Wednesday, January 31st,
Well, my first month of teaching actually finished on Monday. It was a very challenging and exciting month. The start was definitely rocky with some administrative problems, but overall, I survived. I learned a lot about teaching styles and how well it works with various students. My classes were quite different. One of my classes had very low attendance for the last week, so I am not sure exactly how well each student learned. Another class had fairly good attendance after some students were determined to move up. On the test, the students struggled, so I am not sure if I prepared them properly or if the test was overly difficult for their level. My last class all preformed well and the ones that attended class showed the most improvement, which is promising.
It is definitely a big change to be on the other side of the teacher/student relationship. In normal life, most people would never guess that I would be interested in speaking in front of 1-15 people that are strangers. When I am in a classroom, the nervousness doesn't seem to be a problem. I enjoy being in front of the students. I worry a lot about my preparation and how well the lesson plan will work, but overall, I enjoy teaching. Many of the students think that I am pretty smart considering I have an MBA. They are surprised when I can speak any Korean, since every other Korean teacher can speak Korean. Even the other Korean-American teachers can all speak Korean to a certain degree of proficiency.
My second month of class started today (Wed. Jan. 31st). I arrived at Pagoda Academy early to prepare and make copies. I learned that no students signed up for my first class. I did learn that I would have another class later, which means that I will have six straight hours of class with no break. It means that I will teach from 3 PM- 9 PM every day. Last month, I had a break between one of my classes, which was a nice time to eat and prepare for the evening courses. Now, I will have to do all of it before class, but also leaves me with the dilemma of what to do in the AM without tiring myself out. I need to find the right mix of work and rest, since last month I spent about two weeks trying to get rid of cold.
Enrollment this month is definitely down since it is no longer winter break. My classes, so far, have four, two, and three students enrolled. Attendance will be another story. It will be interesting to see how diligent the students are about attending class. Having small classes are nice for speaking time, but too small can also seem to make activities more challenging. Nothing I can do, but teach as best as I can.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Friday, January 26, 2007
Soju Night
Friday, January 26th,
On Thursday, I decided to join a few teachers for a night of food and drinks. Joseph, James, Hee Young, her friend (not a teacher), and I went to a bar. Joseph and James grew up in the states, but they can speak Korean. I was the only with a Korean language problem. Hee Young's English is ok, but she struggles with conversation in English. They ordered Makkoli (unstrained rice wine) and Soju (alcohol made from sweet potatoes). For food, we had the "Korean pancake." It has onion, egg, octopus, and a flour based crust. In Korea, while drinking at bars, you almost always have to order snacks.
At the next bar, we had more Soju and more snacks. This time, they ordered Kimchi chigae (soup), another soup with silkworm larvae, and another dish. Hee Young likes silkworm larvae which seems to be popular in Korea. I didn't try it because I had drank enough by that point and didn't want to test my digestive system with a strange looking and probably unusual tasting food. At about 1:15 AM, they decided to hit up another place. I told them I should get home, so they found a taxi that would be able to find Dr. Kim's house. I had his address written down, so all the driver had to do was put it into his dashboard GPS. It took about 45 minutes and 27,000 won ($28), so it was a long and a bit expensive end to the night.
I did inform Dr. Kim at the beginning of the night that I would be out late. He still wanted to make sure that I would be able to get home ok. I told him that my friends would be able to tell a taxi driver the directions. When I did arrive home, Dr. Kim was awake watching TV and asked how my night was. It seems strange to be 28 year old and still have someone waiting up for your arrival home, but it is the Korean way.
On Thursday, I decided to join a few teachers for a night of food and drinks. Joseph, James, Hee Young, her friend (not a teacher), and I went to a bar. Joseph and James grew up in the states, but they can speak Korean. I was the only with a Korean language problem. Hee Young's English is ok, but she struggles with conversation in English. They ordered Makkoli (unstrained rice wine) and Soju (alcohol made from sweet potatoes). For food, we had the "Korean pancake." It has onion, egg, octopus, and a flour based crust. In Korea, while drinking at bars, you almost always have to order snacks.
At the next bar, we had more Soju and more snacks. This time, they ordered Kimchi chigae (soup), another soup with silkworm larvae, and another dish. Hee Young likes silkworm larvae which seems to be popular in Korea. I didn't try it because I had drank enough by that point and didn't want to test my digestive system with a strange looking and probably unusual tasting food. At about 1:15 AM, they decided to hit up another place. I told them I should get home, so they found a taxi that would be able to find Dr. Kim's house. I had his address written down, so all the driver had to do was put it into his dashboard GPS. It took about 45 minutes and 27,000 won ($28), so it was a long and a bit expensive end to the night.
