Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
American Registry
It looks as though the government is starting a registry of American teachers in Korea. This person's school was phoned up by the Ministry of Education asking the owners to report any American teachers working at the school. Sounds a little scary to me.
Swine Flu & More Craziness in Korea
Well, the past week has been filled with activity here on the peninsula.
First off, the former president, Roh Moo-hyun, commits suicide while the government was investigating him for accepting bribes during his term. His death suddenly turned into a political ploy. Opponents of the current Korean administration (Lee Myung-bak) are using his death to blame Lee for employing harsh tactics and for basically ruining the nation. The day that he died an alter was immediately setup in front of my neighborhood metro station to allow people to bow and pay respects while someone on a loud speaker attracted an audience by denouncing President Lee. From what I hear, these alters are all around Seoul.
North Korea decided today to continue their craziness. They thought it would a fine idea to conduct an underground nuclear test while test firing some missiles at the same time. I think someone is just cranky they aren't getting their way. More here and here. Let's hope the place doesn't get nuked while I'm here. The Koreans don't seem to get too worked up about these things, though. The US Embassy did send me a notice about the test and reminded to always be prepared in case of a sudden evacuation.
Also, swine flu seems to be raging here on the ROK. More Koreans are being confirmed to have the virus. This past weekend, an American that recently came here to teach was confirmed to have the virus. Another American was discovered to have the virus today. That person also recently came to Korea to teach English. The school is a big chain here, and they send all of there new teachers to a big orientation/training session in Seoul. So, that person was in close contact with all kinds of other new teachers. That person has since been put in quarantine. Also, every Western that came in contact with that American has been rounded up in ambulances by the government and taken to a hospital so they can be isolated. People stuck in the hospital are blogging here, here, and here. An expat blogger in Korea gives a nice round-up of news regarding the situation here. News articles can be read here and here.
There are rumors in my town (Bucheon) that a foreigner at a big English school next to mine was involved with that week-long training session. The English school is big chain here in Korea and has decided to shut down for the next week to avoid more infections.
I'm a little worried about what the means for us foreigners. I fear that Koreans are going to get really worried by the "American sickness" and shun us in public. Maybe even the government will round us up and quarantine us or deport us; who knows. I heard that new teachers that has arrived after May 11 will have to undergo a home quarantine. If parents get really concerned, they will start pulling their students from our school to avoid the virus coming from foreigners.
Today, I told one of my classes that I was a little sick. They instantly asked if it was the "pig virus." I, of course, told them it probably was. One of the kids told me that I needed to eat lots of kimchi in order to get rid of the "pig virus." Another kid said it was the "America virus," and he then asked me if I was an "American people." Once I said yes, they all gasped in unison and pushed their chairs back away from me. That's just an example of what I think this might develop into. Koreans are already suspicious about letting foreigners into the country; this will only heighten their unfounded fears.
First off, the former president, Roh Moo-hyun, commits suicide while the government was investigating him for accepting bribes during his term. His death suddenly turned into a political ploy. Opponents of the current Korean administration (Lee Myung-bak) are using his death to blame Lee for employing harsh tactics and for basically ruining the nation. The day that he died an alter was immediately setup in front of my neighborhood metro station to allow people to bow and pay respects while someone on a loud speaker attracted an audience by denouncing President Lee. From what I hear, these alters are all around Seoul.
North Korea decided today to continue their craziness. They thought it would a fine idea to conduct an underground nuclear test while test firing some missiles at the same time. I think someone is just cranky they aren't getting their way. More here and here. Let's hope the place doesn't get nuked while I'm here. The Koreans don't seem to get too worked up about these things, though. The US Embassy did send me a notice about the test and reminded to always be prepared in case of a sudden evacuation.
Also, swine flu seems to be raging here on the ROK. More Koreans are being confirmed to have the virus. This past weekend, an American that recently came here to teach was confirmed to have the virus. Another American was discovered to have the virus today. That person also recently came to Korea to teach English. The school is a big chain here, and they send all of there new teachers to a big orientation/training session in Seoul. So, that person was in close contact with all kinds of other new teachers. That person has since been put in quarantine. Also, every Western that came in contact with that American has been rounded up in ambulances by the government and taken to a hospital so they can be isolated. People stuck in the hospital are blogging here, here, and here. An expat blogger in Korea gives a nice round-up of news regarding the situation here. News articles can be read here and here.
