The Sorrows of Teaching

Well, I have just passed my one-month mark and everything is going well. I can't believe it's already been one month. I know the rest of the month will fly by and I am planning a trip to Thailand for our nine-day winter holiday, so that almost brings me to half way through January! It's crazy.

I still have to be honest; sometimes I like it here and sometimes I don't. I still don't think I am fully adjusted to the way my school works and what is expected of me as a teacher. Like I have said before, the is NOT a public school and it is NOT a hagwon (the Korean word for private school), it is more of an after school program. There are only the four English teachers here and we have five classes everyday. At the beginning of every week, we are assigned a topic to teach on and we make activities for the kids. So far we have done numbers, time and now math (simple addition for the little ones and simple multiplication for the not-so-littleones). The oldest kids always pronounce and repeat words and we play picture charades or hangman, to work on spelling. I thought I would hve liked the older kids, but apparently they have been working on the same words for two months, so obviously they ger bored easily.

It's strange, sometimes when I feel like I'm having a great day, the director comes in my room and says something in Korean to the kids. Then they file in order just like little soldiers. Then on the days when I think things are crazy and out of control, that just seems to be the norm. AND, when I am looking forward to going to sschool, I usually have a crappy day and when I dread coming to school, those are the days that are most enjoyable. Like polar opposites.

I have also made a kid cry. He must be 8-years old. We were playing a game sitting on the floor in a circle and everyone claps the hand to the person next to them and everyone counts. So the first person would say 'zero' and slap the person's hand, then the next person would say 'one' then slap the person's hang, and so on. Usually we count 0 to 20 then go up by 10s to 100 and the person who has to slap 100 has to slap the next person's hand before that person pulss their hand out. If the slapping person hits the next person's hand, the stay in, but if they miss, they are out. The young boy happened to not pull his hand out quickly enough so he was out He did not leave the circle so I dragged him out. All of a sudden, he started crying. I thought I pulled him too hard or hurt him somehow. One teacher who was on break heard him crying and came in. She just told me not to worry because he is a cry baby and he needs to get over it. So he sat in the corner and cryed until the game was over. Then when we played for a second time, he joined right in as if nothing happened. He is now my one of my favorites.

I also witnessed another student throw-up. I don't mind seeing it but when that smells hits your nostrils, I can't help but cover my nose. We opened all the windows because the kids were plugging their noses as well. The kid who threw up was running around before class started and seemed fine, but when it was time to sit down and start class, he sat down and almost immediately started weeping. We didn't realize what was wrong until we saw what he was holding. He threw-up in his hand in an attempt to not hit the table, but it was cupped in his hand and on the table. Our director runs in with some toilet paper and smeared it on the table. It was nasty. I still haven't sat at that table since that happened. Gross.

That is all the updates for now. I am surviving and enjoying it while I can. Everyday is an experience whether it's something I learn that's about teaching, Korean culture or about myself.

Thanks for reading!