I did inform Dr. Kim at the beginning of the night that I would be out late. He still wanted to make sure that I would be able to get home ok. I told him that my friends would be able to tell a taxi driver the directions. When I did arrive home, Dr. Kim was awake watching TV and asked how my night was. It seems strange to be 28 year old and still have someone waiting up for your arrival home, but it is the Korean way.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Earthquake
Saturday, January 20th,
Around 9 pm, I experienced an unusual feeling. I felt the house shaking for a brief moment. Yes, I experienced my first earthquake. The epicenter was on the eastern side of the Korean peninsula. Seoul is close to western edge. Don't get too worried. The earthquake was 4.8 on the Richter scale, so it wasn't too strong. I have been told that they are a rare occurrence even if we are in close proximity to Japan. On the news, Mrs. Kim said that has been 30 years since Korea has felt such an earthquake of this magnitude.
Around 9 pm, I experienced an unusual feeling. I felt the house shaking for a brief moment. Yes, I experienced my first earthquake. The epicenter was on the eastern side of the Korean peninsula. Seoul is close to western edge. Don't get too worried. The earthquake was 4.8 on the Richter scale, so it wasn't too strong. I have been told that they are a rare occurrence even if we are in close proximity to Japan. On the news, Mrs. Kim said that has been 30 years since Korea has felt such an earthquake of this magnitude.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Language and Eating
Saturday, January 20th,
I survived another week of teaching, while still having a cold. I gave my first test and the students did well. Lessons are starting to get easier and hopefully more interesting for the students. They did fill out an evaluation of the course and teacher, so in a week or two, I could be getting some advice on how to improve.
On Thursday, I started talking with a couple of the Chinese instructors in the teachers' lounge. I joined them for lunch and somehow through my poor Chinese, their ok English, and little or no Korean, we had a nice conversation. I actually could remember a few things and they guided me through on things that I could really say. It helped that their English was better than my Chinese.
On Friday, I went to lunch by myself. I decided to check out the food court at the Hyundai Department Store. It is a 14 story complex, but four stories are underground. I went to the food court and walked around to see what was available. Like any food court, there was about 10-15 different types of food. One problem was that all of the signs were in Korean with most places having pictures. The big problem was that I couldn't just point at an item, pay, and have them make it. I recognized the "system" that they used. All food was paid for at one central location, but the sign was only in Korean and no pictures. I didn't want to have the problem of trying to point to the board and not able to receive what I wanted. This was a frustrating situation and another reminder that I need to start learning Korean quickly.
I survived another week of teaching, while still having a cold. I gave my first test and the students did well. Lessons are starting to get easier and hopefully more interesting for the students. They did fill out an evaluation of the course and teacher, so in a week or two, I could be getting some advice on how to improve.
On Thursday, I started talking with a couple of the Chinese instructors in the teachers' lounge. I joined them for lunch and somehow through my poor Chinese, their ok English, and little or no Korean, we had a nice conversation. I actually could remember a few things and they guided me through on things that I could really say. It helped that their English was better than my Chinese.
On Friday, I went to lunch by myself. I decided to check out the food court at the Hyundai Department Store. It is a 14 story complex, but four stories are underground. I went to the food court and walked around to see what was available. Like any food court, there was about 10-15 different types of food. One problem was that all of the signs were in Korean with most places having pictures. The big problem was that I couldn't just point at an item, pay, and have them make it. I recognized the "system" that they used. All food was paid for at one central location, but the sign was only in Korean and no pictures. I didn't want to have the problem of trying to point to the board and not able to receive what I wanted. This was a frustrating situation and another reminder that I need to start learning Korean quickly.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
F4
Wednesday, January 17th,
I went to immigration yesterday. I picked up my passport with F-4 visa and my alien registration card. With my F-4 visa, I can stay in Korea for two years with possible renewal. I don't know how long I will be here, but this visa will make it easier for me to change jobs if I want and stay a little longer. Most American English teachers get an E-2 visa and they are contractually obligated to their institutes, which are one year visas.
So far, Pagoda Academy and teaching is good. I will be giving my first quiz/test this week. It should be interesting to see how many students show up and how many pass. Only 12 days until my first month of teaching is over. Since February is short, they start it on January 31st and I get Tuesday, January 30th as a day off.
In other news, Mrs. Kim is attempting to get her driver's license and has been going to a private driving school on Saturdays. She took her test on Tuesday, but failed, so she will have to practice for another five hours before trying again. Many of my students have their driver's license, but Mrs. Kim is the second person that I know that is older than me and learning to drive. A person in China that I know also was practicing to get her driver's license when I was living in Shanghai.
I went to immigration yesterday. I picked up my passport with F-4 visa and my alien registration card. With my F-4 visa, I can stay in Korea for two years with possible renewal. I don't know how long I will be here, but this visa will make it easier for me to change jobs if I want and stay a little longer. Most American English teachers get an E-2 visa and they are contractually obligated to their institutes, which are one year visas.