There are rumors in my town (Bucheon) that a foreigner at a big English school next to mine was involved with that week-long training session. The English school is big chain here in Korea and has decided to shut down for the next week to avoid more infections.
I'm a little worried about what the means for us foreigners. I fear that Koreans are going to get really worried by the "American sickness" and shun us in public. Maybe even the government will round us up and quarantine us or deport us; who knows. I heard that new teachers that has arrived after May 11 will have to undergo a home quarantine. If parents get really concerned, they will start pulling their students from our school to avoid the virus coming from foreigners.
Today, I told one of my classes that I was a little sick. They instantly asked if it was the "pig virus." I, of course, told them it probably was. One of the kids told me that I needed to eat lots of kimchi in order to get rid of the "pig virus." Another kid said it was the "America virus," and he then asked me if I was an "American people." Once I said yes, they all gasped in unison and pushed their chairs back away from me. That's just an example of what I think this might develop into. Koreans are already suspicious about letting foreigners into the country; this will only heighten their unfounded fears.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Birthday Videos & Another Surprise
Here are some videos from my birthday.
This is Zoe wishing me a happy birthday in Welsh:
This video is as I entered the room to find all of the teachers from my school waiting for me:
Also, last Wednesday my 6pm Pineapple class had the lights off in the classroom. As I entered, the confetti was popped and soap-bubble spray was emptied. The kids started singing "Happy Birthday" and had a heart-shaped chocolate cake with candles that spelled out "Happy Birthday." Wow, I was so shocked. I never really expected these kids to do something like that. They spent their own money to pull this off and even bought me some pens and pencils as gifts. So sweet! They weren't that excited about starting our lesson, though, once the cake was finished.
This is Zoe wishing me a happy birthday in Welsh:
This video is as I entered the room to find all of the teachers from my school waiting for me:
Also, last Wednesday my 6pm Pineapple class had the lights off in the classroom. As I entered, the confetti was popped and soap-bubble spray was emptied. The kids started singing "Happy Birthday" and had a heart-shaped chocolate cake with candles that spelled out "Happy Birthday." Wow, I was so shocked. I never really expected these kids to do something like that. They spent their own money to pull this off and even bought me some pens and pencils as gifts. So sweet! They weren't that excited about starting our lesson, though, once the cake was finished.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Teacher's Day Birthday
May 15 is the day of two big events in Korea - Teacher's Day and my birthday. The day started out really nice. As I was walking into the teacher's room, the "Happy Birthday" banner was up and everyone had on birthday hats; then, they broke out into song. I was a little shocked. Actually, I was pretty dizy and tired because I had been up pretty late having a midnight birthday party. It was a great, surprising way to start off the day.
As the kindergarten kids started to arrive, the goodies started to roll in. All of my kindy kids brought me something in celebration of Teacher's Day. Here's a little list of some things I got: chocolate, Bennigan's gift certificate, aftershave, shampoo, a huge canister of soy bean sauce, cookies, men's cosmetics, and more. Actually, the most interesting gift was a box of 2 pairs of panties ("panties" is konglish for "underwear"); I never thought I would get some unmentionables as a gift from a kid. Our boss (Grace) decided to buy all of us foreigners a huge bottle of wine from France. I don't really know much about wine, but it looks quite fancy and expensive. I do know it came from an expensive department store in town. I was a little embarrassed that she only gave to the foreigners and not the Korean teachers.
I've got to explain that a couple of days before my birthday I was asking some Korean teachers (Erin & Elly) what they thought we should do for my birthday. I told them that I wanted to have samgipsal/galbi for dinner; they got excited and told me that knew the perfect place and would take care of all the details. I left it to that and asked them to invite all the Korean teachers/staff. On the day before my birthday, those Korean teachers told me that quite a few of the other Koreans couldn't make it. It was a little disappointing, but I still had a few others that said they could come.
Finally, my birthday came. People kept telling me throughout the day, "oh, sorry, Shawn, but I can't come tonight." People were dropping like flies. More and more kept canceling as the day progressed. It was rather disappointing. One foreigner told me he had to go help a friend in Seoul that was being kicked out of their apartment; the British couple left a note on my desk saying they had left and couldn't make it to the party because they were feeling sick. Even the girls that were going to take me to a special place left without saying anything to me. When classes were over, my good friend Joey told me that they couldn't make it. Elly sent me a text saying "oh, i'm sorry." That was really disappointing because Elly had told me earlier in the week that "of course" she would come to my party and mentioned it might be my last in Korea. By the end of the work day, only three others said they could make it. I was almost to tears, actually. Our kindy classes have a phrase of the day everyday, and we joked that "sorry, Shawn" should have been the day's phrase. I think Joey felt my immense disappointment, and he had us all have a group hug.
