As we are preparing to move, obviously we won’t be able to
take back everything that we got while we were here. Some of the things we need
to part with are trivial, some are more significant. The Discussion Bunny is
one of the latter.
The Story of The Discussion
Bunny
Early in my teaching last year, I realized that I needed
another way of getting students to talk in class. Asking for volunteers didn’t
work, and I was tired of just calling on them from the name cards I had made.
So, I went out and bought a cheap (soft) bouncy ball that I could toss around
class. The idea was that I would toss the ball to the first person (usually
over my shoulder, so I wasn’t singling out any one student), and then after
that student answered the question, they could toss the ball to the next
student, and so on. The only problem was that the bouncy ball was too bouncy.
Students would wait until the ball had completely stopped moving before
deciding whom it was closest to. This was taking too much time. I needed
something less bouncy.
Then, one day at Wal-Mart, there it was – a soft beige
stuffed bunny for only ¥10. I dubbed it The Discussion Bunny (“the bunny doesn’t have a mouth, so it can’t
talk for you, you have to talk for him”),
and an inadvertent class mascot was born. Instead of just throwing the little
guy away when we left – even though he was in rough shape after 18 months of
being tossed around classrooms and repeatedly falling on the floor, I had grown
attached to the little guy – I decided the fitting thing to do was put him up
for adoption. I did this in the form of a contest, with students sending in
their reasons why I should choose them as the adoptive parent. Below are the submissions,
unedited, with translations and notes added as necessary.
The Adoption Request
This is what I posted on my QQ and Weibo (like Twitter/facebook):
Jianghan University Students: Because the Discussion Bunny
is from China, he must stay here when I leave. Because of this, I need someone
to adopt him. If you want him, please send me an email or private message
telling me why I should chose you. I will choose a winner in about one week.
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| "Adopt Me!" |
The Submissions
1) we want Bunny! 因为我们可以“抱”养它 [because we can
adopt/cherish it]，we
love it, we can it as our baby [This
student and his girlfriend both major in teaching Chinese to foreigners, and
were both my Chinese tutors at the end of this semester]
3) well , I'd like to adopt your discussion Bunny , I think It's really cute , and I can still remember the first time that I saw this rabbit , I want to take a close look at it , and I felt excited when my chance come to answer the question , that's , someone threw it to me . I guess I don't know what I am saying , but this is all I want to say.
4) I want the cute bunny.because I like every cute thing just like me！！！
5) hello，Mr.King。 I wanted to take care of Bunny。Because You are my first teacher into Jianghan University, I really like your. However，Because your class, I met it。 I'm very like Bunny。 And You use it to play games with us in the class，I always answer the questions will be very positive so i wanted to take care of Bunny。Would you choose me? Others，This is my last year, according to the photos, I've been saving it in my album. [this student attached some photos she had take of the bunny in class] I have a little tiger accompany me five years, last year it was I lost。I'm very miss it。So I will take care of Bunny。
6 ) 口语老师你真是太可爱了！ 小兔子代表的是对老师的一个回忆和喜欢，每个喜欢小兔子的人应该都会对小兔子好的哦。老师回国你就放心吧。放心的交给我啦，哈哈。不过我英语太差啦，不过这和抱养小兔子好像没什么关系，是吧？老师祝你回国一路顺风 开开心心~~ [Oral English teacher, you are too cute! The bunny is representative of our memories of you and of fond times. Everyone who likes the bunny would be good [for adopting it]. When you return to America, you don’t need to worry – you don’t need to worry because you gave the bunny to me, ha ha. However, my English is really poor, but this doesn't have any relation to whether I can adopt the bunny, right? Teacher, I wish you safe and smooth travels, and happiness]
7) hello.I'd like to keep that lively bunny.
I swear i will treat it kind and regard it as my friend.I would be very happy if a can receive a discussion bunny from a foreign teacher.
