games, besides the game, which I do watch so stop thinking what you're thinking, at BYU:

1) Cosmo. I know, pathetic. But, I just love the cougar.
2) The cosmo videos at the end of the 3rd quarter. Lame, but still great.
3) Tiger's Blood snowies. Mmmmm. Although, I don't like the bees that hang out at the flavor dispenser thingys.
4) Trying to find a ride to the game. Probably one of my favorites was Seth taking me on the motorcycle and then going back to the apt. to get Megan to meet me. All after backpacking for two days. Oh Seth...you are the greatest. My other favorite, even though it wasn't me, was my brother and his roommate getting picked up by the girl's soccer coach on a golf cart. haha.
5) The fight song. My mom used to sing it to me to wake me up and I did not like it then. But, now I sing it by choice. Rise and shout, baby!
6) Seeing my grandpa at the games, during halftime, in his sweet orange hunting beanies.
7) Friends...I miss them so much, sappy, I know, but I don't care.
8) Not studying so I can go to a game...I graduated, so I guess it didn't matter :)
9) Wearing blue

Dress up anyone??

Man, I LOVE my first grade class. They are full of energy, crazy, spazzy, annoying (haha, I actually love it), and loud. I usually bring in objects for them to write about...one day, I brought some of my own things...clothes, towels, hats, bags, shoes, etc. They are obsessed with putting on everything. They are a happy little bunch.



Aren't they the cutest things in the world?!


Jason, ready to go fishing or hunting...


William...in my pajama shorts. haha.


Becca, using a tae kwon do belt as a scarf.


haha. I LOVE this kid. He put on everything I owned and brought to class on his body. All the kids were laughing so hard.




Belinda in all her weirdness. She can sure make some crazy noises.


Emily doesn't like taking pictures. At least I got this one of her looking like a crazy psycho.


Becca...has clothes on under the towel, don't worry.


William also has clothes on underneath the towel.



I did reading assessments this week with every student and it was interesting to see how different everyone was. We read this book where a kangaroo accidentally spilled milk on her friend and splashed water on another friend. I asked them what they would do if that happened to them and 5 of the 7 said they would be really mad or would tell the teacher. There were those 2 though that said they thought it would be funny and they couldn't figure out why they should be mad. I wish all kids would have answered that way...I loved how I expected those 2 to say that as well. They are such good natured kids. All of them have to go to school for about 9 hours every day, if not more. They don't spend much time with their families and therefore, most of the disciplining has to take place at school. And, most places in Taiwan, you are allowed to hit students when they misbehave. Don't worry, I'll never go there...I have hugged them a few times though when they are bad in class. They secretly love it.

Next week is all about dinosaurs. I'm excited. I know it is bad to lie, but I might have told my students that I have a pet dinosaur. He/she is a little taller than me. I seriously did not think they would believe me, but they TOTALLY do. They ask me almost every day about it...and to make matters worst, they have told a bunch of other students in the school. I get random kids coming up to me and asking about my dinosaur. I try not to go to into it, but I have told them that I will bring it to class in October. This should give me sufficient time to figure out how I am going to bring an extinct animal to class. Don't judge me.