We finally left the school, and we rode away in Joey's car. He told me we were going to stop by my place and drop of all of my gifts and stuff from Teacher's Day. However, when we got near, he decided to wait until later because all of us were pretty hungry. He said that he knew a great place to eat around my place. We got there, and he mentioned going to a back room so we wouldn't bother others with our English. I thought it was a good idea, but I thought we couldn't have a room since it was just the three of us. I think the waitresses told Joey it was fine so we went to where an empty room was. As Joey went to open the door to the darkened room, I noticed a hand in the window. Joey opens the door and sure enough everyone is there! I was so shocked! As I walked in, the confetti poppers went off as they sang "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles. There was every single person from the office...every single person that told me that they couldn't come! I was so stunned and so happy! We had a great meal of galbi together. That's what I wanted for the night - for all of us to be together. Literally everyone was there from the school. The kindy manager mentioned how this type of thing never happens; it is almost impossible to bring everyone together. All of the foreign teachers, all of the Korean teacher, the receptionists, the help teachers, and even the boss. It was quite a feat! They've never done anything like this before - not for any other Korean or foreigner now or in the past. It certainly made me feel really special. The boss even gave me a pair of Nike sneakers and then paid for half of the total bill for the meal (that something that really never happens). I had always wanted a surprise party so it was great to finally have one!
After dinner, we then headed out to a pub/restaurant near the school. The boss (I'll starting calling her Grace 'cause the boss thing is getting annoying) took us there. She ordered all kinds of food and drinks for us. I had to cut the cake here; apparently, its sort of tradition that the birthday person cuts the cake for everyone. Grace decided that it would be best to put some of the icing on my face. I then had to give a couple of pieces to the owner, another Korean birthday tradition. My group applauded for my bravery. We then spent hours together hanging out and having a good time together. Around midnight, all of the Korean girls had to head home because they had to make it back home before their curfew. Us foreigners, Grace, and her kids stayed for a while longer. Grace was willing to go to a singing room with us (even though she really doesn't like it), but we insisted she go home with her kids since it was so late.
Us foreigners then went to another pub/restaurant. We went there just to hang out some more. They told the owner that it was my birthday so they played a techno birthday song and had lights flashing throughout the restaurant. The owner then brought us some free chicken, and he said "for your birthday." Joey then rejoined us after he ran a late-night errand. After a while, we all headed out. Joey drove me home, and he stayed with me for a little while so I wouldn't have to open presents from home alone.
It was such a great birthday, probably one of the best!
As the kindergarten kids started to arrive, the goodies started to roll in. All of my kindy kids brought me something in celebration of Teacher's Day. Here's a little list of some things I got: chocolate, Bennigan's gift certificate, aftershave, shampoo, a huge canister of soy bean sauce, cookies, men's cosmetics, and more. Actually, the most interesting gift was a box of 2 pairs of panties ("panties" is konglish for "underwear"); I never thought I would get some unmentionables as a gift from a kid. Our boss (Grace) decided to buy all of us foreigners a huge bottle of wine from France. I don't really know much about wine, but it looks quite fancy and expensive. I do know it came from an expensive department store in town. I was a little embarrassed that she only gave to the foreigners and not the Korean teachers.
I've got to explain that a couple of days before my birthday I was asking some Korean teachers (Erin & Elly) what they thought we should do for my birthday. I told them that I wanted to have samgipsal/galbi for dinner; they got excited and told me that knew the perfect place and would take care of all the details. I left it to that and asked them to invite all the Korean teachers/staff. On the day before my birthday, those Korean teachers told me that quite a few of the other Koreans couldn't make it. It was a little disappointing, but I still had a few others that said they could come.
Finally, my birthday came. People kept telling me throughout the day, "oh, sorry, Shawn, but I can't come tonight." People were dropping like flies. More and more kept canceling as the day progressed. It was rather disappointing. One foreigner told me he had to go help a friend in Seoul that was being kicked out of their apartment; the British couple left a note on my desk saying they had left and couldn't make it to the party because they were feeling sick. Even the girls that were going to take me to a special place left without saying anything to me. When classes were over, my good friend Joey told me that they couldn't make it. Elly sent me a text saying "oh, i'm sorry." That was really disappointing because Elly had told me earlier in the week that "of course" she would come to my party and mentioned it might be my last in Korea. By the end of the work day, only three others said they could make it. I was almost to tears, actually. Our kindy classes have a phrase of the day everyday, and we joked that "sorry, Shawn" should have been the day's phrase. I think Joey felt my immense disappointment, and he had us all have a group hug.
