Quote of the Day (bench)

Student 1 offers food to her teammate, Student 2.
Student 2: “Thanks, but I better not eat that before practice today.”
Student 3 [also a teammate]: “What is that? I can have it. I’m not starting so I can eat whatever I want.” (11/13/19)

Quote of the Day (cute)

Female student [enters class and poses]: "What's up Mister? You like my outfit? I look cute today, huh?"
Male student [enters just seconds later wearing the exact same outfit]: "Oh hey [student name], we're matching!"
Female student: "Shut up!" (11/12/19)

Quote of the Day (tide 2)

Student [starts laughing]: "I just got it."
Me: "Got what?"
Student: "You know how I asked you about what kind of tides the problem was talking about [yesterday]?"
Me: "Yeah."
Student: "And you know how you said, 'Laundry detergent'?"
Me: "Yes."
Student: "Well, I just got what you meant."
Me: "Wait. You didn't understand what I was talking about yesterday, but you got it just now?"
Student: "Yeah. I thought when you said 'laundry detergent' that you were just being random." (11/8/19)

Quote of the Day (tides)

Me: “Read the question. Don’t think about it like a math problem.”
Students read the question.
Me: “OK, so what is the general idea with the problem?”
Student 1: “Tides.”
Student 2: “And the times that it was high or low.”
Student 3: “What kind of tides are they talking about?”
Me: “What do you mean? What other kinds of tides could there be near the coast?”
Student 3: “How do you know there’s a coast? The problem is talking about Canada.” (11/7/19)

Quote of the Day (anger)

Student 1 [looking at his test score]: “I’m really mad!”
Me: “What? Why? Did you get a bad score?”
Student 1: “No. I got a [whispers] 78%.”
Me: “Then why are you so angry?”
Student 1: “Because! I pay attention in class, right? I turn in all my work, right?”
Me: “Yes.”
Student 1 [pointing to his friend]: “Well, Student 2 doesn’t do anything, but he always gets a higher score than me.” (11/6/19)

Quote of the Day (hello)

“Helloooo grade check.” - Comment from a high school football player as he was turning in his test. (11/5/19)

Quote of the Day (meeting)

Student 1 [two days after missing class on 10/22]: “Mister, can I stay after class to get help on what I missed?”
Me: “Yeah, sure.”
Student 1 [after class]: “You know what? Let me try it on my own and come back tomorrow if I need help.”

Student 1 [three days after she missed class]: “Mister, can I stay after to get help?”
Me [reluctantly because it was a Friday]: “Sure.”
Student 1 [after class]: “I’m really not feeling it today. Can I just ask for help during lunch next week?”

Student 1 [one full week later and one day before the exam]: “Mister, are you going to be here after school?”
Me: “No. I told you last week that I have a meeting today.”
Student 1: “WHAT!? You’re never available after school!” (11/4/19)

Quote of the Day (attention)

Student 1: “Mister!”
I have my back to Student 1 because I’m talking with Student 2.
Student 1 [louder]: “Hey Mister!”
Still ignoring Student 1 because I’m talking with Student 2.
Student 1 [louder]: “Mister!”
This repeats/escalates three more times.
Me [to Student 1]: “Why are you yelling?”
Student 1: “Because it looked like you couldn’t hear me.”
Student 2 [mockingly yelling at Student 1’s volume]: “CAN’T YOU SEE THAT HE DIDN’T ANSWER YOU BECAUSE HE WAS TALKING TO ME!?” (10/31/19)

Quote of the Day (staples)

Me [holding a box of staples]: “This has lasted me a while because a box has 5000 staples.”
Student: “Where did you get that box of staples?”
Me [shrugging]: “I don’t know. We have a list that we...”
Student [smiling]: “Did you get it at...Staples?” (10/30/19)

Quote of the Day (name)

Student 1: “Mister, what’s your first name?”
Me: “Does it really matter right now?”
Student 1: “No, but I...”
Student 2: “Duh, his first name is Mister.” (10/29/19)

Quote of the Day (Halloween)

“Hey Mister! I heard that [student name] is going to dress up as you for Halloween.”  - Spoiler from a  former student who burst into my room at lunch. (10/28/19)

Quote of the Day (sleepy)

Student 1 [earlier in the week]: “Mister, did you know that Student 2 always says, ‘Time for my nap in Mr. Hwang’s class.’?”
Me [shrugging]: “Have you ever asked him what his grade is?”
Student 1: “I know. I bet he’s not doing very well.”

