The kids think I’m an idiot.

18 comments

1. Sounds about correct for how kids view the world.

   Of course, adults aren’t necessarily much better (i.e. think of people who stupidly assume deaf people are less academically inclined because their speaking sounds different from what that person expects.)

2. Yeah how silly of them that they think a guy who can’t read the language of the country he moved to is an idiot, kids amirite

3. My kids don’t think it’s impressive that I speak Japanese. My co-workers on the other hand… 🤣

4. It’s not that they think you’re an idiot, it’s that they don’t really view you as a human. Because your job is being a mascot for English.

5. As a dyslexic I can tell you its not just kids. Not sure how many people are amazed I can X because my spelling is bad. Even within something like writing. Honestly teachers are pretty bad at this with judging kids.

6. Actually, I’ve found that many Japanese adults also have the illusion that foreigners don’t learn math for some reason.

7. I had a kid try to explain Evangelion to me. It was wild 😂

8. No. It’s the children who are wrong

9. Once a first grader asked me how I got to school. When I said by bicycle she said “FROM CANADA!?”

   Had a good chuckle about that one.

10. r/kidsarefuckingstupid

11. Welcome to Japan. I’ve met a lot of Japanese adults who assume I have the mental capacity of a primary schooler because I can’t read a newspaper.

12. “Do you know how smart I am in Spanish?” -Gloria, Modern Family (every time I try to speak Japanese)

13. Get used to it.

14. I’m very bright and I learned everyone thought I was an idiot because that was my mask

15. Five year olds are incredible like that, I love them. They just have SUCH a black and white view of their entire world.

16. It’s funny they never see your bed even though, no doubt, you live at the school OR you’re rich enough to fly back to your origin country every night.

17. For kids of that age, I just lean into it. I figure, there’s no point in my ego getting hurt from children who probably don’t fully realize the impact of their words, as long as it’s not toxic or mean-spirited.

    But just for fun, I’ll have my “moments of brilliance” and the longer I work with the kids, the more they kind of get that I’m a little smarter than they think. Some of my 4th graders still have a running joke (it started when they were 1st graders) that I can’t speak a lick of Japanese and make a big deal whenever it does come out.

18. I loved when kids would get so confused about where I was from

    Kid: Where you live?
    Me: in Osaka
    Kid: Don’t you live in America?
    Me: No, I live in Osaka
    Kid: *head explodes*

    Also the kid who asked if I lived in America and flew to Japan every day to teach.