Office Hours

During office hours, many interesting conversations happen. Students use this time to voice any questions they have that they do not feel comfortable asking in class. The questions range from American culture to Grammar questions. This week while we were talking about High School and college life in America, one student asked, “is it true about students parking?” Hmm, an awkward question to answer about parking. But, I answered her that yes, indeed High School students do park the car sometimes when they are on a date. I asked her where she had heard of this “parking?”
Another student asked what it means when someone makes air quotes around something that they say. Many students ask about how they can study in America and if it is difficult to go. I have no idea what kinds of hoops they have to jump through or what money they have to pay to study abroad, so I am probably the least helpful on this question.
And, don’t forget the grammar questions. For example, is “Mike and Susan’s desk” the same as “Mike’s and Susan’s desk?” How many desks are being referred to in each of these sentences. I have been stumped on more than one occasion by grammar questions similar to these.
But the students are lovely. I have had only a handful of bad experiences with the students so far. In general, they are eager to spend time together, ask their questions about culture and English, and share insights about their culture as well. This past Friday, I was told that it was a Holiday to honor older people—if they had not told me, I would have had no idea.
For most of the office times, only sophomores have come to visit. This is in part because I have been teaching them longer and because I gave them an assignment that they MUST come and visit the office. I am not sure if I will make this a requirement in the future, but it does provide an excellent chance to talk more with each student in the class.
This past week, a couple of freshman stopped in the office. In front of the sophomore students, one brave freshman told me that I was “the apple of her eye.” Hmm, I am not sure about that one. The sophomores, eager to learn idioms, asked me what she meant.