선생님

Last week my coteacher was late to class (she's like 8.5 months pregnant, so I don't blame her), and as she has instructed me to do, I just went ahead and started class without her. It was a 5th grade class and my 5th graders are angel children. I know it's a product of good discipline throughout the year by my coteacher and the fact that we work well together, but they are also just really good kids. They try hard every day, are always honest if they don't understand something, and more often than not they do understand the material. So with them I usually start class by asking them how they're doing and (unlike the rest of my grades where the answers are, uniformly: "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?") they respond with a variety of answers ("I'm tired!" "I'm hungry!" "I'm okay, but it's cold!"). It's the best feeling, knowing that they understand me. Anyway, on this particular day, we started the new lesson together and as I was asking them questions about vocabulary and there was excited chatter and response and the students were interacting and I was asking all the right questions...I realized how happy I am as a teacher. Of course, there are days when it sucks. But on this particular day...as it is on most days, honestly, it was so nice to know that these kids like me, I like them, and I think I'm managing to teach them something. And I'm starting to finally feel like I know what I'm doing! My coteachers and I never really "lesson plan", per se, but I'm at a point now where I don't even have to jot down notes for myself about the class because things run pretty smoothly on their own. It feels really good.

My wonderful grade 5

There are the days when I feel like my life is a constant game of taboo...when kids don't understand something and I have to madly grasp for other ways to explain the idea of "close", for example...those are challenging days. But at least I feel like I'm using my brain pretty constantly. It's a good test of my own prowess. And then there are the days (like last Friday) when I plan something really awesome only to find out 30 minutes before my class is due to start that it's been cancelled for the day. Who knows why. Luckily I'm a pretty "go with the flow" person, so this doesn't phase me too much...although there are games I've never had the chance to play that I was excited about. So on Friday, instead of teaching 3 classes, I spent the day sitting in my office cutting out snowflakes as real snow fell outside...I can't complain. What's most disconcerting on days like those is that I can go the entire day and not see a student. Which I don't like. Sometimes the kids come to visit me in my office...I've taken to giving visitors a fruit mento sometimes to try and encourage them. I get lonely otherwise! I much prefer teaching to sitting at my desk, but unfortunately more than I would have expected there are quite a few days when my classes get cancelled or moved and so I end up not teaching at all. I try to plan or make games or whatever as much as possible...but some days I literally have nothing to do. Those days are not challenging or really fun at all.

Look ma! I got paid to do this!

I got so lucky in my school placement...my Vice Principal speaks almost perfect English, my Principal speaks English pretty well, and they are both strong women who really like me! We went to another teachers dinner the other night, and the principal (drunk at this point) made me stand up and give a toast to all the teachers. I sputtered out thank you in Korean and then something about how nice everyone's been and I got cheers in response! I really have been so welcomed into the school community and even the teachers who don't speak English or only speak a little go out of their way to make me feel good. It feels like a real community, which even when I can't communicate with the majority of, I've become a part of.  After the first snow a few weeks ago all the teachers had to go outside and shovel snow together...and it was probably the best team building activity I've ever experienced. Everyone was cold and miserable, but helped each other anyway.

Clearing the driveway

My lovely co-teacher!

Also luckily, both my coteachers are very helpful and clear about their teaching methodologies and how they expect me to fit into the classroom. Generally we follow the book pretty closely (for better or for worse...some of the book contents are a bit ridiculous, case in point below), but we divide the lessons between the two of us--they usually do reading/writing, I do listening/speaking, something like that. I also usually get to plan/play the game/activity with the kids at the end of the class and I've been coming up with some good stuff, I think. The best are the times when the bells ring and the kids don't want to leave: "One more, teacher!!". Music to my ears!

Excerpt from our textbook...this is a bit, erm, open ended, don't you think?

When we come back from break my pregnant coteacher will be at home with her baby, so I'll have someone new to work with which is a bit nerve wracking. But I've gotten lucky this far...fingers crossed it keeps up.








So...teaching's been great so far. And while I know this is such a different experience from being any other kind of full-time teacher (in the states or otherwise), it makes me seriously consider going into education. Something about being the giver of knowledge, advice, kindness...it's a nice fit for me.

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In other news, tomorrow is Christmas Eve! It doesn't feel very much like Christmas here, despite the Christmas music blasted in stores, the plastic trees set up all over my school, the snow, the fun Christmas parties I've been to so far. My current theory is there's a certain amount of consumerism lacking that America just does so well. But it's also, obviously, the fact that I can't be with my family...which is rough. There have been some homesick days recently, which I usually try and remedy by watching a Christmas movie (which either works and I feel better, or I just cry it out--equally effective). On Christmas day my coteacher asked me to go and see a movie and get Thai food with her, which sounds like the perfect holiday away from my family. So in the morning I'll Skype home and wish everyone a merry Christmas Eve and then go see The Hobbit. Not my traditional schedule, but this is a year for making new traditions and breaking free of old ways. So, to a new kind of Christmas it is!

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Some photos:

School is getting in the spirit!

Typical school lunch...rice/soup = always. 

Making ornaments with the other teachers.

Korean class White Elephant...so excited for hot packs!

My kids literally shoveling snow on each other.

Walk to school.

I went to another cat cafe...priceless.

Feedin' time!

He thought my jacket was comfortable. 

Hiking in my backyard.