I feel like I have settled in quite nicely in my new school. I am currently teaching for what's called an after-school program. My previous school was a hogwan. As I may have mentioned before, after Korean kids finish their regular schooling for the day, it isn't common for them to go to baseball practice, or dance class like many American kids do. Korean parents pay money to send their children to specialized private academies where their kids receive additional schooling.
Korean society is so competitive, and it seems to be extremely important for parents to enable their children to get into the best universities. There seems to be less top tier universities in Korea than there are in countries like the United States and England. On top of that, the importance of education in Korean society cannot be understated. For a combination of these two reasons, Korean parents send their children to these hogwans. A large number of them pay huge sums of money for their children to attend them. There are hogwans of all different types.
There are music hogwans, math hogwans, Chinese hogwans, and computer hogwans, among others. But English hogwans seem to be the most numerous and prominent.
My previous school in Gwangju was one of these English hogwans where parents pay a rather large rate for their children to attend, and this school had a total enrollment of around 1,000 students. The hogwan industry in Korea is enormous, and huge sums of money is made here by successful hogwan owners.
I heard stories of certain parents taking second jobs to enable their children to attend, and it is fairly safe to assume that this is not an uncommon practice throughout Korea.
It is, no doubt, a "keep up with the Joneses" mentality here when it comes to education, and the stakes are extremely high. If a parent sends his/her child to a hogwan with a great reputation, and that kid is seen to have an advantage in school and in test taking, then other parents feel almost forced to send their children to something similar, so their children will not fall behind in the race to get into a top tiered university.
My previous hogwan's focus in its marketing was that it will enable the children to have higher test scores on these high school and university entrance tests. In many advertisements, it had a long list of names of students who went through the curriculum, and scored highly on these exams.
Apparently, there are a lot of academies in Korea that are very similar to my former employer, because as my Korean friend explained, scores on these entrance exams are increasing, making it increasingly difficult for these top tiered universities in Korea to select the best students, so now, they have made their entrance exams even more difficult, and thus, applying even more pressure to these students.
Again, in my current teaching job, which is my second in Korea, I work for what is called an after-school program. My workplace is a public elementary school, and I have an office there, but I am not an employee of that school. My employer is a private company contracted out by the school board to give access to an effective English curriculum to children of parents who don't want to pay high rates to send their children to a hogwan.
I knew about the job opening for my current employer before leaving my previous school, and I asked my boss about after-school programs such as mine, and although he did recommend me as an employee, he didn't recommend them as an employer. I now understand why, because my current employer is a direct competitor of my former.
I teach around 150 students, and my employer has contracts with around thirty public schools like mine in the greater Seoul metropolitan area, so like my previous boss, my current one is doing rather well financially.
I only work around six hours a day, sometimes less, and the atmosphere is really laid back. My superiors are in a central office somewhere in Seoul, and I rarely come in contact with them. I am free to do things the way that I feel is best for me and the kids. So my job is highly desirable among foreign teachers in Korea.
I teach elementary school students ranging in grade levels from the first grade to sixth grade. They are every bit as awesome as my previous students. Generally speaking, their level as English speakers is considerably lower than those that I taught at my previous job, but they make up for it with their wonderful attitudes, and their desire to learn.
A story about my first grade class:
For some reason, my students, especially my first and second graders, respond extremely well to role-play exercises, where they act out various scenarios in English. They love it, and it seems to be really effective in teaching the concepts that the books are introducing.
Each grade level that I teach has two classes, one for the more advanced students of that age, and one for those of a lower level, in terms of speaking.
One particular lesson for my lower-level first graders was to teach my students the following dialogue. "You can borrow my _____."
"Really?! Thank you very much."
"You are welcome."
I introduced the text, and taught the children how to properly pronounce it, and as soon as they were able to say it, they were lining up at the front of the classroom. I didn't even have to prompt them. They were orderly, and in line with props in hand. "Teacher, you can borrow my pencil case."
I would act surprised, smile, and respond with, "Really?! Thank you very much."
"You are welcome."
The next student would be next in line. "You can borrow my scissors."
"Really?! Thank you very much."
"You are welcome."
And then the next student, "You can borrow my book bag."
"Really?! Thank you very much."
And as it would go on, they would start handing me whatever they could get their hands on. "You can borrow my umbrella."
"You can borrow my shoe."
"You can borrow my (sweaty) baseball cap."
I would respond sarcastically, "Really?! Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
It's kind of funny that this was the most enthusiastic these kids were for a lesson. It may not be a big deal, but I was really encouraged by that. Maybe when they are older, they will see a foreigner in need, remember this particular lesson, and be inclined to say, "Hello. You can borrow my ____."
Although my job is rather laid back, I take my position as a teacher, authority figure, and role model seriously. I want them to remember me positively when they become older. I want to lay a foundation for them to possibly become fluent English speakers. I do not want to them to be at a disadvantage. And as an authority figure in their lives, I feel it is my responsibility to be a moral example for them. I want to be a contributor of not only their success as Korean citizens, but I also want to contribute to their development possibly as people of integrity, so I am highly motivated as a teacher.
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Getting Settled
I finally feel like I am settled here in Seoul. I've finally secured an apartment. It isn't the one that I mentioned in the previous post. Many people have asked me about it, so I will go ahead and tell you what happened.
My friend who was helping me get settled advised me to wait and see other places, because there are better ones out there. Most levelheaded people would perceive that as good advice. I did.
After two days of looking, I saw numerous apartments, and found none that were better, so I decided I wanted to rent that particular place. Upon informing the real estate agent of my intentions, he informed me that the apartment was already taken.
The old saying, "If you snooze, you lose" never rang truer in my life at that moment. I've learned that, in the moment, if there is something that you truly want, and if it is available, and if you have the means to attain it, seize the moment without delay. Sometimes opportunities vanish.
My current apartment isn't quite as nice as that place, but it is better than anything that I could have imagined before moving here, so I am ecstatic about it. It is now fully furnished, and has been for the last month. I had to buy all of it, but it was cheaper than I had previously anticipated, and I am pleased with how it looks.
The same can be said about my job. It has been wonderful, and better than I hoped it would be.
Like my previous job, I rarely see my boss, so I am not micromanaged, and I am given the freedom to teach these kids the best way I see fit.
Just like my previous school, the children at my school are amazing. I look forward everyday to teaching and interacting with them. They have a lot of joy, and they impart a lot of it on me. It is a good feeling to be in constant contact with people who are always genuinely happy to see you, and people who greet you with a lot of enthusiasm upon seeing them. As a whole, they consistently display the same goodness everyday. I am blessed.
They take pleasure in the simple things. They love it when I pick them up, and throw them on my shoulders. They love the drawing contests that we have. They love the simple youtube videos that I show them. They ask for this one every single day. It never gets old for them.
As much as we play, we also work, and my goal is to enable them to speak English, and to help them in developing a strong work ethic.
A drawback of my job is that I am the only foreigner there, so the camaraderie that was so prevalent at my previous workplaces is not nearly as prevalent here. The kids, and my Korean co-teacher are the only people that I am in close contact with at my current school.
My church, Onnuri English Ministry, has been incredible. It is a church where the holy spirit obviously moves. It is a rather large church, and the minister, along with the music is incredible. There are a lot of people there who are on fire for God, and I always feel so inspired after attending every Sunday afternoon.
A drawback to attending a rather large church, like OEM, is that despite the fact that I leave feeling inspired, despite the fact that the music is so awesome that I feel as if I am truly worshipping God while listening and singing, and despite the fact that the minister consistently preaches incredibly inspiring messages, plugging in and finding friends has been rather difficult. And that is something that normally isn't difficult for me.
The city of Seoul, in general, has been that way. In most moments, I am more of an extrovert than an introvert, but for some reason, Seoul has brought out the introvert in me.
I go to the gym. It is a great facility, but it's as if I am in my own bubble as I work out, finish, and walk back to my apartment without having any real contact with anybody. I do the same at my church. I do the same when I stop at a restaurant to eat. I do the same when I explore the city. I do the same when I travel to and from work. I do that in numerous instances in life here in this beautiful city.
I feel as if I had now taken that first step in fulfilling the calling of God in my life. Everything that I have here, among them being my church, my job, my apartment, and even my gym have been better than I could have imagined, and I find that that is how God works for those who follow the calling that he has for their lives.
My experience so far in Seoul has shown me that God provides, and his provision never disappoints. But with the exception of my Church, my entire provision has been material things. But still, after being here for almost two months, I find myself waiting for the provision of that which is most worthwhile, friendships.
At the moment, here in Korea, my closest friends are my lovely girlfriend who lives four hours away in Gwangju, my students, and my Korean colleagues at work.
Among so many people in such a large city, it is so easy to feel hidden as you walk along the sidewalks that are illuminated by all the bright signs, and lined with restaurants filled with people laughing and pleasantly socializing, as the sound of the buses roar by on the busy streets. Contrary to popular belief, a large city is a great place to find solitude.
I've recently reread The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and in that book, the main character had to cross the Sahara Desert in order to achieve his dream. It describes how the desert can be a vicious place for those who foolishly attempt to press through it. One has to know the ways of the dessert, and one must be familiar with the obstacles before being able to cross it successfully. One must be able to recognize signs in order to see obstacles before they approach. Many times, because of those obstacles, there are detours, and many times, there are moments of waiting while journeying.
I feel as if I am currently in one of those moments of waiting. Rather than awkwardly forcing myself upon a circle of friends who aren't interested in expanding their particular circle, I have chosen to sit back and wait. And rather than recklessly pressing on, and foolishly forcing myself into what I personally believe is the calling that God has for me here in this city, I have decided to sit and wait for a recognizable opportunity. I have recognized that this time of solitude is merely a simple detour, and a time to wait and rest.
At the moment, Seoul is an unfamiliar place. And just like the Sahara Desert, the unfamiliar can be a vicious place for a person who foolishly presses on without being able to recognize open doors that are provided.
Sometimes being alone can be difficult, but God blesses those who are content. I've never had a problem with taking pleasure in my solitude, and I have thus become content with it. I've decided to wait, and allow an open door from God to be my guide for attaining friendships, and for moving forward with the calling that he has for my life.
At the moment, everything is okay.
#PrayforNorthKorea #PrayforaunitedKorea
My friend who was helping me get settled advised me to wait and see other places, because there are better ones out there. Most levelheaded people would perceive that as good advice. I did.
After two days of looking, I saw numerous apartments, and found none that were better, so I decided I wanted to rent that particular place. Upon informing the real estate agent of my intentions, he informed me that the apartment was already taken.
The old saying, "If you snooze, you lose" never rang truer in my life at that moment. I've learned that, in the moment, if there is something that you truly want, and if it is available, and if you have the means to attain it, seize the moment without delay. Sometimes opportunities vanish.
My current apartment isn't quite as nice as that place, but it is better than anything that I could have imagined before moving here, so I am ecstatic about it. It is now fully furnished, and has been for the last month. I had to buy all of it, but it was cheaper than I had previously anticipated, and I am pleased with how it looks.
The same can be said about my job. It has been wonderful, and better than I hoped it would be.
Like my previous job, I rarely see my boss, so I am not micromanaged, and I am given the freedom to teach these kids the best way I see fit.
