Last semester I blogged about how my classes make me think of the song Seven Things, especially the line, You make me laugh/You make me cry/I don't know which/Side to buy and it is still true. Tonight a bunch of students from one class came over and set a record for how soon I said, "Okay, thanks for coming, goodbye!" (about an hour.)
On the one hand... there were a LOT of them. Twenty six or so, I think. They're rowdy in the best of circumstances. Several of the guys have good English with a surprisingly extensive vocabulary, which includes a lot of swear words. The students in one room were playing a version of truth or dare which is really just dare, and the dares were getting out of hand. The other room was playing a slapping game, which is okay in some settings but not the best in an apartment where other teachers may not appreciate that much noise.
On the other hand, after I left, I found that they had written notes on my kitchen walls with the whiteboard markers -- "I love you!" and "你最美" (you're beautiful). And they are the first class to decide to use the post-it notes and sharpies hanging in my hallway. So now, on the wall along with all of the notes of things that I'm thankful for, there are notes from some of my students. Good health, hood cheer, best wishes for you and The first time I have a good time with my classmates and foreign teacher together, really... thanks and of course, from the girls, I love you.
So they make me bananas sometimes, but they're also the same students who wrote some of the best deepest fear poems. They can be punks, but they're also my punks this year.
And that, my friends, is life.
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