Reposted: Originally published 06/15/2012 (my puppy’s birthday!)
Quote Friday: A round-up of the best quotes from my elementary school students in South Korea this week!
First up, a non-school quote:
Girl at party last weekend: ‘Where are you from?’
Me: ‘Ireland.’
Girl: ‘Oh, Ireland, Texas?’
Me: ‘No, Ireland the country.’
…Pause…
Girl: ‘You must think I’m really stupid.’
Me: ‘Actually, I’ve been asked that exact question before.’
***
In the middle of repeating vocabulary:
Kid: ‘Teacher, I’m hungry.’
Me: ‘That’s nice. I don’t care.’
Kid: ‘You don’t have food??’
Me: ‘I’m not giving you food!’
Suddenly, a piece of candy hits him on the side of the head. We all turn to see one little boy has throw a candy at him. The kid picks it up and throws it back at kid 2. I take it away from them both and put it on my desk.
Kid 2 has a funny look on his face. I look at him, quizzically. He lifts his hand to reveal a second candy, smiles and then bursts out laughing.
***
Me: ‘What’s skipping?”

Entire class, breaking into The Smurfs theme song: ‘La la la la la la la la la la la!!’
Me: ‘What? That’s The Smurfs! Skipping is this.’
I skip across the classroom.
Kid: ‘Yes, you look like a Smurf.’
Me: ‘Did you just call me a Smurf?’
Kid: ‘Yes, look.’
He gets up and skips across the classroom just like I did.
Kid: ‘See, like a Smurf.’
I look unconvinced.
Kid: ‘I’ll do one more time.’
He does.
Kid: “See. A Smurf.’
***
Kid: ‘I did my homework with a paintbrush.’
Me: ‘What?’
Kid: “I didn’t have a pencil.’
***
One kid touches another kid’s arm.
Kid: ‘Teacher, he’s touching ME!!! Teacher, he’s GAY!!’
***
While studying ‘like’:
Me: ‘What does your mommy like?’ (options on the page include a variation of fruits and vegetables)
Kid: ‘My mom likes money.’
Kid 2: ‘My mom doesn’t like dad.’
***
Two boys are hitting each other with pencils.
Me: “What are you doing?!’
Kid: ‘We’re swordfighting!!’
***
There is paper ALL over my floor.
Me: “What the hell is all this on my floor?!!’
Kid 1: ‘Oh my God, you said a bad word!!’
Me: ‘No, I didn’t.’
Kid 1: ‘Yes, you did! You said ‘what the hell’!’
Me: ‘No, I didn’t!!’
Kid 1: ‘I hear you!!!’
Kid 2: ‘The fan and the paper and whoooosh and paper on floor.’
Kid 1: ‘YOU SAID A BAD WORD!!’
***
From The Canadian One and his Kindergarten students:
I was teaching my students can and will.
One wrote ‘I can ride a bike’ and then, ‘Soon I will smoke.’