We finally left the school, and we rode away in Joey's car. He told me we were going to stop by my place and drop of all of my gifts and stuff from Teacher's Day. However, when we got near, he decided to wait until later because all of us were pretty hungry. He said that he knew a great place to eat around my place. We got there, and he mentioned going to a back room so we wouldn't bother others with our English. I thought it was a good idea, but I thought we couldn't have a room since it was just the three of us. I think the waitresses told Joey it was fine so we went to where an empty room was. As Joey went to open the door to the darkened room, I noticed a hand in the window. Joey opens the door and sure enough everyone is there! I was so shocked! As I walked in, the confetti poppers went off as they sang "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles. There was every single person from the office...every single person that told me that they couldn't come! I was so stunned and so happy! We had a great meal of galbi together. That's what I wanted for the night - for all of us to be together. Literally everyone was there from the school. The kindy manager mentioned how this type of thing never happens; it is almost impossible to bring everyone together. All of the foreign teachers, all of the Korean teacher, the receptionists, the help teachers, and even the boss. It was quite a feat! They've never done anything like this before - not for any other Korean or foreigner now or in the past. It certainly made me feel really special. The boss even gave me a pair of Nike sneakers and then paid for half of the total bill for the meal (that something that really never happens). I had always wanted a surprise party so it was great to finally have one!
After dinner, we then headed out to a pub/restaurant near the school. The boss (I'll starting calling her Grace 'cause the boss thing is getting annoying) took us there. She ordered all kinds of food and drinks for us. I had to cut the cake here; apparently, its sort of tradition that the birthday person cuts the cake for everyone. Grace decided that it would be best to put some of the icing on my face. I then had to give a couple of pieces to the owner, another Korean birthday tradition. My group applauded for my bravery. We then spent hours together hanging out and having a good time together. Around midnight, all of the Korean girls had to head home because they had to make it back home before their curfew. Us foreigners, Grace, and her kids stayed for a while longer. Grace was willing to go to a singing room with us (even though she really doesn't like it), but we insisted she go home with her kids since it was so late.
Us foreigners then went to another pub/restaurant. We went there just to hang out some more. They told the owner that it was my birthday so they played a techno birthday song and had lights flashing throughout the restaurant. The owner then brought us some free chicken, and he said "for your birthday." Joey then rejoined us after he ran a late-night errand. After a while, we all headed out. Joey drove me home, and he stayed with me for a little while so I wouldn't have to open presents from home alone.
It was such a great birthday, probably one of the best!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Teaching the Boss
So the boss has asked me to teach her and the receptionist/secretary/desk teacher/heart of ECC some English. She wants me to teach them everyday for 10 minutes. Of course, I couldn't say no to the boss, especially not in this culture. I'm not sure what I can teach them, but I'll try and give it a shot. It would really be better for a Korean teacher to do it since the two really don't any clue about speaking English. We'll see how it goes; I have a feeling their passion might die off.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
St. Patty's Day
Well, it's been a while since this happened, but I thought I should share. We had a hastily prepared St. Patrick's Day activity for our kindergarten kids. Decorations were put up the night before and papers were printed off for hours. The kids made cards, decorated, read stories, wore green, and took pictures.
Apple class (5-year-olds...3-4 in the US)
Watermelon class (6-year-olds...4-5 in the US)
We had to retake this picture a few times.
Here are more pictures.
Apple class (5-year-olds...3-4 in the US)
Watermelon class (6-year-olds...4-5 in the US)
We had to retake this picture a few times.
Here are more pictures.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Freebie Friday
I woke up Friday morning to the sound of the radio announcer talking about a contest for free tickets to the aquarium in Busan. I thought I would give it a shot since all I had to do was send in a text. Sure enough, someone from the radio station called me later that morning to let me know that I had won and that they would send me the tickets through the mail.
As I walking to my first kindergarten class, my 5-year-olds (3-4 in American age) saw me and ran out to hug me. Billy even gave me a sausage stick. I was then greeted by my 6-year-olds (4-5 in American age), and two of them handed me flowers that they had picked for me. Later, another kindy student gave me a pack of cookies. During the afternoon classes/elementary kids, a former student gave me a chicken-shaped piggy bank; he had gave me a music CD a couple of days earlier.
