bfg on the troubles with getting high

I get high when I teach. Especially when I see my students raise their hand to answer a question... holy moses, I get thrill and chills everywhere.

These are the kids who hid their faces in towels and under the desk? Do not get me wrong, some totally still do, but I can say I have about 50% of them talking and VYING to speak. 

For example, some of my students have gotten into the habit of not just raising their hand but also of STANDING UP and saying, "Hai! Hai! Banessa sensei! Hai!"

My favourite is Genki Boy, a 3rd year student who is so god dam cute I want to wrap him up and bring him home. I try my best to only call on him once because I don't want to show favouritism but it is sometimes difficult. For example:

"Okay guys. What colour is this?" I flip to a new Keynote slide where it is completely covered in pink. Obviously, I was teaching colours. 

Genki boy raises his hand as do about 12 other students in a class of 19. 

"Megane girl!"

"Pin-ku."

"Yes! Pink. Okay memo!memo!memo!" I say this to get them to write it down... it is my hint that it will be on a test. 

"Okay. So show me something pink. What is pink?"

Now, Genki Boy had raised his hand again and I saw him but he had already answered several questions and Shy Boy #2 in the back of the fifth row was semi-raising his hand...

"Shy Boy #2!" But right as I said it and pointed, Genki Boy JUMPED out of his seat, ran to Shy Boy #2 and stood in front of him so it was as if I pointed at him and answered. " Pen is pin-ku." He held up his pen.

I tried so hard to be mad but we all laughed and I gave them both hanko.

So, shit like that gets me high. I love teaching, I never want to stop I can go on and on like a Durasel battery. So after class I get a little low where I am shacking from all this energy inside. I usually calm down by collecting hanko cards and tests and listening to music. That class, I did just that humming Neil Young's keep on Rocking in the Free World as I picked up the yellow hanko cards of my 3rd years.

A student came up to me. "Sumimasen Banessa." She had the JTE with her.

"Yup!" I smiled but I spoke too quickly.

The JTE took over. "She does not understand her mark."

I look at the test. On the cover I put the marks of all three sections added them up and put both a mark on 30 and a percentage. "What is the problem?"

"Well, why is it 11?"

Now, had I been a little calmer or more sane in general I would have decoded this as a "there is a mistake with the 11 on 30 grade on this girls test". What can I say - another baka-bitch moment.

"Because she didn't study. How should I know?"

"Well, this does not add up to 11?"

I looked down. "Ha! No it doesn't."

I turned to the student. "Come see me at lunch, okay? Because I have to change the mark in my book and in the computer."  I paused and made myself speak super slowly. "I am so, so sorry."

In all, I mad an error on three students' exams. With the other two it was the difference of one mark. With this, the girl went from an 11 to a 21 on 30. Talk about ultimate baka-bitch moment. I feel so guilty thinking she had to experience a moment where she looked at the test and was like "OMG, I got 36%". Horrible.

She came as asked at lunch and handed me the test. I changed the mark in the computer, in my book and on her paper. Then I took out my new stickers that I was saving... "You can have ANY sticker you want. As many as you want."

I had sparkling Minnies, Goofy and friends that popped out. Huge stickers! She could have had any of them. The sticker world was her oyster.

She pointed to the simplest of them all. A Mickey smiling. No popping, sparkling, frills, ripples or florescent colours. Just a plain small Mickey. 

Okay. "Okay." I take sticker and put it on. "What else?"

"Eh? Daijobu."

"No! Don't you want the mega-awesome Minnie?" I started being Italian by pealing the sticker off without waiting for a response.  I was just going to put it on.

"No. I like Mickey."

"But you can have more." I started pulling out other stickers like cupcakes and driving signs and Canada flags.

"Okay." She made an O with her fingers. Bowed. Walked away while still facing me. Turned. Ran.

I wanted to give this girl stickers to ungulitify myself and she denied me this. She could have had ANY of those stickers and she took Simple Mickey. Now I call her Simple Mickey girl in class. She smiles. The students are enjoying their English Native American style names I am giving them. Trust me, it is much better than me trying to decipher between the five Ryosukes in my class!

bfg returns to reading for thesis.