By Lee Hyon-chol
As a homeroom teacher at a middle school in my late 50's, I think I have discovered that it takes a long time for our students to develop a good rapport with each other.
In March, when the new school year begins, students enter new classes with new classmates and feelings of tension arise in the unfamiliar environment.
They start the first few days of the new school year in a very quiet atmosphere. It is strange to see the boys spending a few days without making a fuss, something that is expected of kids their age. For a while, they patiently figure out who is the most dangerous guy and who they should make friends with.
After a month or so, when the chilling month of March is almost at an end, students seem to be more relaxed from being frozen, both psychologically and climatically. By this time, I am able to call my boys by their name without referring to the list in the roll book. The same is true of the students who have gotten more familiar with each other.
In the months that follow, I hear some strange names used when they call out to each other. These were their nicknames. When these monikers are called out, students to whom they concern become very angry, to be called in such a way in front of their new friends.
Nicknames are usually said to be divided into two different kinds. One is affectionately used between those in love or who have a close emotional bond. The other can often be a form of ridicule. Our students, I believe, use nicknames in the latter way. Now my students have become familiar with one another to the extent that they can tolerate being called by their nickname in a ridiculous way.
Here are some of the examples: Hippo, Orc, Sikumuns and Remi. Hippo is the nickname for Song, who somewhat looks like a hippopotamus when he is angry. He has a heavy build and is slow, but very dangerous when he gets angry and runs after whoever is bothering him. He really runs like a hippopotamus, dashing toward bothersome lions.
Orc is the nickname for Min, who is said to look like one of the characters in the movie ``The Lord of the Rings." For Remi and Sikumuns, your guess is as good as mine. While almost all of my students have nicknames, some are heard more than others.
Now, as time has passed, these nicknames have become more jovial than hurtful. When I hear someone call out Orc to Min, a bright smile spreads across his face. Back in April, it used to be a scowl.
I am hopeful that all of my students can adjust to the new challenges in life with similar flexibility and tolerance, and a big, wide grin.
The writer was a professor at Changshin College in Masan, South Gyeongsang Province. He is now teaching English in a middle school. He can be reached at eleichc@hanmail.net.