Ah 봄 (Spring) is in the Air and Doug Has Some New Competition

So not only did I start teaching again this month, but the new school year has started. Unlike America, Korean schools start at the beginning of the year and end at the end of the year. Makes a lot of sense, right? I'm only teaching 2nd graders at the moment (so only a class of about 370 kids), so students that I had last year as first graders. And wow what a difference! Puberty is hitting hard and fast, most of my boy students are now taller than me and some of my babies from last semester are on their way towards become men (their voices are changing).

My class structure also changed, so now I'm teaching 3 different levels of classes (I'm so grateful that the school did this, it has made teaching infinitely easier). I give my highest level classes writing homework, just a simple diary entry or letter-style piece of writing, to get them to apply the grammar that they learn in their regular English classes. Well with my boys now changing and their English getting better, yesterday I received the following for one student's homework assignment:

Dear Nicole

Hello! My name is _______. Nice to meet you. I love you. Because you are my sunshine ~ (heart) Only you. Fall in love. Only you, only you. You are have boyfriend. Your boyfriend is me. and I love camera. I want to take a picture with you. thank you. see you next time. Because of you ~~~~~~ (heart)

- Korean student*


*identity protected for the sake of the frail teenage boy ego


Also, despite the raging teenage hormones, Korean students are still waaay more innocent and cute than their American counterparts. So in response, I told him he had good use of idioms and that I was too old for him. This shall be an interesting semester.