Korean kids and their middle fingers.

Ok. Call me over sensitive but when people flip each other off I am slightly offended. My Korean co teachers…’oblivious.’ Recently, it has been a growing epidemic to catch students flipping each other off from across the room, drawing middle finger signs on the English room’s desks. All of these things they think they are being clever but no, they are not.

This is what they draw on the desks!

Does this sign mean the same thing in Korea as it would in the U.S.? If not, I am over reacting…but I don’t think it could have many more meanings….

Does anyone else have this problem? I don’t tolerate this behavior! I don’t care if they choose to do that with their friends, that is fine, they are 13 they will do that. Please, just refrain from doing it IN FRONT OF ME! In front of me, in English, when I only get to see them for 40 minutes a week! Come on!

I think its interesting the remorse they seem to have when I catch them and I ask them not to do that in here. Maybe they have that look down so much because they know all the teacher want to see it. Not me, don’t put on a show for me!

Yesterday, this middle finger phenomenon was taken a step further in a 6th grade class. One girl brought in the class picture of her class- taken on a field trip of some sort. As I am scanning all the smiling faces and peace signs ALL OF THE SUDDEN IN THE FRONT ROW 3 BOYS WITH BOTH OF THEIR MIDDLE FINGERS UP!!!!!!! WHAT??? No one else has noticed that?!!?!?  So when one of the boys walked in he came near me and I said:”Oh! I wanted to talk to you.” He begins to turn around and says “Oh! Fuck!”

Before I go on, this a 6th grader. I know I shouldn’t be irritated because when you’re a kid you learn all the bad words before you would ever want to learn; “That’s too bad,” but I had a point to make with this kid who is continuously disruptive and his bad attitude is contagious.

I told him: “Don’t say that! Don’t say that to me or in this class room.” He just walked away. I am ashamed of doing this but…I tattled and told my co teacher! She brought him over and spoke to him in a low calm voice in Korean for about 3 minutes. When he walked away all she said was; “He does not know what is he is saying.” THATS BULLSHIT!!! HE KNEW THE RIGHT CONTEXT TO USE THE WORD!!!!

Don’t play that game son.