Teaching tidbits

So... Things have been a little... busy, let's just say, and I haven't posted for a while. Sorry!

I've got a lot of stories for you that have been building up for a while... so, unless I get lazy again (no promises), you may just get several posts in a row!

There have been a lot of surprises on my journey here, some pleasant and some not so pleasant, but one of the most unexpected surprises of all is how much I enjoy teaching. That was my great fear of my journey: coming all this way and hating what I am doing. However, thankfully, I think it's very fun! Now, that's not saying that things couldn't be better and it's also not saying that it's a cakewalk.

When I first got here, I was handed a bunch of books, taken (once) to three different locations and told that I was free to do whatever I wanted for the lessons... I expected a little bit more in terms of "orientation" (which, for all intents and purposes, was nonexistent) and hoped to have some guidance from the prior teacher or someone... but that never happened. So, for the first couple of classes I struggled quite a bit in what to do and how to do it... Unfortunately, although I was told there was the ability to utilize powerpoint, I have never seen that materialize either and the first couple of days I used my laptop to show my presentations. Fortunately, there aren't many kids in each of my classes, but still it's difficult to use it for teaching since the kids crowd around, causing some students to be unable to see and since the speakers aren't as loud as I would like them to be. So the first couple of weeks, it wasn't much fun and I felt like I was failing at everything. Korean class, English class, life in general...

So I took a break from Korean class and focused on teaching English. I bought some additional materials (English flashcards, Teacher's guide to the student book I was given, and few other odds and ends) and set out to become a better teacher!

Several stumbling steps later, and I feel pretty confident in the classroom. I adore the kids and the kids... at least tolerate me... LOL.

Seriously though, I taught the kids at one facility how to play "Simon Says" and "Hangman". Now they always want to play! LOL. But they need to learn how to write and spell first... Like I said before, they know "red", "green", "cat", and "dog" when I point to them, but as far as reading is concerned, they may be able to tell me the letters I'm writing on the board and memorize that the word "cat" is above the word "dog", but they haven't quite gotten to the level of actual reading and writing. Which means playing hangman really means, "let's shout out random letters". LOL. So that's what I have been focusing on there. At that place, I am very lucky that I have Korean teachers in the classes that help "keep the peace". Kids that go out of line or continue shouting usually brings a few Korean words from the Korean teacher and they stop. I only have one Korean teacher that stays in the class and helps me teach a bit (like translating the instructions for simon says). She speaks English very well and I'm very glad she is in the class and helps. I am really praying that my Korean co-teacher in EPIK is as awesome as she is. Because I've definitely realized that how capable your co-teacher is and how much they want to/are willing to help you may make or break your teaching...

Anyway, that particular place is my favorite, I'm there 2 days a week, there's an awesome Korean co-teacher there and the kids are great. They even came up with English names for themselves so that I could memorize their names easier... Unfortunately that didn't stick as they didn't memorize their English names either... LOL. "Paul?" "?" "Isn't that your name? (pointing to his nametag)" "?" LOL. They had to have picked out English names by themselves, because I went to call on one girl and her nametag said "Princess". LOL. "Um... Princess? What color is this?" LOL.

On the flipside, the daycare I dread is the one I go to on Thursdays. Because of multiple things: my inexperience at classroom management, the fact that there isn't a Korean teacher to help me, the fact I don't speak Korean and the kids can't understand enough English to understand if I'm teaching them, lecturing them, or even threatening them, plus the fact that it's a tiny room (I would guess 6'x 6'), the kids are arriving right after playing hard (ball games, running games, etc), and finally, the tiny room is right next to the boiler so it is HOT... All of that makes it a pain, and the kids are next to impossible to manage. I keep telling them (in Korean and English) to sit down and now they've started telling me "No" in English... Little brats... Anyway, there a few students in class that are good and really want to please, but unfortunately, the class ends up being mostly me just trying get the others to sit down rather than bang on drums or throw things or... Argh. The problem isn't the students themselves I think, rather it is from the beginning I didn't manage the class well (so they know they can walk all over me) plus anything I tell them, like "if you don't sit down and behave, you won't get a sticker" goes right in one ear and out the other, because I don't know how to say it in Korean. So effectively, I become like the teacher in Peanuts saying "wah-wah, wah-wah"... So threats don't work either... We'll see what happens later on.

I will say in the same place, there's a little girl that I just love. She's the one who's always trying her hardest to learn and is always scolding the boys (who are almost always the instigators of trouble) for ignoring me... She's so sweet. But I felt bad last week... I had given the students some worksheets to color and for some reason thought it would be okay if I just handed out the sheets... Stupid me, why would kids wait to start coloring? Anyway, theses particular sheets said "Red crayon", so the objective was to get the student to color the crayon red... But of course, the students just colored whatever... I tried to fix it by explaining, but was ignored... except by that girl who colored it incorrectly and was just so disappointed. She asked for another sheet, which I gave to her since she seemed to be on the verge of tears for not coloring it right. But she colored it wrong again (there were several objects to color on the sheet), and then was very much inconsolable. I gave her a hug and a sticker and sent her on her way, but she was still upset. Ironically, it reminded me of me when I was young. Desperate for approval and consequently perfection and so utterly devastated when  I couldn't do something, or did it wrong... This week she seemed all better, for which I was very relieved. I made sure this week that everyone knew what to do and then gave her a sticker first. :D

Oh yeah, STICKERS. They LOVE stickers. LOL. The daycare that I dread houses one particular boy, who the first day I was there, wouldn't say anything in English except "OH MY GOD!" LOL. "What color is this?" "OMG!" "What does this say?" "OMG!" "What kind of animal is this?" "OMG!" LOL. Anyway, he's very much a problem child and not a fan of trying to learn at all. HOWEVER. He is addicted to stickers. LOL. So, yesterday I gave all the (good) students stickers and sent them on their way. They had completed their worksheets and answered me what color is what so I felt they had earned their sticker. Well, this particular little boy asked me for a sticker, I looked at his worksheet (which was colored in all kinds of colors, but was definitely disregarding everything I had said), and asked him what the word "blue" said, which he didn't have an answer. Another student came up and asked me question, so I answered them, meanwhile, the little boy actually tried to grab the book of stickers from my hand! Argh. I let all of the kids go, but he was insistent that he wanted a sticker. So I asked him what color the board was. No answer. What color is this? No answer. I shook my head, but he still stood there. So I finally decided to ask him a question I knew he would know. "What color is this?" "Red." So I ended up giving him a sticker, but next week he had better be prepared! Or NO sticker!!! Oh no! :D

Well that's enough for this post. Stay tuned for another excellent adventure in Korea!