Nothing too exciting has happened the past week. I had planned on going on a hike this past weekend but it rained the whole weekend, so we had to cancel. I’m getting more and more settled in my school. I started my afterschool conversation class today, and it was a like pulling teeth. Students tend to think the Native Teachers class is a joke. It’s going to be a battle to get the kids to participate.
I don’t know why anyone would voluntarily live near the school they teach. Although it’s nice to be able to walk to work, I see my students and their families all the time. I was walking into my apartment building and I heard “teacher, teacher.” Apparently, one of my students is my neighbor. My coteacher also informed me that he was a “bad” student and that she was a little worried. I’m not I also ran into a student’s parents at the grocery store (they new who I was only because I’m American). They asked me if I new their child, and of course I lied and said I did. I don’t know how I’m expected to remember every one of my 600 students. I’m going to have a hard enough time learning my conversation student’s names.
My air conditioning finally got fixed last week. The mechanic came to my apartment and just started drilling holes in the floors and walls. Luckily, my landlord was there, so I didn’t worry too much. My air conditioning works now, so I guess they knew what they were doing. I have to admit, I’ve become that foreigner that just smiles and nods about everything. What else are you supposed to do?
I booked my vacation to for Chuseok (the Korean equivalent of Thanksgiving). I get off Sept 21st through the 26th, so we’re going to Busan-the second largest city in Korea. It’s on the coast, and is supposed to have nice beaches. Is it bad that I’m already looking forward to a vacation?
I start my Korean classes on Friday, which I’m really excited for. I also applied for a part time job, volunteer position, and public speaking class. I’m probably going get pretty busy!!
Everything is going really well! My head coteacher is really nice! She took me shopping and out to dinner the day I arrived. She also gave me some new dishes and pans to stock my apartment. and I was able to meet the native teacher who taught before. We went out to lunch with another Korean English teacher (who I'm coteaching with right now). They gave me a lot of helpful tips, and brought me to Costco where I was able to stock up on essentials such as honey-nut cheerios, a coffee maker, grinder, and “American” milk and yogurt. I’m definitely going to invest in a Costco card. It’s essential.
I started teaching on Monday. The 7th graders are taking a health class during my class, so I’m teaching 8th and 9th graders for the first month (normally I will be teaching 7th and 8th graders). I only see the students once a week, which is kind of a bummer. It’s going to be really hard to get to know the students, let alone their names. The students are really shy, so I hope they will open up as time goes on. The 9th graders are my favorite thus far, probably because their English is more advanced so I can do more with them. Although, the 7th graders are way more excited about my goofy games.
One of my favorite things about teaching is hearing the kids mimick me. Although it can get annoying sometimes, they pronounce things EXACTLY the way that I say them. It’s like hearing a recording. My Irish friend even says her students have developed an Irish twang over the past week!
All of my coworkers and coteachers are really great. A lot of people want to practice their English, so I’m probably the most popular person at school (for now). A lot of my coworkers are young, which is also really nice. We’ve been out to dinner together a few times already!
One of the hardest things is talking slow enough for the students to understand. Hopefully over time, I will break the habit of talking fast. The only other real problem is that technology is shaky in school, but I’m also a little reluctant to make worksheets. Worksheets are too boring, and I have 600 students I would have to make them for! The students work best with visuals, but relying on powerpoint might be too risky.
In about 2 weeks I will start teaching the teachers and 2 extra classes of students, for which I will be paid extra. Right now, I only have to plan for 2 classes per week, so I’m excited to have some extra work.
In the past week, I have explored a lot of Daegu. The subway system is really easy to use, and I’m only a 15 minute ride from downtown. Downtown there is a huge pedestrian mall that’s lined with tons of bars, shops, and restaurants. It’s really convenient, and I’ve been out to dinner there quite a few times.
Last weekend I went to a body painting festival. Although I didn’t stay for the judgments, the artists were really talented. There was an Ecuadorian music group there, so I even got to practice my Spanish!!
I have 4 days off at the end of September, so I’m trying to plan a trip to Japan. Since it’s such short notice, I might not be able to plan in time/get tickets in time. If I go, I’d really like to go to Kyoto, and maybe Tokyo. If anyone has been to Japan, and can make suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated.
Not sure if I mentioned this in the last update, but my apartment is near the army base. So, it sounds like there’s a war outside my apartment/school throughout the day. I guess that’s just something I will get used to!!
