Dave Gilbert | 
02 10th, 2006| 
So the other day in class we were reading an essay about the origin of Teddy Bears. I should have known that the reading would result in one of my students drawing a picture like this:
In addition, did you know that the term “Teddy Bear” was named after former American president Teddy Roosevelt? While hunting one day, he refused to shoot a bear tied to a tree. After that, all toy bears were referred to as “Teddy.” Heartwarming story, huh? I wonder what old Prez Roosevelt would say about THIS:
Yeah, same here.
On another note, I still get the occasional letter asking me if I am insulted by these pictures. Again, nothing is further from the truth. I know that they don’t paint me in a flattering light, but they are FUNNY. The kids who draw these pictures know that I like them, and they give them to me with a smile on their face. It’s like I’m a continuous guest on one of those celebrity roasting shows, where they constantly make fun of you but it’s not meant to be taken seriously.
It’s possible that I might be looking at the situation through “rose-colored glasses”, but even so it’s far better then the alternative. I have seen students who really DID hate their teachers, and did everything in their power to let them know. Kids that hate you don’t waste their time drawing funny pictures. They will glare at you from the back of the room, throw things at you, complain to their parents and get you in trouble. If the kids want to insult me, I’m all for them drawing pictures of me being chased by monsters. It exercises their creativity (something that the Korean educational system doesn’t usually encourage) and is far more productive in the long run.
Not to mention they nearly make me pee in my pants from laughter.