8) I want to adopt Bunny ,through the one year when I am your student ,I found Bunny like me very much .He always comes to me in the class , I believe that he is willing to be adopted by me . So I hope you let me adopt Bunny .In addition , wish you a smooth journey and come back early.
9) Dear Mr TLKingsley:I’m writing this letter to tell u the truth that I really want to take care of the Bunny. When I see it at first sight, I think it may have some collectins with me. Actually , my girlfriend have a pink rabbit called punny, and it is as cute as bunny. I wan them to be a couple. In this way, bunny will never fell loney and can play with each other. I deeply belive that bunny will be very happy every day which is the situation that you want after you leave.So please give it me . I and my girlfriend will keep it very well. I and my girlfriend ,together with punny,will appreciation it if u give bunny to us.yours[name]
10) Dear teacher: I am one of your students. My name is [name]. That day I saw your massage in the QQ room. I saw that rabbit .it remind me back freshman. This rabbit accompanied us a term. I want to adopt him not only get it,but also have several reason about it. In first place you are my first foreign teacher, you often took this rabbit in the class. I have a spacial feel about him. Second every time you used this rabbit instead of making a roll call. I think this rabbit is a messenger. It deliver a kind of frontal energy. When it appeared my desk,made me feel happy and fear. But happy alway defeat fear. I can daringly speak English in the classroom. Little by little, I like this rabbit.Third,every time teacher throw it to us,sometime this rabbit drop on the ground. I feel this rabbit is very pitiful. I imagined if this rabbit have a comfortable home. How wonderful it is! Today I see this rabbit again. This idea present to my mind.And that,teacher want to look for student to adopt him.So I want to adopt him with all my heart. I like collecting some small dolls, such as bear,tortoise, blue demon and so on. I want to make a comfortable home for this rabbit. Let this rabbit find companion, and not feel lonely. For this reason I give consideration to this rabbit.
My telephone number is [number]. If you feel me can adopt this
rabbit.please send message to me . I am looking forward to you message.
Your student:[name]
Date: 2013.6.9
11) can i do? because of that it will stimulate me to learn English. I ' m
afraid of it, but love it.
12) I want it！
13) I want [there were some cute emoticons with this one, but they didn't come through on Blogger]
14) i really appreciate the time we shared together,discussion bunny^_^
3) well , I'd like to adopt your discussion Bunny , I think It's really cute , and I can still remember the first time that I saw this rabbit , I want to take a close look at it , and I felt excited when my chance come to answer the question , that's , someone threw it to me . I guess I don't know what I am saying , but this is all I want to say.
4) I want the cute bunny.because I like every cute thing just like me！！！
5) hello，Mr.King。 I wanted to take care of Bunny。Because You are my first teacher into Jianghan University, I really like your. However，Because your class, I met it。 I'm very like Bunny。 And You use it to play games with us in the class，I always answer the questions will be very positive so i wanted to take care of Bunny。Would you choose me? Others，This is my last year, according to the photos, I've been saving it in my album. [this student attached some photos she had take of the bunny in class] I have a little tiger accompany me five years, last year it was I lost。I'm very miss it。So I will take care of Bunny。
6 ) 口语老师你真是太可爱了！ 小兔子代表的是对老师的一个回忆和喜欢，每个喜欢小兔子的人应该都会对小兔子好的哦。老师回国你就放心吧。放心的交给我啦，哈哈。不过我英语太差啦，不过这和抱养小兔子好像没什么关系，是吧？老师祝你回国一路顺风 开开心心~~ [Oral English teacher, you are too cute! The bunny is representative of our memories of you and of fond times. Everyone who likes the bunny would be good [for adopting it]. When you return to America, you don’t need to worry – you don’t need to worry because you gave the bunny to me, ha ha. However, my English is really poor, but this doesn't have any relation to whether I can adopt the bunny, right? Teacher, I wish you safe and smooth travels, and happiness]
7) hello.I'd like to keep that lively bunny.