Just like my previous school, the children at my school are amazing. I look forward everyday to teaching and interacting with them. They have a lot of joy, and they impart a lot of it on me. It is a good feeling to be in constant contact with people who are always genuinely happy to see you, and people who greet you with a lot of enthusiasm upon seeing them. As a whole, they consistently display the same goodness everyday. I am blessed.
They take pleasure in the simple things. They love it when I pick them up, and throw them on my shoulders. They love the drawing contests that we have. They love the simple youtube videos that I show them. They ask for this one every single day. It never gets old for them.
As much as we play, we also work, and my goal is to enable them to speak English, and to help them in developing a strong work ethic.
A drawback of my job is that I am the only foreigner there, so the camaraderie that was so prevalent at my previous workplaces is not nearly as prevalent here. The kids, and my Korean co-teacher are the only people that I am in close contact with at my current school.
My church, Onnuri English Ministry, has been incredible. It is a church where the holy spirit obviously moves. It is a rather large church, and the minister, along with the music is incredible. There are a lot of people there who are on fire for God, and I always feel so inspired after attending every Sunday afternoon.
A drawback to attending a rather large church, like OEM, is that despite the fact that I leave feeling inspired, despite the fact that the music is so awesome that I feel as if I am truly worshipping God while listening and singing, and despite the fact that the minister consistently preaches incredibly inspiring messages, plugging in and finding friends has been rather difficult. And that is something that normally isn't difficult for me.
The city of Seoul, in general, has been that way. In most moments, I am more of an extrovert than an introvert, but for some reason, Seoul has brought out the introvert in me.
I go to the gym. It is a great facility, but it's as if I am in my own bubble as I work out, finish, and walk back to my apartment without having any real contact with anybody. I do the same at my church. I do the same when I stop at a restaurant to eat. I do the same when I explore the city. I do the same when I travel to and from work. I do that in numerous instances in life here in this beautiful city.
I feel as if I had now taken that first step in fulfilling the calling of God in my life. Everything that I have here, among them being my church, my job, my apartment, and even my gym have been better than I could have imagined, and I find that that is how God works for those who follow the calling that he has for their lives.
My experience so far in Seoul has shown me that God provides, and his provision never disappoints. But with the exception of my Church, my entire provision has been material things. But still, after being here for almost two months, I find myself waiting for the provision of that which is most worthwhile, friendships.
At the moment, here in Korea, my closest friends are my lovely girlfriend who lives four hours away in Gwangju, my students, and my Korean colleagues at work.
Among so many people in such a large city, it is so easy to feel hidden as you walk along the sidewalks that are illuminated by all the bright signs, and lined with restaurants filled with people laughing and pleasantly socializing, as the sound of the buses roar by on the busy streets. Contrary to popular belief, a large city is a great place to find solitude.
I've recently reread The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and in that book, the main character had to cross the Sahara Desert in order to achieve his dream. It describes how the desert can be a vicious place for those who foolishly attempt to press through it. One has to know the ways of the dessert, and one must be familiar with the obstacles before being able to cross it successfully. One must be able to recognize signs in order to see obstacles before they approach. Many times, because of those obstacles, there are detours, and many times, there are moments of waiting while journeying.
I feel as if I am currently in one of those moments of waiting. Rather than awkwardly forcing myself upon a circle of friends who aren't interested in expanding their particular circle, I have chosen to sit back and wait. And rather than recklessly pressing on, and foolishly forcing myself into what I personally believe is the calling that God has for me here in this city, I have decided to sit and wait for a recognizable opportunity. I have recognized that this time of solitude is merely a simple detour, and a time to wait and rest.
At the moment, Seoul is an unfamiliar place. And just like the Sahara Desert, the unfamiliar can be a vicious place for a person who foolishly presses on without being able to recognize open doors that are provided.
Sometimes being alone can be difficult, but God blesses those who are content. I've never had a problem with taking pleasure in my solitude, and I have thus become content with it. I've decided to wait, and allow an open door from God to be my guide for attaining friendships, and for moving forward with the calling that he has for my life.
At the moment, everything is okay.
#PrayforNorthKorea #PrayforaunitedKorea
Thursday, October 4, 2012
2 (Stories from Class) + 1 (Random One)
Elaine is a sixth grader that I previously mentioned in the post, A Few Stories from Class. She is rather intelligent, and since this story was posted, she has leveled up into a more advanced class taught by my coworker, Kezia. I have since found out that Elaine was born in America, and lived there during her early childhood. Kezia pointed out that Elaine has sort of a refined demeanor that most of the other students don't have, and that could be attributed to her travels.
When Kezia began teaching Elaine, I told her about how I call her Olivia, and how annoyed she gets. So later on, Kezia told me about an instance in class where she warned, "Elaine, if you don't answer this question correctly, I will start calling you Olivia..."
She responded emphatically in a Korean accent, "I am not OLIVIA!! CHRIS TEACHER TELL YOU BAD THING!! CHRIS TEACHER TELL YOU BAD THING!!"
And sure enough, upon seeing her in the hall after that class, I greeted her as I always do, "Hey Olivia-- I mean Elaine."
"Teacher, YOU TELL KEJJIA TEACHER BAD THING!!!"
"Sorry, Olivia-- I mean Elaine."
"I am not OLIVIA!!"
Joss is a second grader in one of my lower level classes. There's no way to describe him except to say that he's a character. Joss has a sly smile, and sometimes he can be difficult to contain, but nevertheless, he is a pleasant student to teach. Kezia previously taught his class, and recently, teaching duties for it were turned over to me.
We give bimonthly speaking tests, and for the general speaking portion, we normally ask the lower levels questions such as, "What is your favorite...?"
And an answer that would receive full credit, without prompting, would be, "My favorite ... is ..."
Kezia warned me that if you give Joss the question, "What is your favorite animal?" It would be guaranteed that he would answer it with, "My favorite animal is snake!"
When it came time for tests, I randomly chose general speaking questions for students, and it just so happened that Joss drew "favorite animal."
When it was his turn, I briefly greeted him, "Hey Joss, how are you?"
He looked at me, flashed his sly smile, and confidently stated in a Korean accent, "I'm fine, thank you!"
I set my timer, as students have thirty seconds to answer the general speaking portion, and I asked him, "Joss, what is your favorite animal?"
His eyes looked up and to the right as he gave a sly grin. Then he paused. Fifteen seconds went by without him saying anything.
I prompted him, "Joss, my favorite animal is a tiger." Students are docked a point when prompting is required.
His eyes lit up, and he flashed his sly smile. He confidently responded in a Korean accent, "My favorite animal is snake!!!"
I immediately laughed.
Joss is a second grader in one of my lower level classes. There's no way to describe him except to say that he's a character. Joss has a sly smile, and sometimes he can be difficult to contain, but nevertheless, he is a pleasant student to teach. Kezia previously taught his class, and recently, teaching duties for it were turned over to me.
We give bimonthly speaking tests, and for the general speaking portion, we normally ask the lower levels questions such as, "What is your favorite...?"
And an answer that would receive full credit, without prompting, would be, "My favorite ... is ..."
Kezia warned me that if you give Joss the question, "What is your favorite animal?" It would be guaranteed that he would answer it with, "My favorite animal is snake!"
When it came time for tests, I randomly chose general speaking questions for students, and it just so happened that Joss drew "favorite animal."
When it was his turn, I briefly greeted him, "Hey Joss, how are you?"
He looked at me, flashed his sly smile, and confidently stated in a Korean accent, "I'm fine, thank you!"
I set my timer, as students have thirty seconds to answer the general speaking portion, and I asked him, "Joss, what is your favorite animal?"
His eyes looked up and to the right as he gave a sly grin. Then he paused. Fifteen seconds went by without him saying anything.
I prompted him, "Joss, my favorite animal is a tiger." Students are docked a point when prompting is required.
His eyes lit up, and he flashed his sly smile. He confidently responded in a Korean accent, "My favorite animal is snake!!!"
I immediately laughed.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Recharged
At my job, there are normally four of us foreign teachers on staff, but for the last two months we have been short one worker. Kelsey, Kezia, and I have been covering a class load that is normally covered by four people. Getting through the day hasn't been that difficult. While at work, I am normally "in the zone," and all I'm thinking about is teaching. Being tired, hungry, or thirsty never crosses my mind until I am finished. While teaching, especially during the last two months, the only thing I really think about consuming is coffee.
Being that the number of classes that we are teaching is higher than normal, during the last two months, we had no breaks during our work time, so eating before work is essential. I found that I was at my best when eating during preparation time. We are required to be at work an hour before classes start for that. A healthy meal enables one to have a more sound mind and body, and thus increasing performance at work. Eating immediately before the start of class time has been an essential factor in my ability to be at my best when I am "in the zone" throughout the day.
As I stated earlier, normally at work, with the help of coffee, I am only concerned with teaching, so again, I never concern myself with being tired. I've noticed that the fatigue begins to set in during the weekends. I've been sleeping a lot more, and my desire to go out to see friends and other things has significantly dropped. For the last month, my weekends, especially Saturdays, have consisted of me laying in my bed relaxing, ordering delivery, watching downloaded American TV shows, staying in at night, and falling asleep early. Lately, I've been too tired to concern myself with having a strong social life. During my time living in Korea, playing music with my friends on the praise team at my church has become sort of become something that I do on the weekends, no matter the circumstance, if I am in town. That has not been the case these last few weeks because of the fatigue. I've even been skipping out on that.
I spent this last weekend in Busan, and spending a weekend in a different city remaining anonymous, walking around exploring, and stopping in the occasional coffee shop for a cup and an internet surf is one of my favorite ways to relax and recharge, and my trip this weekend definitely enabled me to do that. I turned off my phone, and relaxed mentally.
Busan is a coastal city, and it always seems to rain when I visit there. I wanted to spend the weekend on the beach, but the rain may have been a blessing in disguise. There is not much that I dislike more than being wet when I don't have to be, so last Sunday, I took the subway to Nampo Dong, found the nearest cafe, ordered what amounted to be a few cups of coffee, and proceeded to watch college football highlights on my computer. I also spent an hour having a Sunday devotional, since I didn't attend church that day. Looking out the window, I noticed a small japanese restaurant, and when I felt like it, I walked over, and had a bowl of Japanese ramen. The rain enabled me to recharge both mentally and physically. Normally during the weekend excursions, I am recharged mentally, but find myself physically tired. That wasn't the case with the trip I took this weekend.
I came back to work today feeling good. We recently hired a new teacher at our school, Natalie. She just finished her training, and this week we are finally back to our normal class load, breaks and all. During my break today, I went to the kimbab restaurant downstairs for a bite to eat. Normally, only one of us foreign teachers at a time are on break, and this case was no different. I went downstairs with my ipod touch and my set of headphones. I sat in the restaurant reading a book that I had downloaded to my itunes along with music playing in my headphones while eating my meal.
Over the music, I overheard a group of young Korean girls sitting behind me. I normally wouldn't have noticed them, but they were being especially loud and enthusiastic, so I looked back to see if they were students that I taught. As I did so, they all immediately exclaimed in a Korean accent, "Oh!? Whoa! Hello! How are You?!" It was a group of fifth grade girls that didn't attend my school, eating a normal meal that fifth grade Korean girls would normally sit down and share together at a restaurant such as the one I was patronizing. The girls were all very cute, and we shared the normal small talk that would be shared between a native English speaking teacher and a group of young students. Each one of the five seemed to say at a different time, "You are handsome!"