So far, Pagoda Academy and teaching is good. I will be giving my first quiz/test this week. It should be interesting to see how many students show up and how many pass. Only 12 days until my first month of teaching is over. Since February is short, they start it on January 31st and I get Tuesday, January 30th as a day off.
In other news, Mrs. Kim is attempting to get her driver's license and has been going to a private driving school on Saturdays. She took her test on Tuesday, but failed, so she will have to practice for another five hours before trying again. Many of my students have their driver's license, but Mrs. Kim is the second person that I know that is older than me and learning to drive. A person in China that I know also was practicing to get her driver's license when I was living in Shanghai.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Meeting my Korean father
Saturday, January 13th
I had a meeting arranged to meet my Korean father at Social Welfare Society (SWS). The manager agreed to facilitate this meeting since my work schedule doesn't allow for a weekday meeting even though SWS is only open Monday thru Friday. Dr. Kim accompanied me to SWS because the location isn't too easy to find, but now I could find it, if I need.
I arrived at SWS and talked with the manager briefly. She asked if I had any questions, but I didn't know what to ask. After a little bit, she left and my father arrived. They talked in the other room and I waited nervously.
In a couple minutes, they entered the room. I didn't know what to say. My Korean father is quite tall. I would say that he is two or three inches taller than me. Now, he is about 60 years old and he looks very healthy. The manager said that it unusual for someone of his age to still be so tall.
He came over to me and greeted me. The first thing he did was check out my physical appearance. First, he felt my legs. He remembered that I had problems with my legs as a young child, so he had to make sure that they were okay. For those who don't know, I had problems with my legs and they were quite bowed as a child, especially my left leg.
We sat down and talked. The manager translated, so that we could communicate. He told me about the situation that was the reason for my twin and I to be adopted. He worked at a low level in a local government office and earned a small salary. My grandmother took care of us, but she fell ill when we almost three. He wasn't able to afford care for us and my grandmother wasn't able to take care of us.
Later, he told me what happened to my mother. When she was pregnant with David and I, the two mother-in-laws had many arguments and the two families were not in good relationships. My mother went to her parent's home to give birth. She stayed home for four months after we were born. At that point, she brought us to my father's home. Afterwards, my father didn't hear from my mother. The relationship was poor, so he decided to divorce her. The two families sued each other and it took one and a half years for the courts to resolve the issues.
He said that I could maybe search for my mother in ten years or so. He wouldn't mention any more details. In ten years, my mother should be about 65 years old and she would be retired. I don't know what I will do about it, but only time will tell.
He showed me pictures that he had kept. He had pictures from when we were two and three years old. Also, he had some photos from when my American parents sent some to the adoption agency. My mother had written a note to someone (can't remember the name), but I easily recognized my mother's handwriting. He gave me a few of the photos, but I don't have any memory of when they were taken. In one photo, it shows that I definitely have some problem with my leg because it looks severely bowed.
He also brought a church bulletin for me. He is a faithful Christian and he thought I might like to attend church. He attends a Presbyterian Church. The church is over 100 years old. They have a service with English translation.
I had a meeting arranged to meet my Korean father at Social Welfare Society (SWS). The manager agreed to facilitate this meeting since my work schedule doesn't allow for a weekday meeting even though SWS is only open Monday thru Friday. Dr. Kim accompanied me to SWS because the location isn't too easy to find, but now I could find it, if I need.
I arrived at SWS and talked with the manager briefly. She asked if I had any questions, but I didn't know what to ask. After a little bit, she left and my father arrived. They talked in the other room and I waited nervously.
In a couple minutes, they entered the room. I didn't know what to say. My Korean father is quite tall. I would say that he is two or three inches taller than me. Now, he is about 60 years old and he looks very healthy. The manager said that it unusual for someone of his age to still be so tall.
He came over to me and greeted me. The first thing he did was check out my physical appearance. First, he felt my legs. He remembered that I had problems with my legs as a young child, so he had to make sure that they were okay. For those who don't know, I had problems with my legs and they were quite bowed as a child, especially my left leg.
We sat down and talked. The manager translated, so that we could communicate. He told me about the situation that was the reason for my twin and I to be adopted. He worked at a low level in a local government office and earned a small salary. My grandmother took care of us, but she fell ill when we almost three. He wasn't able to afford care for us and my grandmother wasn't able to take care of us.
Later, he told me what happened to my mother. When she was pregnant with David and I, the two mother-in-laws had many arguments and the two families were not in good relationships. My mother went to her parent's home to give birth. She stayed home for four months after we were born. At that point, she brought us to my father's home. Afterwards, my father didn't hear from my mother. The relationship was poor, so he decided to divorce her. The two families sued each other and it took one and a half years for the courts to resolve the issues.
He said that I could maybe search for my mother in ten years or so. He wouldn't mention any more details. In ten years, my mother should be about 65 years old and she would be retired. I don't know what I will do about it, but only time will tell.