I swear i will treat it kind and regard it as my friend.I would be very happy if a can receive a discussion bunny from a foreign teacher.
8) I want to adopt Bunny ,through the one year when I am your student ,I found Bunny like me very much .He always comes to me in the class , I believe that he is willing to be adopted by me . So I hope you let me adopt Bunny .In addition , wish you a smooth journey and come back early.
9) Dear Mr TLKingsley:I’m writing this letter to tell u the truth that I really want to take care of the Bunny. When I see it at first sight, I think it may have some collectins with me. Actually , my girlfriend have a pink rabbit called punny, and it is as cute as bunny. I wan them to be a couple. In this way, bunny will never fell loney and can play with each other. I deeply belive that bunny will be very happy every day which is the situation that you want after you leave.So please give it me . I and my girlfriend will keep it very well. I and my girlfriend ,together with punny,will appreciation it if u give bunny to us.yours[name]
10) Dear teacher: I am one of your students. My name is [name]. That day I saw your massage in the QQ room. I saw that rabbit .it remind me back freshman. This rabbit accompanied us a term. I want to adopt him not only get it,but also have several reason about it. In first place you are my first foreign teacher, you often took this rabbit in the class. I have a spacial feel about him. Second every time you used this rabbit instead of making a roll call. I think this rabbit is a messenger. It deliver a kind of frontal energy. When it appeared my desk,made me feel happy and fear. But happy alway defeat fear. I can daringly speak English in the classroom. Little by little, I like this rabbit.Third,every time teacher throw it to us,sometime this rabbit drop on the ground. I feel this rabbit is very pitiful. I imagined if this rabbit have a comfortable home. How wonderful it is! Today I see this rabbit again. This idea present to my mind.And that,teacher want to look for student to adopt him.So I want to adopt him with all my heart. I like collecting some small dolls, such as bear,tortoise, blue demon and so on. I want to make a comfortable home for this rabbit. Let this rabbit find companion, and not feel lonely. For this reason I give consideration to this rabbit.
My telephone number is [number]. If you feel me can adopt this
rabbit.please send message to me . I am looking forward to you message.
Your student:[name]
Date: 2013.6.9
11) can i do? because of that it will stimulate me to learn English. I ' m
afraid of it, but love it.12) I want it！
13) I want [there were some cute emoticons with this one, but they didn't come through on Blogger]
14) i really appreciate the time we shared together,discussion bunny^_^
The Winner
Last,
but definitely not least, here is the submission I chose as the winner:
15)
Dr.King: this is [name], im so happy
that i didn't miss the notice, to be honest, im moved by the words: he must
stay China cuz he is from here,
maybe the master is more important than place for him, but if not, can i adopt
him, i still remember that Bunny gave us so many chance to express ourselves in your class, he gave us guts,
i believe this is the best way to make his life meaningful, if he stay with me,
he will never stop working,
just for my roommates, every week we have a presentation, then Bunny will be
the first prize, and this will change once a week, i want u know, Bunny will never lonely
or be abandoned, cuz he is the only pet in my dormitory looking forward to ur
replay, the number [phone number]
will wait ur massage
It was a tough decision between this one and #10, even Inga was torn
between these two.
It didn’t hurt that the student in #15 called me “Dr.,” but I especially
liked that the Bunny would continue to inspire students to study, not just sit
on a shelf. Though, I must say, “he will never stop working” does sound a bit
like slave labor :)
The Adoption
The adoption "ceremony" (i.e. me delivering the Bunny to his adoptive mother) happened this morning. Apparently my student thought that this was an occasion deserving of her Sunday best, where as I was thinking more along the lines of it's-really-hot-outside-but-as-long-as-I'm-wearing-a-polo-I'm-still-dressed-up-right?. Oops.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the adoption. My student wanted to hold my hand, which was awkward - but then again - I have a lot of awkward interactions, so that's not so strange. :)
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| The Discussion Bunny joins his new family |