After living in Korea for over a year, that still never gets old. I responded to each one with, "Thankyou, and you are very pretty!" As I finished my meal, and walked to the counter to pay for it, I suddenly got the urge to pay for theirs also, and I did. I would have preferred that he not do what he did, but the man at the counter immediately told the girls that I payed for their meal. Upon the realization, each one seemed to suddenly exclaim in a Korean accent, "Oh!? Whoa!! THANKYOU!!!" One even said, "I love you!!" They all made hearts above their heads with their arms as they thanked me. I left the restaurant blushing, and in a good mood for the rest of the work day, as I proceeded to have one of my best work days in a while.
Being that the number of classes that we are teaching is higher than normal, during the last two months, we had no breaks during our work time, so eating before work is essential. I found that I was at my best when eating during preparation time. We are required to be at work an hour before classes start for that. A healthy meal enables one to have a more sound mind and body, and thus increasing performance at work. Eating immediately before the start of class time has been an essential factor in my ability to be at my best when I am "in the zone" throughout the day.
As I stated earlier, normally at work, with the help of coffee, I am only concerned with teaching, so again, I never concern myself with being tired. I've noticed that the fatigue begins to set in during the weekends. I've been sleeping a lot more, and my desire to go out to see friends and other things has significantly dropped. For the last month, my weekends, especially Saturdays, have consisted of me laying in my bed relaxing, ordering delivery, watching downloaded American TV shows, staying in at night, and falling asleep early. Lately, I've been too tired to concern myself with having a strong social life. During my time living in Korea, playing music with my friends on the praise team at my church has become sort of become something that I do on the weekends, no matter the circumstance, if I am in town. That has not been the case these last few weeks because of the fatigue. I've even been skipping out on that.
I spent this last weekend in Busan, and spending a weekend in a different city remaining anonymous, walking around exploring, and stopping in the occasional coffee shop for a cup and an internet surf is one of my favorite ways to relax and recharge, and my trip this weekend definitely enabled me to do that. I turned off my phone, and relaxed mentally.
Busan is a coastal city, and it always seems to rain when I visit there. I wanted to spend the weekend on the beach, but the rain may have been a blessing in disguise. There is not much that I dislike more than being wet when I don't have to be, so last Sunday, I took the subway to Nampo Dong, found the nearest cafe, ordered what amounted to be a few cups of coffee, and proceeded to watch college football highlights on my computer. I also spent an hour having a Sunday devotional, since I didn't attend church that day. Looking out the window, I noticed a small japanese restaurant, and when I felt like it, I walked over, and had a bowl of Japanese ramen. The rain enabled me to recharge both mentally and physically. Normally during the weekend excursions, I am recharged mentally, but find myself physically tired. That wasn't the case with the trip I took this weekend.
I came back to work today feeling good. We recently hired a new teacher at our school, Natalie. She just finished her training, and this week we are finally back to our normal class load, breaks and all. During my break today, I went to the kimbab restaurant downstairs for a bite to eat. Normally, only one of us foreign teachers at a time are on break, and this case was no different. I went downstairs with my ipod touch and my set of headphones. I sat in the restaurant reading a book that I had downloaded to my itunes along with music playing in my headphones while eating my meal.
Over the music, I overheard a group of young Korean girls sitting behind me. I normally wouldn't have noticed them, but they were being especially loud and enthusiastic, so I looked back to see if they were students that I taught. As I did so, they all immediately exclaimed in a Korean accent, "Oh!? Whoa! Hello! How are You?!" It was a group of fifth grade girls that didn't attend my school, eating a normal meal that fifth grade Korean girls would normally sit down and share together at a restaurant such as the one I was patronizing. The girls were all very cute, and we shared the normal small talk that would be shared between a native English speaking teacher and a group of young students. Each one of the five seemed to say at a different time, "You are handsome!"
After living in Korea for over a year, that still never gets old. I responded to each one with, "Thankyou, and you are very pretty!" As I finished my meal, and walked to the counter to pay for it, I suddenly got the urge to pay for theirs also, and I did. I would have preferred that he not do what he did, but the man at the counter immediately told the girls that I payed for their meal. Upon the realization, each one seemed to suddenly exclaim in a Korean accent, "Oh!? Whoa!! THANKYOU!!!" One even said, "I love you!!" They all made hearts above their heads with their arms as they thanked me. I left the restaurant blushing, and in a good mood for the rest of the work day, as I proceeded to have one of my best work days in a while.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Sixth Graders
I would like to apologize for not posting in quite sometime. I have no excuses. I only hope to work harder for you all. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking to time to read my blog. I also would like thank you for all the kind words and encouragement.
Throughout my time teaching in Korea, the sixth grade has been the most difficult age group to teach. Sixth graders are interesting. I have been teaching at the same school for over a year. In terms of height and weight, I usually notice a minimal difference in growth in students between the second and fifth grade. It's not because they don't grow. They do, but it isn't as noticeable. When students reach the sixth grade, their faces suddenly become more mature. Their voices change. They begin to grow acne. The changes become more noticeable.
When I went back to the states a few months ago, one thing I noticed was that children in America are noticeably larger than those from Korea. A friend of mine back home has a five-year-old daughter, and apparently, she is one of the smallest in her class, and she is the size of most of my second graders here in Korea. It's funny, because some of these fourth and fifth graders look like five-year-olds, and suddenly, when they reach the sixth grade, they grow and physically mature significantly in a short period of time, and on a random day, they suddenly walk into school looking like they are twenty-seven. Some of these sixth graders would be able to walk into a convenience store, buy a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes with out being asked to show identification. This is especially true with the boys. The growth in girls seems to be more gradual, and becomes more evident in the fifth grade. By the time students reach the sixth grade, most will have gone through puberty.
When students reach the sixth grade, they suddenly begin to see adults for who they are, human beings with flaws. Some quickly acquire an inherent distrust and bitterness towards authority. When students reach the sixth grade, they suddenly become more likely to blatantly disobey and disregard authority. They also become more open with their attraction to members of the opposite sex. The boys suddenly have a desire to establish dominance in the classroom, out of their desire to impress the girls. Once dominance over the other students is established, they attempt to establish dominance over the teacher. The girls become more giddy upon realization that they are noticed by the boys, so they talk to their friends more, and they do so more loudly and more enthusiastically.
These two factors are the reason why sixth graders are such a challenge to teach. Out of their desire to impress the girls, many boys will become more obnoxious in class, and many of their verbal jabs are in total disregard of the teacher, in order to establish dominance. If dominance is not established by the teacher, this alone can cause a class to get out of control. From my experience, as a man, girls establish dominance differently. They do so by gaining favor from the teacher, not for academic benefit, but in order to be able to get away with more. As a male, I find it more difficult to be stern with the girls.
Although, generally speaking, in a class with an equal amount of boys and girls, the girls tend to be more well-behaved. But contrary to that, I find that a class with only boys to be easier to maintain control than a class with only girls. In a class full of boys, there are no girls to impress, and being that it is easier to be stern with them, it is easier to keep them focused. With no girls, they are less likely to be embarrassed, so they can be a lot more fun. In a class full of girls, they all seem to be competing for the teacher's favor, making it more difficult to be stern, so they tend to misbehave more. All this is especially true with sixth graders.
When I went back home to the states, I had a conversation with a friend of my mother who is an experienced teacher, much of it teaching sixth graders. I asked her, "Do you have any advice in handling them?"
She replied, "Sixth graders will always be difficult. There is nothing you can do to stop it. You have to be determined to be the one who, when they look back, and they remember you, they can say 'that teacher impacted my life.'" At the very least, I can be one who they remember favorably.
After that conversation, I no longer lose my temper with students. I no longer take seriously that which isn't worthy of such. It took me a year to realize this. I find it works a lot better to make a joke out of a verbal jab, than getting frustrated. In the long run, I find it easier to make fun of what they say. It lightens the mood. With sixth graders, I find that they work harder when the mood is light. If any discord towards the teacher exists, they will be unwilling to speak, participate, and work. During my first year of teaching, I have had classes like that, and that is when teaching becomes most difficult.
Nothing they say can effect how I teach them. Nothing they can do will stop me from being kind to them. Nothing that can be perceived as disrespectful will ever cause me to lose my temper again. Because, as my coworker, Kezia, so effectively put it, "Who are we kidding ourselves? We are dealing with 12 year-olds."
Throughout my time teaching in Korea, the sixth grade has been the most difficult age group to teach. Sixth graders are interesting. I have been teaching at the same school for over a year. In terms of height and weight, I usually notice a minimal difference in growth in students between the second and fifth grade. It's not because they don't grow. They do, but it isn't as noticeable. When students reach the sixth grade, their faces suddenly become more mature. Their voices change. They begin to grow acne. The changes become more noticeable.
When I went back to the states a few months ago, one thing I noticed was that children in America are noticeably larger than those from Korea. A friend of mine back home has a five-year-old daughter, and apparently, she is one of the smallest in her class, and she is the size of most of my second graders here in Korea. It's funny, because some of these fourth and fifth graders look like five-year-olds, and suddenly, when they reach the sixth grade, they grow and physically mature significantly in a short period of time, and on a random day, they suddenly walk into school looking like they are twenty-seven. Some of these sixth graders would be able to walk into a convenience store, buy a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes with out being asked to show identification. This is especially true with the boys. The growth in girls seems to be more gradual, and becomes more evident in the fifth grade. By the time students reach the sixth grade, most will have gone through puberty.
When students reach the sixth grade, they suddenly begin to see adults for who they are, human beings with flaws. Some quickly acquire an inherent distrust and bitterness towards authority. When students reach the sixth grade, they suddenly become more likely to blatantly disobey and disregard authority. They also become more open with their attraction to members of the opposite sex. The boys suddenly have a desire to establish dominance in the classroom, out of their desire to impress the girls. Once dominance over the other students is established, they attempt to establish dominance over the teacher. The girls become more giddy upon realization that they are noticed by the boys, so they talk to their friends more, and they do so more loudly and more enthusiastically.
These two factors are the reason why sixth graders are such a challenge to teach. Out of their desire to impress the girls, many boys will become more obnoxious in class, and many of their verbal jabs are in total disregard of the teacher, in order to establish dominance. If dominance is not established by the teacher, this alone can cause a class to get out of control. From my experience, as a man, girls establish dominance differently. They do so by gaining favor from the teacher, not for academic benefit, but in order to be able to get away with more. As a male, I find it more difficult to be stern with the girls.
Although, generally speaking, in a class with an equal amount of boys and girls, the girls tend to be more well-behaved. But contrary to that, I find that a class with only boys to be easier to maintain control than a class with only girls. In a class full of boys, there are no girls to impress, and being that it is easier to be stern with them, it is easier to keep them focused. With no girls, they are less likely to be embarrassed, so they can be a lot more fun. In a class full of girls, they all seem to be competing for the teacher's favor, making it more difficult to be stern, so they tend to misbehave more. All this is especially true with sixth graders.
When I went back home to the states, I had a conversation with a friend of my mother who is an experienced teacher, much of it teaching sixth graders. I asked her, "Do you have any advice in handling them?"
She replied, "Sixth graders will always be difficult. There is nothing you can do to stop it. You have to be determined to be the one who, when they look back, and they remember you, they can say 'that teacher impacted my life.'" At the very least, I can be one who they remember favorably.
