It’s the second day of English Summer Camp at my school and woof! Teaching six classes a day takes energy and my students nearly killed me on day one…
Unlike the previous camp, my Superhero lesson was annihilated. It’s probably a lot worse in my mind than it was, but I definitely did not create superheroes– I felt like I farmed monsters! Mostly, it was the (more…)
Super X-boy & his fellow squad mates
Tomorrow is the last day of my first camp! Hooray! Teaching summer camp is fun, but hard work- especially when you’re teaching 2-3ish two hour classes a day!
Monsters & Superheroes
Seems I’m churning out more little Superheroes than I am monsters! My students have been doing well with my lessons- I was right- Emoticons, Monsters & Superheroes (more…)
Living and working abroad as an English teacher in a foreign country may seem glamorous and easy. That’s what I thought. In reality, acclimating to a foreign lifestyle and workplace system isn’t always as simple or smooth as you expect it to be. Learning to marry the concept of long-term along one or many personal conflicts (i.e. food issues, un-welcoming co-teachers, bad housing situations, language barriers, cultural differences and/or culture shock) becomes an immediate challenge for English teachers upon entry. But what about the difficulties and frustrations for the English teacher within a foreign workplace?
The trick with catchphrases
Dynamic Korea is a “catchphrase” we learned at our orientation and the key to surviving it is yogic flexibility and (more…)
Just how strongly do Koreans feel about education? It would shock you. The average high school student generally has class from approximately 8A until 9:30P or 10P. With Koreans, the goal is to get into a good college and often, the competition is high. As a result, many students will also attend a private hagwon (afterschool learning program). After school programs (more…)
Introducing myself to my class using the lessons they'll be learning.
My Experience of the Korean Public School System at Week 3:
I just finished my third week of co-teaching grade 3-6 classes with my native Korean teachers. I call my job co-teaching because my Korean c0-teachers (aka CTs) want to teach primarily from the textbook/CD-ROM’s lesson plans. My CTs are still learning ways to implement a native English speaker in their class, so currently my job is to explain activities, run students through exercise drills in speaking English. Occasionally, I teach and am allowed to contribute my own creative ideas to the staid lesson plan, but this has been a result of my own improvisation. In a way, my CT’s and I are finding our way together. They are all fairly new to co-teaching, working with a native English speaker and one, even new to teaching English (until now she’s been a music teacher!)
My 4th graders introducing themselves
I’ve met all my students at least once or twice now. My first week (like many (more…)
No teaching today- most of the time I spent online in the teacher’s room, but here is a short video I quickly threw together of some of the highlights of my first day.
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