It feels kind of nice to know that my kids think about me outside of school and get something for me. It's so cute; I can't help but love them!
As I walking to my first kindergarten class, my 5-year-olds (3-4 in American age) saw me and ran out to hug me. Billy even gave me a sausage stick. I was then greeted by my 6-year-olds (4-5 in American age), and two of them handed me flowers that they had picked for me. Later, another kindy student gave me a pack of cookies. During the afternoon classes/elementary kids, a former student gave me a chicken-shaped piggy bank; he had gave me a music CD a couple of days earlier.
It feels kind of nice to know that my kids think about me outside of school and get something for me. It's so cute; I can't help but love them!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Positive Feedback
I was talking with my friend tonight about teaching at my school. He mentioned how the boss really wants me to stay longer (past my contract ending date_. He told me that I am the best teacher (foreign or Korean) at the school and that I am a "natural educator." Oh, that made me feel so good. Sometimes, I wonder about my teaching ability. I usually don't really get much feedback from the other teachers so I'm really curious about how I'm doing. It felt good to hear something so reassuring.
Tonight, we had a meeting of foreign teachers with the manager. He shared some complaints that our boss had about us. I was really worried what he was going to tell me. I was told to "calm down" because the boss is worried about my health; she's worried that I'm working too hard. haha
I want to do my best in whatever I do; it's great to hear such reassuring comments from others!
Tonight, we had a meeting of foreign teachers with the manager. He shared some complaints that our boss had about us. I was really worried what he was going to tell me. I was told to "calm down" because the boss is worried about my health; she's worried that I'm working too hard. haha
I want to do my best in whatever I do; it's great to hear such reassuring comments from others!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Adventures in Teaching English: Bathroom Visits
In my previous kindy class, I had a problem with kids wanting to go to the bathroom way to much. They were constantly asking me to go. I knew that it wasn't possible that they needed to go so much. If one kid asked, they all asked. I talked about it with my Korean co-teacher, and she said I really needed to limit. I implemented a system where a sticker would be taken away if they had to visit the bathroom. It worked. Kids would go between classes (with my helpful reminder) and wouldn't ask. One day, a very smart boy named Jack asked me to go to the bathroom. I told him he could but that meant he would lose a sticker. He just stared at me with an intense glare. I could tell he had a huge internal struggle between bathroom and sticker. After a minute or so, I could see some water gathering in his eyes so I told him just to go and I wouldn't erase his sticker. He just sat there with his hand in his mouth. I walk over there to try and convince him to just go. But it was too late! Pee was all over the seat and floor. The lengths these kids will go in order to keep their stickers!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
March Brings Winds of Change
Wow, it's been quite a while since I last updated. I guess the winter blues got to me, and I didn't have much motivation to write something. That's so jealous of me! Anyways, I've seen many changes in the past week at my school. Not very good changes, though.
First of all, March is the start of the new school year in Korea. Don't ask me why. Actually, it's a bit strange. The kids have a huge break from public school from December until February. They go back to school for a couple of weeks, have a couple of weeks off, and then go back to move up to the next grade. Keep in mind that I work at an afterschool academy so I don't get that time off...sadly. With kids moving to different grades, that means that their schedule changes because some go to school later now. That means our school's schedule has to change. Kids are all mixed up, and most of the teachers are moved around.
On top of this, 3 of the 4 foreigners (westerns) left the school at the end of February because their contracts expired. The school hired 4 more foreigners to replace those 3. Two came from the UK, one from Ireland, the other from Cali. These teachers have never taught before and have never been to Korea before. Luckily, all of them are really nice and easy to work with (so far). Understandably, it's just been a tad confusing for them starting at an already confusing time of the year.
My schedule totally changed. Before March, I came to school at about 12 (noon); now, I have to come in at 9am to prep and teach 4 kindergarten (kindy) classes in the morning. I usually enjoy teaching kindy, but not now. My kids in the past were awesome. They only spoke English, and we had a good time together. However, my kids now can only speak Korean and don't really want to be there. I try to act crazy and get them laughing, but it is such a struggle. They even have difficulty repeating me. I can't even play games with them because they don't understand my instructions. Oh, I don't want to go to work in the mornings. I have one class of 5-year-olds (4 in US age); they can't do anything. There is one kid in there that is deathly afraid of me. She always cries when I come in and wants her mommy. However, I'm starting to think that she just hates English. She will hug me and play around with me, but she hates it when we do English work. She runs out of the classroom for a Korean. The help teacher has to sit with her out in the hallway so she can listen to us. My kindy class from before was awesome (as I mentioned); all of them are still here so they still run up to me and hug me and try to tickle me. It's sort of taunt; it just reminds me of how good I used to have it.