After that conversation, I no longer lose my temper with students. I no longer take seriously that which isn't worthy of such. It took me a year to realize this. I find it works a lot better to make a joke out of a verbal jab, than getting frustrated. In the long run, I find it easier to make fun of what they say. It lightens the mood. With sixth graders, I find that they work harder when the mood is light. If any discord towards the teacher exists, they will be unwilling to speak, participate, and work. During my first year of teaching, I have had classes like that, and that is when teaching becomes most difficult.
Nothing they say can effect how I teach them. Nothing they can do will stop me from being kind to them. Nothing that can be perceived as disrespectful will ever cause me to lose my temper again. Because, as my coworker, Kezia, so effectively put it, "Who are we kidding ourselves? We are dealing with 12 year-olds."
Monday, May 28, 2012
A Minor Miracle
Lyn, one of my fourth graders, is a delightful little girl. In class, I always spell her name, "Lynn," which is the only way that I have ever seen that particular name spelled, but whenever she sees her name spelled with two n's, she is always sure to correct me to be certain that her name is spelled with only one n. She is a girl that is sure of herself, and her identity.
From that particular instance, I learned a lesson about prayer. God will answer if you pray in the name of Jesus on somebodies behalf, provided the prayer is honest, and the request is truly made out of love, steadfastly believing that the circumstance can be changed. It's comforting to know that God gives such a capacity to love, and the capacity to believe that circumstances can miraculously change.
Before going to school every morning, my TV is running on silent as the music on my itunes is playing on shuffle over my computer speakers, while I am getting ready for the day. One thing that always catches my eye on the tv are the weather reports...
Lyn is always confident in her ability, and she always speaks assertively. During the reading or sentence making portion of the lesson, she is usually one to speak up, as she always wants to go first, but unlike some of the other students that are her age, she is not one to get upset if she is not chosen. She has a wonderful attitude.
I remember the first time I called her for a required telephone interview upon joining my class as a third grader. Upon answering, she gave the me the standard Korean telephone greeting the same way all young Korean girls do, "Yoboseo..."
"Hi! May I speak to Lyn please?"
Again, she responded the way most young Korean girls who are on a similar level of English do by simply saying, "Teacher, me."
"Hi Lyn! How are you?!"
"I'm fine, thankyou."
"Very good! What are you doing?"
"I'm watching TV."
"What are you watching?"
"I'm watching music video."
"Music videos?! That sounds like a lot of fun, Lyn!" When students are listening to music, I like to take the mundanity out of the telephone interviews by attempting to get them to sing over the phone. Normally, I am never able to get them to do so, and I am certain that no amount of money would ever be able to bribe most of them to sing. Nevertheless, as I always do when the situation arises, I asked, "Lyn, can you sing the song that you are hearing now?"
"Yes," she replied confidently.
I was so surprised by the response, that I was sort of taken aback, because normally, they start laughing, and slightly embarrassed, they respond with, "Teacher?!" And as they continue laughing, they answer, "No."
Then I will respond, knowing that they will never agree to sing over the phone, by upping the ante, "Such and such, I will give you x amount of stickers if you sing the song that you are hearing right now."
They continue laughing slightly embarrassingly, and respond with, "No teacher..."
Anyway, again, I was taken aback by Lyn's confident response, so I responded with, "Really?!?! You will!?"
"Yes."
"Okay, Lyn... Go!"
This is what she sang...
She proceeded to give me the best rendition of "Roly Poly" that I ever heard. It was so good, that I began bobbing my head to the rhythm of her singing. I was speechless for several seconds after she finished.
"Lyn... That was amazing..."
I said it several times before finally hanging up, and each time, she responded with, "Thank you, Teacher."
A few weeks ago, on a normal day, Lyn showed up in my class wearing a black baseball cap with the bill worn in such a way to cover her face. I looked closer, and noticed that she had a large bandage that was saturated in blood completely covering her little chin. The bandage was unable to cover her bottom lip, so I was able to see the large scabs that covered it. It looked horrible. Normally, I don't allow hats in my class, but I made an exception for that particular instance.
When it came time for the reading portion of the lesson, this time, Lyn didn't assertively speak up, and when it came to be her turn to read, she refused with a simple, "No," as she looked at me, and shook her head.
I mistakenly did what I normally do as a teacher, and insisted that she read. "Come on, Lyn. You're next."
She gently replied again, "No."
I pressed further, "Come on, Lyn. It's your turn..."
Lyn put her head on the desk, and began to sob.
I felt terrible. My only instinct was to stop the class, and comfort her.
The class was silent.
This happened on a Wednesday, and I felt absolutely horrible for the rest of the day.
That night, during the prayer portion of my daily quiet time, I prayed for her. Not only was she hurt physically, she was also hurt emotionally, so I prayed for the miraculous healing of her chin, and a quick healing of all the emotional anguish that she suffered because of it.
I'm never able to see the students in Lyn's class on Thursdays, because on that day, I teach a different class in a different area of the building. So I saw her the following Friday, and she wasn't wearing a hat, and neither was she wearing a bandage on her chin, and she seemed to be her same confident self.
She came to me, and upon seeing her, I got down on my knee, and examined her injury. Her bottom lip was completely healed, and only a small scab was left on the bottom of her chin. Maybe her wound was not as serious as it appeared that Wednesday, or maybe God healed her. That was the first instance where I earnestly prayed for the miraculous healing of a person, and I believe God answered.
From that particular instance, I learned a lesson about prayer. God will answer if you pray in the name of Jesus on somebodies behalf, provided the prayer is honest, and the request is truly made out of love, steadfastly believing that the circumstance can be changed. It's comforting to know that God gives such a capacity to love, and the capacity to believe that circumstances can miraculously change.
Before going to school every morning, my TV is running on silent as the music on my itunes is playing on shuffle over my computer speakers, while I am getting ready for the day. One thing that always catches my eye on the tv are the weather reports...
Thursday, March 29, 2012
My Guitars
A great piece of advice that I got before leaving for Korea was to "bring the one thing that you absolutely know you will miss, even if it costs money to put it on the plane, or to ship it." It was a great piece of advice that I heeded. I brought my acoustic guitar. I know some of you will be asking, "Why didn't you just buy a cheap one in Korea? It wouldn't cost much more than the price of checking it on the plane." My answer to that is my Taylor acoustic guitar is my companion, and if I left it behind, playing a cheap one in Korea would cause me to miss it even more than not playing one at all, and I would never be able to stop playing. On the flight from New Orleans to Los Angeles, I carried it on the plane. On the Asiana flight between L.A. and Seoul, the compartments were too small for me to carry it on, so I had to check it, which costed fifty dollars. I knew I would miss both of my guitars, and bringing my acoustic was worth it.
I realize that you may find this to be rather bizzarre, but I name my guitars and guns. I'll start by quickly sharing the names of my guns. My 12-gauge shotgun is definitely a female. I gave her the name, Bernice. I also have an SKS assault rifle that is undoubtedly a male, and I named him Rico Suave. I am not a hunter. I am a "city boy," and although I can count the number of times I've been hunting on one finger, I do believe in exercising my second amendment rights as an American. I believe in protecting oneself in the case of an emergency. I also love to occasionally go out and "pump lead" in a country field. Not much feels better than destroying a watermelon, or watching a two-liter of coke explode. Shooting a gun feels amazing, as does playing a guitar.
Before coming to Korea, I tried to make it as a traveling singer-songwriter, and I didn't succeed as a professional musician for two reasons. I didn't work hard enough, and I simply wasn't good enough. I am not bitter, and I don't regret pursuing my dream. A blessing that came as a result of my pursuit is that writing lyrics has made me a better writer of prose, as I focus just as much on the flow of my words as I do the content. Contrary to what one might believe, my love for music has grown exponentially since my pursuit. Music relaxes me, and enables me focus. The only thing that feels better than hearing an amazing song is performing one in front of people.
I currently own two guitars. My acoustic guitar is definitely a male that I named, Jake, and as I stated earlier, he is here with me in Korea. Bringing him was one of the best decisions that I made regarding my time here. I play and sing on the worship team at my church, and that has been an amazing blessing in itself. I still write music, but not nearly as frequently as I used to, but when I do, I take comfort in knowing that my companion is with me to be my aid in inspiration. Every once in a while I still get the itch to perform, and whenever an opportunity arises, I have Jake with me to "blow minds (not really)." I also enjoy "fine-tuning" my singing and playing quietly alone in my apartment, as I find that to be one of the most soothing things a human can do. Squeezing the neck, pressing the strings, strumming, and quietly matching the tone and rhythm of my voice to that of a guitar other than Jake, here in Korea, would just not be the same.
My other guitar is an electric, and is a female. She is a black Fender American Standard Telecaster that I named, Rosalyn, but I call her Rose. Rose has a white pick guard, and was a graduation gift that I received from my parents upon finishing my studies at LSU. My older brother received a beautiful gold graduation ring, and as much as I would love to have such a meaningful symbol that is such a wonderful source of pride, I asked instead for the guitar of my dreams.
I plug Rose into a Fender Twin Reverb guitar amp. It's called a twin because it has two twelve inch speakers that sit side-by-side. Rose and the Twin Reverb together are capable of blowing the roof off of any large building. It is also capable of blowing down most brick walls. I don't understand why they ever used sledge hammers bring down the Berlin Wall. I have a few petals (no pun intended) for Rose, one being a Keeley modified Ibanez Tube Screamer, which gives it a nasty distortion sound with a vibration that feels absolutely incredible in the chest when the volume is high. I would have loved to have brought her here to Korea, but that just wasn't feasible, being that the amp is enormous and extremely heavy, and not to mention, toting along the petal board, which would have been counted as another checked bag. An acoustic is a lot more practical here, because of it's portability.
Rose is one of the things that I miss most about home. I get excited, and my heart beats a little faster every time I think about plugging her into my petal board, plugging that pedal board into my Fender Twin Reverb, flipping the switch, watching that red light on my amp begin to brightly glow, turning up the volume before squeezing Rose's neck, and pressing my fingers against her strings that stretch above her rosewood fretboard. I would then tap my foot on that green Ibanez TS9 Keely modified Tube Screamer pedal to activate the distortion, and authoritatively hit a chord, as I begin to feel power at my finger tips. I get chills thinking about it, and when I lay in bed at night, if I am not careful, and I think about it too much, I won't be able to sleep.
I miss Rose, and can't wait to play her again, but it is also comforting to know that my faithful companion, Jake, is here with me here in Korea to aid me in my joy, my pain, and my worship. I am also excited knowing that Rose will be at home waiting for me on my return. I can't wait to get back.
This week, we had writing tests at school. Some of my students never cease to amaze me, and one of my sixth graders, Jenny, is among them. She has always been such a kind girl in class, who has such a pleasantness about her, as she always playfully asks me if she could wear one of the Angry Bird badges on my jacket, or if she could keep one of my red pens. Before reading this, I never knew that a sixth grader was capable of possessing such wisdom, along with the ability to express it so profoundly. I almost tear up thinking about it, and if you knew her, and saw her wonderful humility, along with her work ethic, you probably would too. I'll let you read what she wrote in response to the question, "If you had a time machine, what time period would you like to visit?" I know that the future of our world is in good hands.
