Not everyone can be a Power Ranger...

When I told people that I was going to be teaching five year old in Korea, I believe everyone's initial reaction was to literally laugh out loud. When I later informed people that I would also be teaching three and four year olds, I think people began praying.

Since I have been in Korea, I have discovered that these children are actually not 3, 4, and 5 but rather 2, 3, and 4 due to the unique way Korea decides a person's age. And even more surprising than learning the actual ages of the children I teach, is how much I enjoy doing so.

There are 3 five year old classes (himmel, mont, and libe) and I teach each class three times a week. There are 5 four year old classes and I teach each class once a week. And finally there are 2 three year old classes and I teach each of those classes also once a week.

I haven't completely fallen in love with teaching the three and four year olds yet and perhaps that is because of the fact that I enjoy the five year olds so much. I'm not quite sure why but the three and four year olds show very little personality where the five year olds are just bubbling with it.

Every morning, I'm greeted by Libe class who is suppsedly the smartest in the school--though I would disagree and label them the most hyper. Recently, we've begun playing Power Rangers in the morning. J.K. (who is quite good at English and relatively well behaved in class) began this game early on in my career at Haba Academy and has slowly recruited his classmates to fight with him as of course I'm the bad guy.

To walk you through my morning, when I arrive I'm immediately spotted by a student from Libe class who runs back to the class to yell what I assume in Korean means, "Kara's here! Kara's here!" Before the Libe monsters can capture me and begin our power ranger game, I say hello to Himmel class (who just happens to be remarkably calm and never join in our morning craziness). Then I am wisked away to an area with some cushioned seats and begain "hiyahing" at the different students. The play begins innocently at first as there are typically only three kids and I can give attention to each and also keep them from crawling through my legs or pulling down my shirt which for some reason they enjoy doing. As more and more kids arrive, they are recruited into the game before they can even put on their slippers. And I suddenly have eight small Korean children attacking me from all directions. During this time, Ryan usually arrives and begs for all of my attention. He stands in front of me and says "pick up, pick up" over and over again in hopes of me lifting him off his feet in some fun way. And once I have lifted Ryan off his feet the other children swarm and also start chanting in Korean and English versions of: "me, my turn, pick up, move Ryan" and so forth. It quickly becomes a mad house of J.K. still wanting to Power Ranger fight, Ryan trying to stand as close to me as possible, Edgar crawling through my legs, Won-Won looking sweetly at the activities from the sidelines, DoWoo speaking to me in his broken English, and Ji-In pulling on my jean pockets. And just as it's getting too crazy, Grace walks in. She calls her class to order and they run into the Libe room and I walk back to my office hoping I haven't made Grace angry with our antics...again.

How can I not enjoy mornings like this? When it's clear that eleven little beings absolutely adore you and wait for your arrival every morning. I'm not sure what I've done to earn such adoration from Libe class but earn it I have. And they are one-third of the reason I enjoy five year olds so much now :).