Nothin but Love

The teachers here have immense love and deep relationships with their students. No, I'm not saying they are like Mary Kay Laternou who had a 'deep' relationship with her stud(ent). Korean teachers really care for their students like children. They are willing to go beyond that extra mile. Not all of them put forth the same amount of care. But I've never heard of an American teacher bailing you out of jail.

Ms. Yoo deeply cares for her students like children. It's not because she is unmarried and without children. It is common practice for teachers to go to a students house and talk with their parents or see how they are living. Ms. Yoo has gone to several students' houses to check up on them and speak with their guardians (a few of them live with grandparents). She even worries about the worst students.

I wouldn't say that American teachers don't care about their students. I know most teachers are concerned when a student royally pisses them off, On the other hand.I know there are teachers who would've like my head on a silver platter like John the Baptist. And deservedly so. For example, Brother Heustis, bless his soul, probably passed away from the amount of stress given to him by all of us. God probably cut him a break and killed him in order to relieve him of all of us. (R.I.P. Brother Heustis. Sorry for the time you told me I could 'stay there and rot in hell'). The point is students test our patience everyday. They are just kids. But a lot of us don't give the leeway or continue to care about them. These Korean teachers provide a good example of how to care for a student. (These teachers don't ------- http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/general-discussion/232528-where-were-these-teachers-when-i-hish-school-thread.html -----. It's not like I didn't want that to happen when I was 12. But it's just not right).

My co-teacher has given out here phone number to several of her students. Who call and text her. She looks after them like children. I know I would never give my number to any student. And kids will press you for your phone number here. 'Oh!!! Teach-uh, teach-uh! Hand phone????'. I just don't want to be hounded by the 13 year old who calls, hears my voice, then hangs up the phone. Ring ding click. But Ms. Yoo doesn't mind it at all. For a while she had one of her previous student's picture on her phone's background.

Teachers go to amazing lengths here. Some of you could say a teacher came to my house or you knew a teacher who went to students' houses because he/she cared about his/her students. But can you say your teacher would bail you out of jail??? Hell no. The last person I'm calling is my teacher. Even if my mom and dad refused to come get me. I wouldn't call my teacher. 'Umm....hey....Brother Heustis....think you could spring me from jail?' Well, that's what one student did. His mother and father both made up lame excuses. One said they were out of town. The other... who cares. They basically abandoned him in jail. So, his teacher bailed his thieving butt out of jail. Now, that's caring for a bad student.

In all fairness I bet if I called Coach Slatt back in high school to bail me out he would leave me in jail out of tough love. I had a lot of good teachers. But I would have never called them to bail me out.

But some teachers don't care about the school. They will show up late. They will leave class and go back to their office. Forcing you to teach the class by yourself. That can be good and bad. Whether they are exhausted or fed up with the students or school, you might get left alone with your kids. I know one all boys middle school where the native teacher has a tough time because his co-teacher doesn't always show up or leaves early without saying anything because she is tired. I am positive that co-teacher hates her job. And especially hates the way that school works. The boys are rowdy and incuragable. I know this because Ms. Yoo used to teach there. She has said on multiple occasions that when she worked there she wanted to kill herself. One of the times she exclaimed this in front my friend who is the native teacher at that school.

One of the native teachers is so annoyed with the majority of his all male classes that he has asked his co-teacher to try and teach them instead of him. Sorry, Ryan. I know it's rough out there in the all boys schools. It's so tough that Ryan is known as the corporal punishment master among the native teachers. He came to teach. Instead he is learning corporal classroom torture. Hello Guantanamo Middle School. (too soon?)

Like any school around the world kids are torrid little devils out for your reactions. I am lucky to be at an all girls middle school. I know this because I went to school at an all guys high school. And if you weren't a coach you wouldn't get any respect. We made teachers cry on occasions. Condolences to my friends at all guys schools. Kids are brutal. Then again they are kids.

Notes:

Ms. Yoo went to the hospital with excruciating back pains from the injury. She has been in there two days. I'm unsure if she will be back by december 9th. I doubt it. Miss you, Ms. Yoo!