Student 2 [at the end of the class]: “Mister, this is like the most I’ve understood in a long time.”
Me: “Could it be because you were awake today?”
Student 2: “True. I slept a lot in this class this week.” (10/25/19)

Quote of the Day (sugar)

Me [trying to give away my last cookie]: “Hey Student, are you still doing your no sugar diet?”
Student: “I started yesterday.”
Me: “Oh, how are you doing?”
Student: “Well, my mom bought some chocolate yesterday. So I had to start over.” (10/24/19)

Quote of the Day (meetings)

“Mister, do you like meetings?” - Question from a high school student as I was quickly leaving my classroom to go to a meeting after school. (10/23/19)

Quote of the Day (hi)

Student 1 [entering 5th period]: “Mister, Student 2 [from 7th period] says hi.”
Me: “Um...OK.”
Student 1 [recognizing my confusion]: “Right? Do you know why she would say something like that?”
Me: “She thinks that I get irritated with her and that it’s funny. To be clear, I don’t get irritated with her.”
Student 1: “Well...she is kinda irritating though.” (10/21/19)

Quote of the Day (protests)

Just a few quotes from students in regards to the protests just down the road from the school.

Student: “Mister, I’m so mad.”

Me: “Why?”

Student: “They closed the road just after we passed it [the roadblock].”

Me: “I’m glad you here though.”

Student: “Yeah, but if I had just taken a little bit longer to get ready, we wouldn’t have been able to get to school.”

Student [at 11:30]: “Oh!”

Me: “What’s going on?”

Student: “I just realized why there are so many people absent.”

Me: “You just realized it?”

Student: “Yeah, it’s because the road is closed for the protest, right?”

Student: “Why couldn’t they have cut the pole by my house?”

Student: “Mister, I heard that there are some teachers getting arrested for the protest [down the street].”

Me: “And?”

Student [grinning mischievously]: “Shouldn’t you be unified?” 

(10/18/19)

Quote of the Day (Queen)

Student 1 draws a picture on the board.
Student 2 [entering the class]: “Wait a minute! I think I know who that is. Is that Rosa Parks?”
Student 1’s picture:

Quote of the Day (help)

Student 1: “Mister, where’s the pi button on the calculator?”
Me: “You called me over to ask me that? Just look. It’s there.”
Student 1: “I tried. I couldn’t find it.”
Me [walking away]: “You depend on other people too much. Keep looking.”
Student 1 [turning to her neighbor]: “Where’s the pi button?”
Me: “Stop asking people for help!”
Student 1: “I didn’t. I only asked you and Student 2.” (10/15/19)

Quote of the Day (ethnicity)

Student 1: “So Mister, what is your ethnicity, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Me: “Before I answer, where do you think I’m from?”
Student 2: “New Zealand.”
Me: “New Zealand, really?”
Student 2: “I don’t know. If I had to really guess, I’d say...Mililani.”
Me: “You’re not the first person to guess that. May I ask why you think that?”
Student 2: “I don’t know. Probably because that’s where all the rich Asians are from.”
Me [choking down the laughter]: “So you think I’m rich?” (10/4/19)

Quote of the Day (hug)

Me: “Student, do you want to see what you got [on your test]?”
Student: “Um...I don’t know. Do I?”
Me [waving his test in the air]: “Do you want to see it or not?”
Student: “Yes! Yes! [looking at his good test score] Wait! Is this real?”
Me: “Why would I lie to you about it?”
Student: “So I really scored this high?”
Me: “Yes.”
Student: “Really?”
Me: “Do you want me to lower to something more reasonable?”
Student [staring at his test]: “No. Wow...[opening his arms] Hug?” (10/3/19)