Several of my students had great fun yesterday when I keep on saying the word "UNKO." A naughty student told me to say it repeatedly for 10 times. It was supposedly a Japanese magic word. Being open-minded to other culture and all, I chanted "UNKO, UNKO, UNKO" with a sweet smile on my face. Then I saw the students's faces holding back laughter. Some students who were not aware of what's happening giggled and looked at me incredulously. When I noticed this, I became suspicious and started asking what does it mean. Everybody just looked pleased but no one's telling me what it is. I went to the more serious student and asked him, "Do you like unko?" He burst out laughing along with his seatmate. I took that chance to ask him what does unko mean. Turns out, UNKO means poop. Such sweet students, I have.
Don't know why I didn't learn the Japanese word for poop earlier. It just never crossed my mind that I should learn it. I should have. It could have saved me from weeks of feeling alienated from my students. I'll just ask "Do you like unko?" and I'm pretty sure a handful of them will be my best friends. Kids say the dumbest things but kids like it better when adults say them, I think. Imagine the most serious kid in class broke into laughter because of unko. It must really be a magic word. It's worth knowing and chanting if it means I made some students happy.
I treasure the times when students take the first step to talk to me. It seldom happens. Sure, maybe 90 percent of the students in my school say hello and hi to me. Some would even ask me how am I. But, only a precious few would really talk me like a normal human being. I can't blame the students. They can't understand me and I can't understand them. (When I think about it, the feeling seems mutual.) No matter how friendly I am, I'm still an alien spurting alien talk, aka English. This alien is always the one to reach out and start conversations with the students. I'm okay with it most of the time but it's kinda tiring sometimes.
What I miss most in my previous teaching jobs is the chance to talk with the students beyond the classroom. I love it when I can tease students and in rare cases, impart words of wisdom. I love it when they confide and joke with me. I love being a friend, sometimes. It makes me feel that I'm a part of their lives. It makes my job more fulfilling and meaningful.
Of course, I can do that here in Japan... if I learn Japanese or my students learn English. I don't know which is the more impossible one. I feel I can do more if I can speak more Japanese or if they can understand more English. I have so many things I want to share and ask. I want to know their crushes, their favorite teachers, their dreams and even the things that bother them. I'd love to know their stories. Students have the most interesting take on things. I want to know that too! I want to go beyond "How are you?" and "How's the weather today?"
I can only hope that even with this HUGE language barrier, my students can see that I care for them somehow. I don't mind saying UNKO a hundred times if that would make them happy. And for a rare moment, I'm just their friend.
More Information on UNKO:
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| UNKO! photo credit: http://bebland.blogspot.jp/ |
Don't know why I didn't learn the Japanese word for poop earlier. It just never crossed my mind that I should learn it. I should have. It could have saved me from weeks of feeling alienated from my students. I'll just ask "Do you like unko?" and I'm pretty sure a handful of them will be my best friends. Kids say the dumbest things but kids like it better when adults say them, I think. Imagine the most serious kid in class broke into laughter because of unko. It must really be a magic word. It's worth knowing and chanting if it means I made some students happy.
I treasure the times when students take the first step to talk to me. It seldom happens. Sure, maybe 90 percent of the students in my school say hello and hi to me. Some would even ask me how am I. But, only a precious few would really talk me like a normal human being. I can't blame the students. They can't understand me and I can't understand them. (When I think about it, the feeling seems mutual.) No matter how friendly I am, I'm still an alien spurting alien talk, aka English. This alien is always the one to reach out and start conversations with the students. I'm okay with it most of the time but it's kinda tiring sometimes.
What I miss most in my previous teaching jobs is the chance to talk with the students beyond the classroom. I love it when I can tease students and in rare cases, impart words of wisdom. I love it when they confide and joke with me. I love being a friend, sometimes. It makes me feel that I'm a part of their lives. It makes my job more fulfilling and meaningful.
Of course, I can do that here in Japan... if I learn Japanese or my students learn English. I don't know which is the more impossible one. I feel I can do more if I can speak more Japanese or if they can understand more English. I have so many things I want to share and ask. I want to know their crushes, their favorite teachers, their dreams and even the things that bother them. I'd love to know their stories. Students have the most interesting take on things. I want to know that too! I want to go beyond "How are you?" and "How's the weather today?"
I can only hope that even with this HUGE language barrier, my students can see that I care for them somehow. I don't mind saying UNKO a hundred times if that would make them happy. And for a rare moment, I'm just their friend.
More Information on UNKO:
- unpi 「うんぴ」 : Diarrheal stool. Could be connected to overeating, having a cold, or stress. It is usually a yellowish-color and it has a very strong smell.
- unnyo 「うんにょ」 : Soft and tender poop, but not diarrehea. It comes out when you are feel some indigestion. Yellow-ish or light brown in color.
- unchi 「うんち」 : Nice poop. It comes out when you’ve been eating healthy balanced meals. It has a clean brown color and doesn’t smell very much.
- ungo 「うんご」 : Comes out when you’ve not been eating enough vegetables, and you’re probably constipated when you squeeze out an ungo. Ungo is dark black and really stinky.
[Source: This Japanese article, via Kokoro Zaeega]
