Dear paper hats, I hate you.

Last week, I helped organize and run my school's English winter camp. The duration of the camp was one week for three hours a day (45 minute classes with 15 minute breaks in between).  Before the camp began, about 24 students signed up.  Me and another English teacher, Gonghee, were the designated teachers of the camp. 

Day 1: Introduction Day.  22 students showed up...a mix of boys and girls...1st and 2nd graders...middle schoolers. We introduced ourselves, made name tags, played icebreaker games and finished the day with a treasure hunt. What a breeze...

Day 2: Arts and Crafts Day.  20 students showed up (we lost a few). 
During the first class, we began making paper chef hats (Day 3: Cooking Day).  At break time...the students still hadn't finished!  During the second class, we continued working on the hats.  About 30 minutes passed...still not done!  We started to panic!!!  The students resembled zombies...and I felt like we were running a paper hat sweat shop! Gonghee and I began running around the classroom helping students finish their hats.  Some of the advanced paper-folders had moved on to decorating their hats with their markers and colored pencils.  Of course, the students who weren't even close to being finished wanted to decorate their hats too. Ummm, no! We told the students to concentrate on finishing their hats and to NOT decorate them because we were out of time! As soon as we helped one student finish, we'd jump to the next one.  I'd turn around to check on the students I had helped...either their heads were face down on their desks or they were DECORATING their hats! Finally, by the time the 2nd break came around, all the students finished.  During the last class, we made paper aprons...SIKE!  We played Picitonary.  Uttering the word "paper" would've been English winter camp suicide...

 

First Class: so focused.

Second Class: so unhappy.

Day 3: Cooking Day.  13 students showed up. I hate you paper hats!!!  By the 2nd class, 10 students were still remaining.  We made the students wear the hats during cooking class.  Ironically, no cooking was involved...at all.  We made rice crispie treats and sandwiches.  The students could make three different kinds of sandwiches: Tuna, Ham & Cheese, and PB& J.  The girl students gave me a "special" sandwich: peanut butter, ham and tuna. I took a bite...FOUL!  I'm 95% positive they were trying to get back at me for the "paper hat" incident...they told me they had made it for the boys, but that was after the fact.  So, I cut off the ends where I had bitten and gave it to the boys.  They ate it.

Two of the boys muttered: "I want Kimchi..." after eating their snacks...carb overload.


Day 4: Random Day. I don't remember what we did...or who was there...

Day 5: Movie Day. 22 students showed up. We watched "The Last Airbender." I had bought the DVD on New Years Day in Seoul. After watching the movie during two classes, we played a quiz game (questions about the movie) called Golden Bell.  My friend (another native English teacher), Sheila, came to visit my school and brought Dunkin Donuts!  We awarded students with prizes/donuts.  English winter camp finished. 

 

Picture provided by Sheila. Stole it from FB.

The end.