I realize that you may find this to be rather bizzarre, but I name my guitars and guns. I'll start by quickly sharing the names of my guns. My 12-gauge shotgun is definitely a female. I gave her the name, Bernice. I also have an SKS assault rifle that is undoubtedly a male, and I named him Rico Suave. I am not a hunter. I am a "city boy," and although I can count the number of times I've been hunting on one finger, I do believe in exercising my second amendment rights as an American. I believe in protecting oneself in the case of an emergency. I also love to occasionally go out and "pump lead" in a country field. Not much feels better than destroying a watermelon, or watching a two-liter of coke explode. Shooting a gun feels amazing, as does playing a guitar.
Before coming to Korea, I tried to make it as a traveling singer-songwriter, and I didn't succeed as a professional musician for two reasons. I didn't work hard enough, and I simply wasn't good enough. I am not bitter, and I don't regret pursuing my dream. A blessing that came as a result of my pursuit is that writing lyrics has made me a better writer of prose, as I focus just as much on the flow of my words as I do the content. Contrary to what one might believe, my love for music has grown exponentially since my pursuit. Music relaxes me, and enables me focus. The only thing that feels better than hearing an amazing song is performing one in front of people.
I currently own two guitars. My acoustic guitar is definitely a male that I named, Jake, and as I stated earlier, he is here with me in Korea. Bringing him was one of the best decisions that I made regarding my time here. I play and sing on the worship team at my church, and that has been an amazing blessing in itself. I still write music, but not nearly as frequently as I used to, but when I do, I take comfort in knowing that my companion is with me to be my aid in inspiration. Every once in a while I still get the itch to perform, and whenever an opportunity arises, I have Jake with me to "blow minds (not really)." I also enjoy "fine-tuning" my singing and playing quietly alone in my apartment, as I find that to be one of the most soothing things a human can do. Squeezing the neck, pressing the strings, strumming, and quietly matching the tone and rhythm of my voice to that of a guitar other than Jake, here in Korea, would just not be the same.
My other guitar is an electric, and is a female. She is a black Fender American Standard Telecaster that I named, Rosalyn, but I call her Rose. Rose has a white pick guard, and was a graduation gift that I received from my parents upon finishing my studies at LSU. My older brother received a beautiful gold graduation ring, and as much as I would love to have such a meaningful symbol that is such a wonderful source of pride, I asked instead for the guitar of my dreams.
I plug Rose into a Fender Twin Reverb guitar amp. It's called a twin because it has two twelve inch speakers that sit side-by-side. Rose and the Twin Reverb together are capable of blowing the roof off of any large building. It is also capable of blowing down most brick walls. I don't understand why they ever used sledge hammers bring down the Berlin Wall. I have a few petals (no pun intended) for Rose, one being a Keeley modified Ibanez Tube Screamer, which gives it a nasty distortion sound with a vibration that feels absolutely incredible in the chest when the volume is high. I would have loved to have brought her here to Korea, but that just wasn't feasible, being that the amp is enormous and extremely heavy, and not to mention, toting along the petal board, which would have been counted as another checked bag. An acoustic is a lot more practical here, because of it's portability.
Rose is one of the things that I miss most about home. I get excited, and my heart beats a little faster every time I think about plugging her into my petal board, plugging that pedal board into my Fender Twin Reverb, flipping the switch, watching that red light on my amp begin to brightly glow, turning up the volume before squeezing Rose's neck, and pressing my fingers against her strings that stretch above her rosewood fretboard. I would then tap my foot on that green Ibanez TS9 Keely modified Tube Screamer pedal to activate the distortion, and authoritatively hit a chord, as I begin to feel power at my finger tips. I get chills thinking about it, and when I lay in bed at night, if I am not careful, and I think about it too much, I won't be able to sleep.
I miss Rose, and can't wait to play her again, but it is also comforting to know that my faithful companion, Jake, is here with me here in Korea to aid me in my joy, my pain, and my worship. I am also excited knowing that Rose will be at home waiting for me on my return. I can't wait to get back.
This week, we had writing tests at school. Some of my students never cease to amaze me, and one of my sixth graders, Jenny, is among them. She has always been such a kind girl in class, who has such a pleasantness about her, as she always playfully asks me if she could wear one of the Angry Bird badges on my jacket, or if she could keep one of my red pens. Before reading this, I never knew that a sixth grader was capable of possessing such wisdom, along with the ability to express it so profoundly. I almost tear up thinking about it, and if you knew her, and saw her wonderful humility, along with her work ethic, you probably would too. I'll let you read what she wrote in response to the question, "If you had a time machine, what time period would you like to visit?" I know that the future of our world is in good hands.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
A Few Stories from Class
When I walk around my classes observing their group conversations, sometimes the students look up at me as they are sitting. Whenever one particular student, Lena, looks up, she says in a Korean accent, "Teacher! You have big nose hole!" Her particular class is full of girls, as there are eleven of them, and only one boy.
All the other girls would chime in, "Teacher! You have big nose hole! Teacher! You have big nose hole!" Apparently, I have what is called a "high bridged nose," which is the reason for my abnormally large nostrils, by Korean standards.
I would then proceed to put my chin up in such a position to make me able to pretend that my nostrils are my eyes, and I am looking at my students through them. I would flare them to make them appear even bigger. The class would then then erupt with, "EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!! Teacher!! You are so ugly!!"
I always respond with, "They are not nose holes! They are called nostrils!!"
I shave around once a week, and when the five o'clock shadow becomes it's darkest, some students begin to notice, and comment. One of my other fourth graders, Jan, while touching her cheeks, would say in the most concerned manner in a Korean accent, "Teacher, you need the chuck, chuck." Apparently, to Koreans, "chuck chuck" is the sound of a kiss, and it is an expression that is used to describe moist healthy skin that is worthy of being kissed.
At first, I would respond in the most reassuring manner, "Ok Jan, I will be sure to get the 'chuck chuck,'" as I touch my cheeks also. I later asked the Korean woman who handles all of our questions and problems, "What does 'chuck chuck' mean?" She laughed, and explained it.
As an English teacher, I feel it is imperative that I respond in a grammatically correct manner, whenever comments such as this arise. So now, I respond with, "Ok Jan, I will be certain to shave, and moisturize the skin on my face in such a way to make it worthy of being kissed."
Sometimes I can be bad at remembering names. I've gotten better, but there are some that I can never seem to remember. I have a sixth grader named Elaine. For some reason, I always call her Olivia. To me, she looks more like an Olivia than an Elaine, and the two names register similarly in my mind, so I always call her that. We'll be in class, and I would ask a question from a random story that was read, "How did So and so do such and such? Olivia," I would say pointing to Elaine.
She would look at me with a playful scowl. She would say absolutely nothing for what would seem to be a very long time.
"Teacher, my name is not Olivia," She would say very calmly in a Korean accent with a hint of playfulness, and a little bit of agitation. "My name is Elaine!!"
I do the same thing in another sixth grade class, one of my larger ones. I have three girls in that particular class who all look sort of similar. Their names are Sherry, Penny, and Lucy. For some reason I call all three of them Sherry. The names, Penny and Sherry, register similarly in my mind, so I always call Penny the name, Sherry. Sherry and Lucy have a similar height, build, and demeanor, so I call Lucy the name, Sherry, also. On a random day in that class, I would ask a question, "What did So and so do during such and such? Sherry!" As I look directly at Penny.
Penny is laid back and quiet, but still extremely sharp, and attentive. She would stare at me with her Korean eyes behind a pair of glasses with blue frames. Apparently, from my experience, all Korean sixth graders react similarly when called the wrong name. Penny is so calm, as she doesn't move in the slightest bit. She would give me a blank stare with a hint of playfulness, and slight agitation for what seems to be a very long time. She would say calmly in a Korean accent, "Teacher, my name is not Sherry. I am Penny."
Then Sherry would chime in. "Teacher! I'm Sherry!"
Whenever I call Lucy the name, Sherry, she would say nothing. I would know, when I hear an, "AAAAWWWW?! Teacher! I'm Sherry!" from Sherry.
I would, later that night, call Lucy during our required telephone interviews, "Hello. May I speak to Lucy please?"
There would be a pause where nothing is said. I would continue, "Lucy?"
After the long pause, she would finally speak calmly in a Korean accent, "Teacher, my name is not Sherry..." There would be another pause and she would continue, "Today, you called me Sherry. My name is Lucy."
"Ok Sherry- I mean Lucy, I'll remember that," would be my response.
I've gotten to the point where I no longer do it accidentally. Now, I never call the mentioned girls by their actual English names just to get a rise.
All the other girls would chime in, "Teacher! You have big nose hole! Teacher! You have big nose hole!" Apparently, I have what is called a "high bridged nose," which is the reason for my abnormally large nostrils, by Korean standards.
I would then proceed to put my chin up in such a position to make me able to pretend that my nostrils are my eyes, and I am looking at my students through them. I would flare them to make them appear even bigger. The class would then then erupt with, "EEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!! Teacher!! You are so ugly!!"
I always respond with, "They are not nose holes! They are called nostrils!!"
I shave around once a week, and when the five o'clock shadow becomes it's darkest, some students begin to notice, and comment. One of my other fourth graders, Jan, while touching her cheeks, would say in the most concerned manner in a Korean accent, "Teacher, you need the chuck, chuck." Apparently, to Koreans, "chuck chuck" is the sound of a kiss, and it is an expression that is used to describe moist healthy skin that is worthy of being kissed.
At first, I would respond in the most reassuring manner, "Ok Jan, I will be sure to get the 'chuck chuck,'" as I touch my cheeks also. I later asked the Korean woman who handles all of our questions and problems, "What does 'chuck chuck' mean?" She laughed, and explained it.
As an English teacher, I feel it is imperative that I respond in a grammatically correct manner, whenever comments such as this arise. So now, I respond with, "Ok Jan, I will be certain to shave, and moisturize the skin on my face in such a way to make it worthy of being kissed."
Sometimes I can be bad at remembering names. I've gotten better, but there are some that I can never seem to remember. I have a sixth grader named Elaine. For some reason, I always call her Olivia. To me, she looks more like an Olivia than an Elaine, and the two names register similarly in my mind, so I always call her that. We'll be in class, and I would ask a question from a random story that was read, "How did So and so do such and such? Olivia," I would say pointing to Elaine.
She would look at me with a playful scowl. She would say absolutely nothing for what would seem to be a very long time.
"Teacher, my name is not Olivia," She would say very calmly in a Korean accent with a hint of playfulness, and a little bit of agitation. "My name is Elaine!!"
I do the same thing in another sixth grade class, one of my larger ones. I have three girls in that particular class who all look sort of similar. Their names are Sherry, Penny, and Lucy. For some reason I call all three of them Sherry. The names, Penny and Sherry, register similarly in my mind, so I always call Penny the name, Sherry. Sherry and Lucy have a similar height, build, and demeanor, so I call Lucy the name, Sherry, also. On a random day in that class, I would ask a question, "What did So and so do during such and such? Sherry!" As I look directly at Penny.
Penny is laid back and quiet, but still extremely sharp, and attentive. She would stare at me with her Korean eyes behind a pair of glasses with blue frames. Apparently, from my experience, all Korean sixth graders react similarly when called the wrong name. Penny is so calm, as she doesn't move in the slightest bit. She would give me a blank stare with a hint of playfulness, and slight agitation for what seems to be a very long time. She would say calmly in a Korean accent, "Teacher, my name is not Sherry. I am Penny."
