So the other day, I'm in my class, and one of my class counselor's tells me that another student is going to be changing levels, and joining my 5:30 class on monday wednesday friday. I was excited, because I've been teaching the hooligans in that class for over eight months now; considered an eternity in the esl world - a teacher for more than six months is a blessing, because teaching changes are frequent in the esl world - we're like side dishes- interchangeable....right. I digress.
So Diana, an intelligent girl the same age as the other girls in my class, tries the class on Wednesday, and from the moment she walked into my class, the other four girls instantly, and I mean INSTANTLY started talking about her; allow me to inform you that they knew NOTHING about this girl. And they're doing this all completely in plain view of Diana - Now, I'm pretty firm in my class, and my students generally follow me when I raise my voice. However, concerning this poor girl, they refused to stop whispering and talking about her; blatantly. Not until I seriously threatened them with hours of homework, doing useless crap, did they actually stop, by which point was almost the end of the class.

What is it with middle school girls? The poor thing nearly cried when she got home, and she's now back in her old class, where's she's heads and tails above the other students (where she's worshipped, and not gossiped about). God Bless anybody who teaches middle school students, but even more so those who teach middle school girls. They're vicious, knife wielding people...Now, I won't lie, the boys in this country that I teach aren't much better; they're either spoiled, or just plain stupid when compared to the girls...but man, if ever there was a time that I really felt for the future men of Korea, it was during that class... Today I really let them know how hurt I was that they treated her as they did, although I was more frustrated that I had been teaching them, and it was while I was teaching that it happened. Needless to say, today was one of the longest classes, with two of the girls refusing to cooperate for the rest of class, and then moping severely as they walked out the door....I love Fridays.

Allow me to humbly apologize to my three (*five female readers - on days when the prison inmates are allowed to use the internet*) as to my numerous references of women being sudoku puzzles; I'm referring more to Korean women, although, on more than one occasion, other women I’ve known fall into that "comparison"...however, I'm not trying to lump all of the women into groups; (just those I deem fit to....) No, seriously though, I apologize in the chance I’ve insulted anyone. it will probably happen again in the future, just to warn you.
take care ya'll, and props to my graduate student friends who've finished another year....
wildchild