Chicks

Apparantly, my students think my classroom should be converted into a zoo. Today, Max in my Basic class (the same class that has Billy with the ants in it) showed up with a baby chick in a plastic tube that looked very similar to a Pringles can. Of course the arrivial of this new addition to our classroom created quite the stir. I had to tell practically every student to sit down as I tried to figure out myself what exactly was going on. I finally made it through all the students to see Soon Jae holding this tiny chick that was shaking. I did not want to have to fight with the chick for attention for the next 110 minutes so I made Max put it back in the plastic tube and take it to the counter so they could "watch" it for the rest of class.
When Max returned, I asked him where he got his bird. He said some man was selling them outside the school. Very interesting. I wonder if Max's mother knows that her son is buying chicks. For that matter, I wonder how Billy's mother feels about his ant fascination and collection.
By the way, on the latest name change day in Basic class, Billy asked to change his name to Chunk, a character from one of the first books we ever read. He had been asking to change his name to Chunk for several months now, but I kept telling him no. Finally, I gave in and agreed to call him Chunk. I have to admit that I like it now. In a strange way, it suits him, even though he is a typical small and scrawny looking Korean kid. And it is kind of fun to say, "Chunk, sit down!" or "Chunk, be quiet!" which I have to do many times a day.