My afternoon/elementary classes have gone pretty good. Most of them are pretty excited and energetic, which I like. They're having fun so far so that makes me happy. Actually, I would be totally satisfied if I came in and just did afternoon classes that would be so much better. Even though it requires more planning, it's not as frustrating as kindy. I just hope it stays that way once they are all comfortable in their new classes.
First of all, March is the start of the new school year in Korea. Don't ask me why. Actually, it's a bit strange. The kids have a huge break from public school from December until February. They go back to school for a couple of weeks, have a couple of weeks off, and then go back to move up to the next grade. Keep in mind that I work at an afterschool academy so I don't get that time off...sadly. With kids moving to different grades, that means that their schedule changes because some go to school later now. That means our school's schedule has to change. Kids are all mixed up, and most of the teachers are moved around.
On top of this, 3 of the 4 foreigners (westerns) left the school at the end of February because their contracts expired. The school hired 4 more foreigners to replace those 3. Two came from the UK, one from Ireland, the other from Cali. These teachers have never taught before and have never been to Korea before. Luckily, all of them are really nice and easy to work with (so far). Understandably, it's just been a tad confusing for them starting at an already confusing time of the year.
My schedule totally changed. Before March, I came to school at about 12 (noon); now, I have to come in at 9am to prep and teach 4 kindergarten (kindy) classes in the morning. I usually enjoy teaching kindy, but not now. My kids in the past were awesome. They only spoke English, and we had a good time together. However, my kids now can only speak Korean and don't really want to be there. I try to act crazy and get them laughing, but it is such a struggle. They even have difficulty repeating me. I can't even play games with them because they don't understand my instructions. Oh, I don't want to go to work in the mornings. I have one class of 5-year-olds (4 in US age); they can't do anything. There is one kid in there that is deathly afraid of me. She always cries when I come in and wants her mommy. However, I'm starting to think that she just hates English. She will hug me and play around with me, but she hates it when we do English work. She runs out of the classroom for a Korean. The help teacher has to sit with her out in the hallway so she can listen to us. My kindy class from before was awesome (as I mentioned); all of them are still here so they still run up to me and hug me and try to tickle me. It's sort of taunt; it just reminds me of how good I used to have it.
My afternoon/elementary classes have gone pretty good. Most of them are pretty excited and energetic, which I like. They're having fun so far so that makes me happy. Actually, I would be totally satisfied if I came in and just did afternoon classes that would be so much better. Even though it requires more planning, it's not as frustrating as kindy. I just hope it stays that way once they are all comfortable in their new classes.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
5-Day Christmas Holiday
Today, I have started my "winter vacation," which includes Christmas Eve, Christmas, the day after Christmas, and the weekend. The teachers at my school get much for break time for Christmas than any other school. I know another school that was going to open on Christmas, but after many complaints, they decided to take Christmas off and make it up on Saturday. Hello, Christmas!!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sickness Shows Love
As I noted before, I had been suffering from a horrible cough. I'm happy to report that I have successfully passed it on to others and seem to be mostly better. Best of all, I have my voice back, and I can speak again. Although I hate sickness (especially ones that eradicate your lungs), this sickness was somewhat special. It made me realize how much people care for me here, especially at my school. Friends took me to doctors or pharmacists, and others gave me plenty of advice (I heard "keep warm" and "get lots of rest" plenty of times). The head western teacher acted almost like a mother. She was constantly giving me medicine and making sure that I was taking it (I felt guilty taking it since it was medicine her family sent to her from the states). She was always on my case about taking care of myself. She even taught a class for me so I could go see a doctor. The top manager even bought me a brand new thermos so I could have hot drinks throughout the day. One of the other Korean teachers at the school also bought me some long-johns to wear. The doctor (a friend of my friend) even gave me free medicine, free acupuncture treatment twice, and a free head massage. Even after my sickness ended, two of the teachers at the school gave me some dishes to use in my apartment (my good Korean friend told them that I didn't have much). It has been so great knowing how deeply people really care for me. I've certainly been blessed with such a great school and great relationships.
