Name a Child after Kevin McKeever

Without debate, one of the true bright spots in Korean hagwons, is the power to bequeath English names to your students. In my experience it's mostly done when the students are young, Kindergarten and early elementary, but the bulk of my naming was done with 2 - 3 year olds. It can get awkward when you're naming a teenager. To avoid it you just need a really sweet all-American name.

I haven't had as much fun with this as some of my contemporaries. My friend Kenny got pretty silly naming little Kim's and Lee's, Rex, Cliff, Tyrone, and Lesean. Note the Philadelphia sports references. However, some one within our ranks as educators and leaders managed to bring a Rapunzel and Penguin into this beautiful world, showcasing his/her naming rights in grandiose fashion.

I kept mine simple. Thomas, Billy, Justin, and Chase (my last name, as in Madison, Steph's brother, and my baseball hero). Yesterday however I was approached with a challenge. A new student from the wrong side of the tracks but with the right intentions. A challenge named Min. This name is by far one of the easier names to pronounce in hangeul but at the request of our school manager he should be given an English name. And bestow the name I did.

Min is tall for his age. 10 or 11 most likely. He has dark eyes and dark skin. From first impressions he is very intelligent and speaks/reads very well. He is terribly shy however, and I needed to give him the perfect name. A name to make him forget about his troubled home-life and the separation between himself and his peers. I could see there was a magical caged tiger in Min's eyes, waiting for his true powers to be revealed.

As a test, I presented Min with several names to choose from. I wrote them on the board in purple marker, the color of royalty. Drew, Kenny, Josh, Dave, Pete, Kevin. I read through the names once and looked for a response. Min was quiet. I read them again and asked the class which names they preferred. Drew, Josh, and Pete elicited laughter. Kenny was supported by one girl in the class and Dave was ignored. When I read "Kevin" a second time, there was silence. Then like flowers blooming from the earth, hands reached up. One after another until Min's hand confidently shot toward the sky. "Class," I said. "I'd like you to welcome a new student.  His name is Kevin."

I walked toward my desk and slid open the top drawer. I reached in and pulled out a sawed off pool cue. Walked up to the magical tiger and tapped his right shoulder, left, and the crest of his head.

Name a child after Kevin McKeever, check