Then Sherry would chime in. "Teacher! I'm Sherry!"
Whenever I call Lucy the name, Sherry, she would say nothing. I would know, when I hear an, "AAAAWWWW?! Teacher! I'm Sherry!" from Sherry.
I would, later that night, call Lucy during our required telephone interviews, "Hello. May I speak to Lucy please?"
There would be a pause where nothing is said. I would continue, "Lucy?"
After the long pause, she would finally speak calmly in a Korean accent, "Teacher, my name is not Sherry..." There would be another pause and she would continue, "Today, you called me Sherry. My name is Lucy."
"Ok Sherry- I mean Lucy, I'll remember that," would be my response.
I've gotten to the point where I no longer do it accidentally. Now, I never call the mentioned girls by their actual English names just to get a rise.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Favortism
At the beginning of every class, I take roll. Each student answers with their choice of "yes," "here," or "hello." If a student is absent, I choose a student who is present to run a registry slip with the absent student's name, the date, my name, and the class to the office on the fourth floor of our building, so the ladies who do all of the administrative work can immediately register them. At our school, we call the administrative area info. The Korean students call it "eenpo." Among third and fourth graders, taking the absent slip to info seems to be a job that is in high demand. Even if it only takes a minute, or two, the younger students seem to be excited about getting out of class, and doing something different.
I always know which students will be absent before I ever call roll, because as soon as I walk through the door to enter a classroom, the students will proclaim, "Teacher! Teacher! So and So is absent! I want go to eenpo!"
Then all the others would chime in, "Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!! Teacher! Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!"
I would then have to establish order, "Okay, okay, okay!! Let me take roll first!!" I would then call the first student's name louder than the others, "Such and Such!!" The students normally calm down after the first name is called.
As soon as roll would finish, all the students would continue, "Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!!"
When I first started, I tried to avoid being accused of playing favorites, so I would hold a mini paper rock scissors tournament, but they would sometimes get out of hand, and take up too much time, so two months into it, I cared less about it, and would simply choose a student.
Now, upon completing roll call, whenever someone is absent, I usually choose a student who I feel hasn't taken the slip in a while. I normally walk to the chosen student's desk, place the slip on it, and give him/her the instructions, "Such and Such, write So and So's Korean name on the slip."
Upon hearing me say the chosen student's name, the entire class, in unison, would give me a big, "AWWWWWWWWWW!?!!!!"
Then some would chime in, "Bad Teacher... Mean Teacher..." I can't help but laugh every time I hear it.
"Teacher... You only like Such and Such! You always choose So and So!"
Sometimes the "You only's" can get pretty funny, "Teacher... You only like students who are small!!"
"Bad Teacher... You only like new students!"
"Mean Teacher... You only like students who are tall!"
I laugh everytime I hear the latest, "Teacher! You only..."
But in reality, I choose the quietest students more than the others. For some reason, I've never heard, "Teacher! You only like quiet students!!"
They crack me up. Teaching can be a lot of fun.
With that being said, I would like to wish all of you a happy new year. I wish you many blessings in 2012, and may it, up to this point, be the best year of your life!
I always know which students will be absent before I ever call roll, because as soon as I walk through the door to enter a classroom, the students will proclaim, "Teacher! Teacher! So and So is absent! I want go to eenpo!"
Then all the others would chime in, "Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!! Teacher! Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!"
I would then have to establish order, "Okay, okay, okay!! Let me take roll first!!" I would then call the first student's name louder than the others, "Such and Such!!" The students normally calm down after the first name is called.
As soon as roll would finish, all the students would continue, "Teacher! I want to go to eenpo!!"
When I first started, I tried to avoid being accused of playing favorites, so I would hold a mini paper rock scissors tournament, but they would sometimes get out of hand, and take up too much time, so two months into it, I cared less about it, and would simply choose a student.
Now, upon completing roll call, whenever someone is absent, I usually choose a student who I feel hasn't taken the slip in a while. I normally walk to the chosen student's desk, place the slip on it, and give him/her the instructions, "Such and Such, write So and So's Korean name on the slip."
Upon hearing me say the chosen student's name, the entire class, in unison, would give me a big, "AWWWWWWWWWW!?!!!!"
Then some would chime in, "Bad Teacher... Mean Teacher..." I can't help but laugh every time I hear it.
"Teacher... You only like Such and Such! You always choose So and So!"
Sometimes the "You only's" can get pretty funny, "Teacher... You only like students who are small!!"
"Bad Teacher... You only like new students!"
"Mean Teacher... You only like students who are tall!"
I laugh everytime I hear the latest, "Teacher! You only..."
But in reality, I choose the quietest students more than the others. For some reason, I've never heard, "Teacher! You only like quiet students!!"
They crack me up. Teaching can be a lot of fun.
With that being said, I would like to wish all of you a happy new year. I wish you many blessings in 2012, and may it, up to this point, be the best year of your life!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Best Friends
Hiromi is a sixth grader, and is one of my more rambunctious students, but I like her. Some of my other wilder students are less likable, and I kind of enjoy laying the hammer on them, but that is not the case with Hiromi. She is so charismatic that the bahavior of the rest of the class will be solely dependant on her's. When Hiromi is quiet, the rest of the class will be that way. When she becomes difficult, so will the rest of the class. Although I love her enthusiasm and her zest for life, having control of the class is more important, so the reigns on Hiromi are rather tight. I like her, because she is obviously highly intelligent, but she is not particularly hardworking. Hiromi always seems to know enough to answer intelligently. Her best quality is her amazing smile. Her eyes are rather squinty, so when she smiles, they look as if they are completely closed. It's beautiful.
Hiromi is in one of the upper level sixth grade classes, so she and most of her classmates are fluent in English. In phone interviews with my upper levels, I usually converse with them, and talk about what is going on in their lives. Her best friend, Cassie, is in the same class, and through those interviews, I have learned that she and Cassie do everything together. In the beginning, I thought it would be unspeakable for the two of them to sit next to each other in class. They would constantly look across the room, turn towards each other, and speak to each other silently, reading each other's lips. It would drive me nuts, because other students would see it, then feel free to speak to each other more verbally. There was no separating the two girls, even though they were across the room.
I moved Hiromi, as I do with all of my other rambunctious students, to the back to the class. Cassie, who sat in the front, would constantly feel the need to turn around with her back towards me to communicate nonverbally with Hiromi. One day, I decided to move Cassie to the back next to Hiromi to see what would happen, because the class was becoming rather difficult to manage. It couldn't possibly be much worse than what it had already become. As I walked into class on that particular day, I said, "Cassie! Move next to Hiromi." I pointed my finger at the particular seat where she was sitting in the front, then I moved it towards the empty seat in the back next to Hiromi. Hiromi flashed me her amazing shut-eyed smile.
Cassie couldn't believe it, "But Teacher! I can't sit next to her! Korean teacher won't let me!"
I repeated, "Cassie! Move next to Hiromi." And again, I pointed my finger, and moved it from where Cassie was sitting in the front to the empty seat next to Hiromi in the back.
"But Teacher...!!" I kept pointing, and moving my finger from the front to the back.
The other students were stunned. They knew the implications of the two friends sitting next to each other. I think they genuinely believed the class was going to explode. Then other students began chiming in, "Teacher! Can I move next to so and so!?"
"Nope. Only Cassie can move."
Another student would chime in, "Teacher! Can I move next to such and such!?"
"Nope. Only Cassie is allowed to move."
I thought Cassie was going to get on her knees, and kiss my feet. The Korean teacher for that particular class saw it as unspeakable for the two to be next to each other in a classroom setting. She tried to forbid the two to sit next to each other in my class, but I was determined to see if it would work. And surprisingly, it did.
The reigns remain tight on the two friends. I have to be more strict with them than I am with other students, because, again, Hiromi is so charismatic, that if she gets out of hand, so will the rest of the class. The two friends no longer have to disturb the other students by looking across the room to communicate, because they are next to each other, out of sight in the back of the class. And I have sort of endeared myself to the two friends, because I am one of the few teachers to allow them to do the unspeakable.
Another Korean channel surfing stopper is a beautiful woman who goes by the name, Soo Ae. She stars in a drama called, A Thousand Days Promise. On TV, she has sort of an elegant plainness that I find to be incredibly striking. She is also a spokesperson for a company selling women's apparel here in Korea, so her pictures are everywhere. I don't mind seeing them, and I don't mind seeing her on TV.
Hiromi is in one of the upper level sixth grade classes, so she and most of her classmates are fluent in English. In phone interviews with my upper levels, I usually converse with them, and talk about what is going on in their lives. Her best friend, Cassie, is in the same class, and through those interviews, I have learned that she and Cassie do everything together. In the beginning, I thought it would be unspeakable for the two of them to sit next to each other in class. They would constantly look across the room, turn towards each other, and speak to each other silently, reading each other's lips. It would drive me nuts, because other students would see it, then feel free to speak to each other more verbally. There was no separating the two girls, even though they were across the room.
I moved Hiromi, as I do with all of my other rambunctious students, to the back to the class. Cassie, who sat in the front, would constantly feel the need to turn around with her back towards me to communicate nonverbally with Hiromi. One day, I decided to move Cassie to the back next to Hiromi to see what would happen, because the class was becoming rather difficult to manage. It couldn't possibly be much worse than what it had already become. As I walked into class on that particular day, I said, "Cassie! Move next to Hiromi." I pointed my finger at the particular seat where she was sitting in the front, then I moved it towards the empty seat in the back next to Hiromi. Hiromi flashed me her amazing shut-eyed smile.
Cassie couldn't believe it, "But Teacher! I can't sit next to her! Korean teacher won't let me!"
I repeated, "Cassie! Move next to Hiromi." And again, I pointed my finger, and moved it from where Cassie was sitting in the front to the empty seat next to Hiromi in the back.
"But Teacher...!!" I kept pointing, and moving my finger from the front to the back.
The other students were stunned. They knew the implications of the two friends sitting next to each other. I think they genuinely believed the class was going to explode. Then other students began chiming in, "Teacher! Can I move next to so and so!?"
"Nope. Only Cassie can move."
Another student would chime in, "Teacher! Can I move next to such and such!?"
"Nope. Only Cassie is allowed to move."
I thought Cassie was going to get on her knees, and kiss my feet. The Korean teacher for that particular class saw it as unspeakable for the two to be next to each other in a classroom setting. She tried to forbid the two to sit next to each other in my class, but I was determined to see if it would work. And surprisingly, it did.
The reigns remain tight on the two friends. I have to be more strict with them than I am with other students, because, again, Hiromi is so charismatic, that if she gets out of hand, so will the rest of the class. The two friends no longer have to disturb the other students by looking across the room to communicate, because they are next to each other, out of sight in the back of the class. And I have sort of endeared myself to the two friends, because I am one of the few teachers to allow them to do the unspeakable.
These pictures were found via a search through google images. They are not mine.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Gift
Natalie is a wonderful student of mine. She is a fourth grader, my favorite grade level to teach. I was coming out of a class on a random day, and she saw me, and began jumping up and down, while waving. She motioned for me to come over. I did, and she handed me a lollipop, along with this note... Needless to say, it made my day.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
4th Grade Drama
I've mentioned before that 4th grade is my favorite grade to teach. While they are still kids, in our curriculum, many of them are fairly advanced students of English, so in my upper levels, conversations can be had. They are still small, and have not quite reached puberty, so unlike the 5th and 6th graders, defiance is not prevalent, because they still don't quite understand the concept of looking "cool" in front of members of the opposite sex.