I'm certainly happy to finally be done with the sickness, though. I was starting to get a little worried. My voice is pretty valuable here in Korea; I get paid to talk to kids. I started to think to myself that I might get fired if I don't get healed quickly. Luckily, it never came to that. haha
By the way, sorry for the delay in posting. I've been so busy lately with little breathing time. I hope you can forgive me.
I'm certainly happy to finally be done with the sickness, though. I was starting to get a little worried. My voice is pretty valuable here in Korea; I get paid to talk to kids. I started to think to myself that I might get fired if I don't get healed quickly. Luckily, it never came to that. haha
By the way, sorry for the delay in posting. I've been so busy lately with little breathing time. I hope you can forgive me.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Adventures in Teaching English: Part 2
Friday was a nice little day for teaching. Not only was it the end of the week, but I was also full of energy for some strange reason. I was bouncing all over the place and was more talkative more that normal. My partner teacher for my kindy class even commented that I was "alive" today. I guess I'm dead on other days? I did make another kid cry today. I was going over phonics (short o and short u sounds) in a class with some small kids. After reviewing the sounds, I would say the word of a picture in the book, and they would have to write it down. Most, however, did not listen to me and tried to write it on their own. As you can imagine, it is pretty frustrating when they aren't listening. One kid stood up and said, "Shawn Teacher! What?," as he pointed at his empty page that I had already covered. I didn't yell at him, but I did talk to him strongly about not listening. As soon as I stopped, he sat down, took off his glasses, and broke down in tears. I couldn't pay him any attention, though, because it just encourages them to do it more. Actually, that raises the count of boys I have seen cry verus the number of girls. I have seen so many boys cry but very few girls. That seems strange to me; I guess Korean boys are a tad wimpy.
On a lighter note, I was walking out of the classroom with my arms full of stuff heading to the classroom. As usual, two boys were standing at the door of the teacher's room waiting to help me carry my stuff. As soon as they grabbed my stuff, they ran down the hall and around the corner. I knew what they were up to; they were waiting around the corner to scare me. So, I walked slowly up to the corner and took a peek down the hall. One boy's head was turned around talking to the other boy. The other boy saw me and stared so the first boy naturally turned around to find my face right in his. All of a sudden, he scrieked and callapsed on the floor. I couldn't help but laugh.
On a lighter note, I was walking out of the classroom with my arms full of stuff heading to the classroom. As usual, two boys were standing at the door of the teacher's room waiting to help me carry my stuff. As soon as they grabbed my stuff, they ran down the hall and around the corner. I knew what they were up to; they were waiting around the corner to scare me. So, I walked slowly up to the corner and took a peek down the hall. One boy's head was turned around talking to the other boy. The other boy saw me and stared so the first boy naturally turned around to find my face right in his. All of a sudden, he scrieked and callapsed on the floor. I couldn't help but laugh.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
K-Halloween
We had a great time on Halloween at my school. Actually, we had two full days of Halloween activities. The school really got into the Halloween thing; I had never seen a place so heavily decorated before. It was amazing! The principal decided that I was a good drawer so she made me draw a haunted house on one of the walls.
We started our Halloween activities with our kindergarten kids on Thursday. All of the little kids got dressed up so there was adorableness all around. We took the kids out on a "parade" through the neighborhood; they marched, sang, and danced through the town. Actually, we were lucky that they all survived. We crossed over some big intersections with our big, long train of students. The cross signal told us not to cross once we reached about half way. Thankfully, no one ran over our kids. At various points, we would stop, and some parents would hand out candy. By the time we got back, all of the kids and teachers were pooped so they decided to delay studies for a little while.
With our bigger kids, we had a bunch of games and activities. We had a eye ball/tomato race, a mummy building race, corn hole, trick or treating, and even a haunted house. I think the kids really liked the haunted house. We built a maze in one of the rooms and stuck some teachers in it with some scary masks. It was completely dark in the maze so the kids were pretty freaked out.
It took me a while to finally come up with a costume. Already-made costumes in Korea are pretty expensive and are a little hard to find. Also, second-hand clothing store are not that widespread so it is a little hard to make your own. I went through about 5 different costume ideas before I finally settled for Spongebob. After getting some cardboard, yellow paper, and painting for a few hours, I finally had a my costume.