Allow me to explain defiance through an incident that happened today in one of my 6th grade classes. I've repeatedly warned my 6th graders to not have books from other classes out on their desks, especially math books. One girl, Amber, had two large math books on her desk. Because she didn't have her backpack, I showed her mercy, and merely kept the books on a small table in the front of the class (within reach of the students who sit in the front row), with the intention of giving them back to her when class was over.
Within a few minutes, immediately after I finished writing on the chalkboard, I turned toward the table to find one of the boys, Dave, reaching over his desk for the books, as he was standing. I calmly kicked Dave and Amber out of the class. And outside, I let them have it. I said to Amber, "If the math books are out on your desk, they're mine. The next time I see them, I'm keeping them." And I looked at Dave, "If it's not yours, DON'T. TOUCH. IT!!!" I made Dave repeat it several times, "Eep eet's not yours, don't-ah touch eet... Eep eet's not yours, don't-ah touch eet..." I calmly went back in class, and continued the lesson as if nothing happened, while Dave and Amber were standing outside. Defiance angers me.
I prefer teaching the younger kids because the defiance is significantly less prevalent. In one of my 4th grade classes, Haley has a crush on Ryan. Most of the other girls in that class do as well, but none are as smitten as Haley. Korean 4th graders demonstrate their infatuation differently. They love to show how much they "hate" the object of their affection. For example, I have each student create a sentence including two vocabulary words from the story. The subject of all of Haley's sentences were Ryan, and they were less than flattering. On a normal day, during the sentence making segment of class, upon it becoming Haley's turn to make a sentence, I would tell her, "Okay Haley, choose two vocabulary words."
"Eat and dericious," Haley would reply.
"Okay, go."
She would sit and ponder for a moment, gather herself, then confidently recite, "Bear eat the Lyan, and he was dericious!"
The whole class would burst in laughter. I would calm them down, then correct Haley's mistakes, "The bear ate Ryan, and thought he was delicious."
"The bear ate-ah Lyan, and thought he was dericious!" Haley would repeat.
In the beginning, I allowed them to make such sentences, because Ryan was one of my wilder 4th graders who was apt to getting in trouble. He was also a good sport about it, and took the good natured teasing well. And not to mention, Haley was the only one doing it. It very quickly got old when all of the students in the class started making sentences about "Lyan." I would ask them, "Do you girls like Ryan? When girls are mean to a boy, that means that they like him..."
Every girl in the class would then proceed to act as if they were gagging, then exclaim, "Teacher!! Lyan is bery bery bery bad!!" I then began to discipline the students whenever they included the name, "Lyan," in a sentence with a negative connotation, and that killed it.
Ryan then took a vacation to the U.S. He spent the summer in both New York City, and Miami, and was gone for four months. He soon became an afterthought.
Yesterday, at school, I saw Ryan in the halls for the first time in months. I warmly welcomed him, and told him, "I'm glad you're back, Ryan."
Moments later, one of my female students from that particular class, Alice, tapped me on the shoulder, and excitedly proclaimed, "Teacher! Lyan is back!"
"I know, and you girls be nice to him, okay?" Alice immediately saw Haley down the hall, and ran to her to tell her the news in Korean. Upon hearing the news, Haley's Korean eyes lit up like I have never seen a pair of eyes light up before. They suddenly got bigger, her heart began to noticeably race, and she began to smile.
In school, the Korean teachers determine the seating arrangements, and the one for this particular class sat Ryan next to Haley. I guess I'm not the only one who noticed.
Allow me to explain defiance through an incident that happened today in one of my 6th grade classes. I've repeatedly warned my 6th graders to not have books from other classes out on their desks, especially math books. One girl, Amber, had two large math books on her desk. Because she didn't have her backpack, I showed her mercy, and merely kept the books on a small table in the front of the class (within reach of the students who sit in the front row), with the intention of giving them back to her when class was over.
Within a few minutes, immediately after I finished writing on the chalkboard, I turned toward the table to find one of the boys, Dave, reaching over his desk for the books, as he was standing. I calmly kicked Dave and Amber out of the class. And outside, I let them have it. I said to Amber, "If the math books are out on your desk, they're mine. The next time I see them, I'm keeping them." And I looked at Dave, "If it's not yours, DON'T. TOUCH. IT!!!" I made Dave repeat it several times, "Eep eet's not yours, don't-ah touch eet... Eep eet's not yours, don't-ah touch eet..." I calmly went back in class, and continued the lesson as if nothing happened, while Dave and Amber were standing outside. Defiance angers me.
I prefer teaching the younger kids because the defiance is significantly less prevalent. In one of my 4th grade classes, Haley has a crush on Ryan. Most of the other girls in that class do as well, but none are as smitten as Haley. Korean 4th graders demonstrate their infatuation differently. They love to show how much they "hate" the object of their affection. For example, I have each student create a sentence including two vocabulary words from the story. The subject of all of Haley's sentences were Ryan, and they were less than flattering. On a normal day, during the sentence making segment of class, upon it becoming Haley's turn to make a sentence, I would tell her, "Okay Haley, choose two vocabulary words."
"Eat and dericious," Haley would reply.
"Okay, go."
She would sit and ponder for a moment, gather herself, then confidently recite, "Bear eat the Lyan, and he was dericious!"
The whole class would burst in laughter. I would calm them down, then correct Haley's mistakes, "The bear ate Ryan, and thought he was delicious."
"The bear ate-ah Lyan, and thought he was dericious!" Haley would repeat.
In the beginning, I allowed them to make such sentences, because Ryan was one of my wilder 4th graders who was apt to getting in trouble. He was also a good sport about it, and took the good natured teasing well. And not to mention, Haley was the only one doing it. It very quickly got old when all of the students in the class started making sentences about "Lyan." I would ask them, "Do you girls like Ryan? When girls are mean to a boy, that means that they like him..."
Every girl in the class would then proceed to act as if they were gagging, then exclaim, "Teacher!! Lyan is bery bery bery bad!!" I then began to discipline the students whenever they included the name, "Lyan," in a sentence with a negative connotation, and that killed it.
Ryan then took a vacation to the U.S. He spent the summer in both New York City, and Miami, and was gone for four months. He soon became an afterthought.
Yesterday, at school, I saw Ryan in the halls for the first time in months. I warmly welcomed him, and told him, "I'm glad you're back, Ryan."
Moments later, one of my female students from that particular class, Alice, tapped me on the shoulder, and excitedly proclaimed, "Teacher! Lyan is back!"
"I know, and you girls be nice to him, okay?" Alice immediately saw Haley down the hall, and ran to her to tell her the news in Korean. Upon hearing the news, Haley's Korean eyes lit up like I have never seen a pair of eyes light up before. They suddenly got bigger, her heart began to noticeably race, and she began to smile.
In school, the Korean teachers determine the seating arrangements, and the one for this particular class sat Ryan next to Haley. I guess I'm not the only one who noticed.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Puttin' the Hammer Down
Contrary to popular belief, nice guys definitely finish first. People may not reward the nice guys, but God definitely exists, and he is a God who makes "karma," or whatever else that you want to call it, a reality. I am living proof that God rewards the nice guys. But there are few exceptions to the rules.
I teach second to sixth graders. And when I first came to Korea, I thought I would enjoy teaching the older kids more, because older kids speak better, and know more. My thoughts were that I would be able to have deeper conversations with them, because of their maturity. I thought that teaching more complex concepts would be funner. I also made the mistake of thinking that they would be receptive to my teaching.
With all of my classes, upon meeting them, I projected the "nice guy/teacher" image. The younger students (2nd grade - 5th grade) abide by the principle of respect being a two-way street. You give somebody respect, and they will give it back to you in return. The younger kids, for the most part, have been receptive to the "nice teacher" image, and have been absolutely wonderful, and a lot of fun to teach. My favorite level to teach is the fourth graders. They know enough English to converse. They have a developing maturity, and an understanding of what's expected of them. And yet, they are still kids, and might I add, respectful kids. Their lessons are still relatively simple, so preparation is short and easy.
The "two-way street" principle applies to less than ten percent of all sixth graders that I teach. There may be one or two kind students in each of my sixth grade classes, and the rest are some sort of combination of loud, defiant, uninterested, and disrespectful. The sixth graders enjoy testing the teacher to see how close to the limit they are able to push the "nice teacher." Since the beginning, they have gotten progressively louder, and more disrespectful. And three days ago, I snapped... in a controlled manner.
I always pray that God would give me wisdom in discipling difficult students. It is simply not in my personality to be stern and strict. I would rather be kind and flexible, but this week, I have learned that sometimes, you just have to "put the hammer down." And by "putting the hammer down," I mean recognizing the ring leader, and taking him/her out, and also showing no mercy to the good students who associate with them, and encourage their behavior. When reading the rest of this post, it may enhance the effect to sing the song, "I feel pretty..." from the movie, Anger Management.
Last Tuesday, one of my sixth grade classes was being especially irritating. They were being so loud that I had to shout to get anything done. Then I saw one student very defiantly doing his math homework in my class, and I snapped. Only recently have I learned to, like a light switch, turn my anger on and off. In this instance, I switched it on. And for some reason, I am able to focus when I am angry. I authoritatively snatched the homework off of his desk, and angrily exclaimed to the entire class while holding the math homework above my head, "DO. NOT. DO. MATH HOMEWORK. IN. MY. CLASS!!" It was in a totally different tone than the previous yelling, so students were caught off guard, and the class was silent. I kicked the caught student out of the classroom. I noticed how well that worked, so the next time I heard the slightest peep out of the ring leader, I kicked him out of the class too. Then one of the students had the nerve to take their math homework out again, but this time for some reason, he passed the paper work to one of the few good students in the class. I caught the good student red handed. I gave her the most menacing look that she had ever seen in her life, snatched the math homework out of her hand, and yelled, "GET OUT!!"
"But teacher, It is not mine," she desperately replied in a Korean accent.
"I DON'T CARE!!"
"But, but teacher-"
"IF IT'S NOT YOURS, DON'T. TOUCH. IT!!"
She immediately left her seat, and the classroom. I later let them back in, and they sat in their seats embarrassed and silent, while the other students fearfully paid attention to, and participated in my lesson. After class, I reported each offender to their Korean teacher to face further punishment. Each student of English at my school has a Korean teacher who teaches them grammar, and vocabulary. We teach them how to verbalize what they learn from their Korean teacher.
Since then, similar incidences occurred in my other sixth grade classes, and I reacted similarly, and they fearfully reacted to my reaction in the exact same way that the first sixth grade class did. Besides that, teaching has been incredible. Again, contrary to my thoughts when I first started, I find that I am better with the younger kids. They are a lot more pleasant, and are better able to channel their enthusiasm to the lesson. In the younger ones, the defiance that you get with the older kids is virtually nonexistent.
I am going to try something new here. As many of you know, I have enjoyed Korean professional baseball. A big reason for that is the language barrier associated with watching other programs on Korean TV. The language of baseball is universal. But there is also another reason why I follow baseball so closely. When I come home from work at 10:00pm, the baseball games are winding down. And the highlight shows are revving up. There are three different sports networks here in Korea, and they all have post game highlight shows that air simultaneously every night. And the only reason that I choose to watch KBSn Sports' highlight show over the others is because of their hostess. I think I'm in love...
In order to protect myself from being sewed, these are not my photos. I take no credit for these. They are photos that came up in google images, under the google search, "KBSn sports." I downloaded these from other websites.
I teach second to sixth graders. And when I first came to Korea, I thought I would enjoy teaching the older kids more, because older kids speak better, and know more. My thoughts were that I would be able to have deeper conversations with them, because of their maturity. I thought that teaching more complex concepts would be funner. I also made the mistake of thinking that they would be receptive to my teaching.
With all of my classes, upon meeting them, I projected the "nice guy/teacher" image. The younger students (2nd grade - 5th grade) abide by the principle of respect being a two-way street. You give somebody respect, and they will give it back to you in return. The younger kids, for the most part, have been receptive to the "nice teacher" image, and have been absolutely wonderful, and a lot of fun to teach. My favorite level to teach is the fourth graders. They know enough English to converse. They have a developing maturity, and an understanding of what's expected of them. And yet, they are still kids, and might I add, respectful kids. Their lessons are still relatively simple, so preparation is short and easy.
The "two-way street" principle applies to less than ten percent of all sixth graders that I teach. There may be one or two kind students in each of my sixth grade classes, and the rest are some sort of combination of loud, defiant, uninterested, and disrespectful. The sixth graders enjoy testing the teacher to see how close to the limit they are able to push the "nice teacher." Since the beginning, they have gotten progressively louder, and more disrespectful. And three days ago, I snapped... in a controlled manner.
I always pray that God would give me wisdom in discipling difficult students. It is simply not in my personality to be stern and strict. I would rather be kind and flexible, but this week, I have learned that sometimes, you just have to "put the hammer down." And by "putting the hammer down," I mean recognizing the ring leader, and taking him/her out, and also showing no mercy to the good students who associate with them, and encourage their behavior. When reading the rest of this post, it may enhance the effect to sing the song, "I feel pretty..." from the movie, Anger Management.
Last Tuesday, one of my sixth grade classes was being especially irritating. They were being so loud that I had to shout to get anything done. Then I saw one student very defiantly doing his math homework in my class, and I snapped. Only recently have I learned to, like a light switch, turn my anger on and off. In this instance, I switched it on. And for some reason, I am able to focus when I am angry. I authoritatively snatched the homework off of his desk, and angrily exclaimed to the entire class while holding the math homework above my head, "DO. NOT. DO. MATH HOMEWORK. IN. MY. CLASS!!" It was in a totally different tone than the previous yelling, so students were caught off guard, and the class was silent. I kicked the caught student out of the classroom. I noticed how well that worked, so the next time I heard the slightest peep out of the ring leader, I kicked him out of the class too. Then one of the students had the nerve to take their math homework out again, but this time for some reason, he passed the paper work to one of the few good students in the class. I caught the good student red handed. I gave her the most menacing look that she had ever seen in her life, snatched the math homework out of her hand, and yelled, "GET OUT!!"
"But teacher, It is not mine," she desperately replied in a Korean accent.
"I DON'T CARE!!"
"But, but teacher-"
"IF IT'S NOT YOURS, DON'T. TOUCH. IT!!"
She immediately left her seat, and the classroom. I later let them back in, and they sat in their seats embarrassed and silent, while the other students fearfully paid attention to, and participated in my lesson. After class, I reported each offender to their Korean teacher to face further punishment. Each student of English at my school has a Korean teacher who teaches them grammar, and vocabulary. We teach them how to verbalize what they learn from their Korean teacher.
Since then, similar incidences occurred in my other sixth grade classes, and I reacted similarly, and they fearfully reacted to my reaction in the exact same way that the first sixth grade class did. Besides that, teaching has been incredible. Again, contrary to my thoughts when I first started, I find that I am better with the younger kids. They are a lot more pleasant, and are better able to channel their enthusiasm to the lesson. In the younger ones, the defiance that you get with the older kids is virtually nonexistent.
I am going to try something new here. As many of you know, I have enjoyed Korean professional baseball. A big reason for that is the language barrier associated with watching other programs on Korean TV. The language of baseball is universal. But there is also another reason why I follow baseball so closely. When I come home from work at 10:00pm, the baseball games are winding down. And the highlight shows are revving up. There are three different sports networks here in Korea, and they all have post game highlight shows that air simultaneously every night. And the only reason that I choose to watch KBSn Sports' highlight show over the others is because of their hostess. I think I'm in love...
In order to protect myself from being sewed, these are not my photos. I take no credit for these. They are photos that came up in google images, under the google search, "KBSn sports." I downloaded these from other websites.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Settling In: Teaching
I am getting comfortable teaching my new students. Every level has a particular required method for teaching the students, and I have seemed to figure them all out. I have one second grade class, one third grade class, along several fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes. Class sizes are relatively small, as I have anywhere from five to fifteen students in a given class. I am fairly lenient with my students in terms of talking, and other petty disciplinary issues, provided they are speaking in English, and they are not disrupting other students. I am hard on them if they do not bring their books, or do not do their homework.
I like the fact that I teach at a large school that is organized, because it makes effectively teaching the students easier. I come to work an hour before my first class, read all of the stories that will be covered in the day, and integrate the stories into the established lesson plans for each class. Honestly, it is the easiest job that I have had out of college. Each class is forty-five minutes long, and they are so structured that we as teachers seem to have less freedom of creativity than teachers from other schools. But I like it that way, because our jobs seem to be less stressful and time consuming, and our energy is focused on presentation of the material.
Each class has it's difficulties. It is difficult to keep the second graders in their seats, and understandably so. Seven year olds are energetic. Melissa is a cute little girl in that particular class who loves to hug my arm, and sometimes, she won't let go. A lot of the second graders like to get out of their seats to tell me something important, and some seem to have a natural tendency leave their seats to follow me when I am patrolling the class observing group work.
In my third grade class, I have a notorious student named Harry. He is extremely charismatic, and is very good at making other students laugh. On my first day with that class, I made the mistake of trying to control him through conventional discipline. It seemed to endear him more to the other students, causing him to be more of a disruption. I have recently accepted that Harry is who he is, and attempting to control him is hopeless. Now, I simply let him do his thing, and he seems to be an intelligent child, who through the correct channeling of his charisma, can be quite an aid to teaching these third graders.
In one of my fourth grade classes, Steve is a student who sits between two girls, Chelsea and Danielle. I get the feeling that Steve has given other teachers a hard time, but he definitely pays for it in this particular class, because Chelsea and Danielle are relentless in their aggravation. The two girls seem to be charismatic in their own right because the rest of the class loves joining in on the fun.
An interesting and bizarre tidbit about the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at my school is that a huge number of them have a dry sense of humor. A lot of their jokes in class, and in sentence writing are about death. And I am not talking about one or two students. The other English speaking teachers warned me about it, and they were not exaggerating. I have "thick skin," and can tolerate a lot. But in one particular class, it got to the point where I had to say, "Okay, okay, no more sentences about death." But as I said in an earlier post, these kids are enthusiastic, extremely kind, respectful, and willing to please. And they are a joy to teach.
This was a meal that was served in a restaurant near my apartment. I have eaten at this particular one twice because it has the best Kimchi that I have had so far in Gwangju. In the large black bowl is a pork stew with hot pepper, bean sprouts, green onions, and other vegetables. In the covered dish to the left on the bottom is rice. Above it to the right is onions, and some sort of pepper. The peppers were considerably spicy, but not so much that they were unbearable. To the left is the unknown green vegetable. Above it is kimchi, and to the right is kimchi made with radish. And in the small dish diagonal to the radish is baby shrimp. They are extremely salty, and a small amount of them goes a long way. Above it is the strong tasting leaves to be eaten with the rice, and to the right is fermented bean paste to be eaten with the onions and pepper.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Settling In
The cherry trees are in full bloom, and it is georgeous. The first picture is at the foot of a small mountain near my apartment. The second two are just outside of my school. They line most of the streets here in Gwangju, and I enjoy seeing them.
I am finally getting settled in. My apartment is arranged to my liking. My bathroom is finally clean. I have most of the household items that I need, but I still need an ironing board. I am tempted to have my shirts and slacks pressed at a local dry cleaner two blocks over. My coworker, Maggie, received her monthly electric bill today. It was 11,000 won ($10), which is around one seventh of what I paid in the states. And she lives with her husband, so that is between two people!
I started teaching this week. I have yet to meet all of my students, but I have met most, as I still have more classes that I will see for the first time later in the week. The students are a lot of fun. They are enthusiastic, and willing to participate. They are all amazed at my left-handedness. Apparently, Koreans are all trained to write right handed. It has happened in numerous classes. A student will notice and say in a Korean accent, "Teacher, you are using your left hand!"
"Yes I am," would be my normal reply, as I resume writing on the chalkboard.
Then all the students would chime in, "Wooooaaaaah!!"
One of my favorite parts of the day are the nightly telephone calls that I am to give to my students to review, and to be certain that they have a grasp of the lesson, and also so parents can tell their friends, "look at what my school is doing for my kid!" For the younger kids, we have them repeat some basic statements that were learned in the day's lesson, such as, "Where is Amy?... She is in the kitchen... Where is Joe?... He is in the bathroom... Where are Jack and Jill?... They are in the yard..." The older kids answer some basic questions from a passage that was read and discussed in class.
Here is the average conversation: "Yoboseo... (the korean telephone greeting)," says the mother as she answers the phone.
She would then say something in Korean meaning hold on one minute, then I would hear, "Hello...," in a high pitched voice of a younger Korean girl.
"Hi so and so! This is Chris Teacher." My goal is to sound excited when I speak to them.
"I knew it was you, Teacher!" I have gotten this reply numerous times.
"What are you doing?"
"I am doing homework."
"What are you studying?"
"English."
"Are you studying the story about so and so, and such and such?"
"Yes."
"Are you ready to answer some questions about so and so, and such and such?"
"Yes, Teacher."
"What did so and so do after such and such?"
"So and so did this after such and such," would be the reply in a Korean accent.
I would ask them a few more questions, and I would finish by telling them, "So and so, you were terrific."
Usually they would laugh and say, "Thankyou, Teacher."
"Now I want you to do well on your homework, okay?"
"Okay."
"And I'll see you next time we meet for class, okay?"
"Okay."
"Bye so and so."
"Bye Teacher."
I guess you just have to be there, but I enjoy hearing these kids speak in Korean accents over the phone.
This particular meal was one of my favorites, because everything, except the soup was spicy. I'll start with the main entree in the middle. It is an octopus pancake with green onions and carrots. For all of you who say, "Ewwww..... That's disgusting," don't knock it until you try it. It was amazing. The octopus was tender, and the pancake was moist and crispy. Next to it in the small dish on top is seasoned spinach. I have never had it spicy before this, and it was incredible. Next to it in the black bowl is a cabbage and Tofu soup. On the far right is the standard fermented bean paste, next to it on the bottom are snails, or escargo. They tasted like a more chewy oyster. Next to that, is the last of the carrots to be dipped in the fermented bean paste. On the bottom in the dish with the chopsticks, is steamed cabbage, to be dipped in the small dish above it, which is seasoned soy sauce. The pancake was also to be dipped in the soy sauce. Above it is spicy seasoned bean sprouts. This was the first meal that excluded the Korean staple, Kimchi. And it all costed 7,000 won.
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