My K-Halloween was a good time. We worked really hard preparing for it, and it turned out to be really successful. Most of the kids had fun so that's all I can ask for.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Adventures in Teaching English
In our classes, we have the sticker reward system. Teachers give out stickers for good behavior, answering questions, etc. When a student fills their sticker book, they get a prize from the school. In my kindergarten class, I write everyone's name on the board and draw a star (indicating a sticker) next to each name. When a kid is rowdy or disobeys me, I promptly erase a sticker. Today, one my kids (English name Jack) grabbed one my of scissors in my teaching basket and acted like he was going to throw it across the table at another student. Of course, he was just playing around and would never actually throw it. I yelled, "no, Jack!" and immediately erased his star/sticker. Instantly, Jack's face was filled with utter disgust and tears gushed from his eyes (we actually just learned that word last week...the irony...haha). I then had to spend the last few minutes of class calming him down (boys are so emotional in Korea). Poor kid! He loses his sticker because he acts like he is going to kill someone; such a shame!
In other news, I was given a bike today by one of the fellow western teachers at my school. It actually belonged to a previous teacher at the school that returned back to the States. I went to Homeplus (Americans think Wal-Mart) to get a chain for my seat (crime is very low here except for bicycle theft...the seat is not safe either). I was looking around the aisle with a dazed look, and then this friendly worker came up to me and spoke some Korean. I tried to explain to her that I was looking for a chain. She spoke to me some more in Korean, and I answered yes (in Korean) hoping she was saying the right things. Obviously, she wasn't because she giggled a little when I answered that way. Some Korean woman and her husband were passing as I was trying to speak; the wife came up to me and offered to help me out because she spoke English. I explained to her my situation, and she found out for me that they don't have what I need. Instead, I need to go down the street to E-mart (another Wal-Mart type store). Oh well, maybe I'll also get lucky there.
As I was walking home from Homeplus, I passed by one of the many street vendors around town. I always glance to see what is cooking (usually the same stuff as every where else). This time, there was a group of teenage friends hanging around...probably enjoying a late night snack after school (keep in mind this is about 11:30pm). I thought I heard a faint "hi" as I passed, but I ignored it. As I walked a little further, one of the guys yelled out, "You are handsome. I love you." (you must know that most Koreans often don't hold back from using the English word "love") He says this as he places his arms over his head in a heart-shaped fashion. All I could yell in response was "thanks!"
In other news, I was given a bike today by one of the fellow western teachers at my school. It actually belonged to a previous teacher at the school that returned back to the States. I went to Homeplus (Americans think Wal-Mart) to get a chain for my seat (crime is very low here except for bicycle theft...the seat is not safe either). I was looking around the aisle with a dazed look, and then this friendly worker came up to me and spoke some Korean. I tried to explain to her that I was looking for a chain. She spoke to me some more in Korean, and I answered yes (in Korean) hoping she was saying the right things. Obviously, she wasn't because she giggled a little when I answered that way. Some Korean woman and her husband were passing as I was trying to speak; the wife came up to me and offered to help me out because she spoke English. I explained to her my situation, and she found out for me that they don't have what I need. Instead, I need to go down the street to E-mart (another Wal-Mart type store). Oh well, maybe I'll also get lucky there.
As I was walking home from Homeplus, I passed by one of the many street vendors around town. I always glance to see what is cooking (usually the same stuff as every where else). This time, there was a group of teenage friends hanging around...probably enjoying a late night snack after school (keep in mind this is about 11:30pm). I thought I heard a faint "hi" as I passed, but I ignored it. As I walked a little further, one of the guys yelled out, "You are handsome. I love you." (you must know that most Koreans often don't hold back from using the English word "love") He says this as he places his arms over his head in a heart-shaped fashion. All I could yell in response was "thanks!"
Monday, September 08, 2008
Lucky Day
Monday was a rather lucky day for me. As I walked in, the receptionist (we call them "desk teachers") handed me an envelope from the Korean Immigration Office. It contained my alien registration card (isn't that funny...I'm an alien) and my passport. Every foreigner has to have this card in order to have legal status within the country. Well, they had taken my passport so they could process my request for a card. They gave me a piece of paper stating that my card was being processed and my passport was in their possession. For some reason or another, I can't find that piece of paper that I am supposed to carry with me at all times. This also happens to be the day that Korean Immigration officials decided to visit our school. I was interrupted during one of my classes by the Korean manager needing that piece of paper. Well, of course, I couldn't find it. Luckily, though, my alien card arrived just in time for it's first use.
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