He showed me pictures that he had kept. He had pictures from when we were two and three years old. Also, he had some photos from when my American parents sent some to the adoption agency. My mother had written a note to someone (can't remember the name), but I easily recognized my mother's handwriting. He gave me a few of the photos, but I don't have any memory of when they were taken. In one photo, it shows that I definitely have some problem with my leg because it looks severely bowed.
He also brought a church bulletin for me. He is a faithful Christian and he thought I might like to attend church. He attends a Presbyterian Church. The church is over 100 years old. They have a service with English translation.
My grandmother was an amazing lady. She was a very beautiful women. She attended Ewha Women's University. This university is 120 years old and a very prestigious university in Korea today. While attending, she was elected the "queen" of the university. My father said that she was very smart and beautiful. She took care of my brother and I from four months old to three years old. He said that we were very well behaved boys when my grandmother was present, but we would fight often when she was not. My father and grandmother also could not understand us some times because David and I had our own language. She had given us nicknames, but the translator could not translate them. He said that she loved us very much. My father said that she fell ill when we were three and passed away shortly after we were adopted.
He didn't mention a lot about his father or grandparents. He said that he had studied in Japan and had reached a quite high level in Judo (a form of martial arts). His father grew up on Jeju Island. Jeju Island is a very popular location because it has a sub-tropical climate. He had a good business on Jeju that did something with trading and going to Osaka, Japan and Qingdao, China. After the war, business changed, so my grandfather and grandmother moved to Seoul.
Most of my father's relatives live in or near Seoul. Next time we meet, he will introduce me to them. My father is an only child, but he has many cousins and other relatives. In one of the pictures, David and I are with my father's cousin's daughter. She would be about 40 years old. My father almost brought her along for the meeting since she speaks English, but decided not do it. She works for foreign company, so she and some other relatives will be able to translate the next time we meet.
He told me about his current situation. He remarried a couple years after giving us up because he was lonely. He thought hard about remarrying after his first marriage. He said that his wife may have an idea about my twin and I because he told the matchmaker. He thinks the matchmaker would have mentioned this to her. He never talked about it with his wife and she never talked about it. So, he isn't sure exactly. He said that he is considering to tell them, but I told him that he shouldn't feel pressured to tell them. He thought that his son, age 24, might be interested. His son always said that he wanted a brother or sister.
My half brother is fulfilling his military service. In Korea, all able bodied men ages 20-35 have to serve two years in a military branch. My half brother studied music at a university. I told my father that I didn't have any music ability and he laughed because he doesn't either. He said that his wife has musical talent and his son must have learned from her.
Overall, this was a great day. My father was quite relieved to know that David and I are doing well. I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet him. I am looking forward to the day that I can meet other relatives. I hope that is soon and I will have more pictures and stories.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Breakfast/ Father Update
Wednesday, January 10th,
Last weekend, I had very different breakfasts. Saturday, Mrs. Kim made breakfast because Dr. Kim had an early meeting. We had a traditional Korean breakfast with soup, rice, kimchi, and fish. Yep, I can't remember a time having fish before 9 AM. On Sunday, Dr. Kim made breakfast. He thinks that I should have a more westernized breakfast, so he prepared eggs, toast, cereal, juice, and coffee for me. I can only say that I really like both styles. Side note: Koreans eat similar foods for all three meals.
On Saturday, I went shopping. It was quite an adventure. I wanted to buy some teaching supplies and an iron. Dr. Kim has an iron, but it's the old-style with no steam. He had asked me before if I had any inconveniences, but I told him no, since I feared that he would go an buy an iron. I feel guilty having him provide everything, so I bought an iron the first chance I had. I went to a few different stores to find a suitable and cheap iron. I still spent a fair amount, but not as nice or much as my iron in the states. I also tried to find teaching supplies, but it was difficult to find the right store and bigger challenge finding similar products. I wanted to buy a basic folder, but there weren't any to be found. I did find ones that were suitable and quite nice. Overall, I had an exhausting day trying to find a few items.
On Tuesday, Dr. Kim informed me that a meeting was arranged. I will meet my biological father on Saturday at 11 AM. Dr. Kim will escort me to the adoption agency, but will not attend the reunion because he feels that my father will feel uncomfortable with another Korean. I am not sure how long the meeting will be, but Dr. Kim thinks that I will talk with my father for an hour or so and possibly go for lunch somewhere. The manager of the adoption agency is making special arrangements since my teaching schedule. The agency is normally closed on weekends, but the manager will come in on Saturday and also will be my interpretor. It is only unfortunate that my twin brother, David, will not be here to meet our father.
Last weekend, I had very different breakfasts. Saturday, Mrs. Kim made breakfast because Dr. Kim had an early meeting. We had a traditional Korean breakfast with soup, rice, kimchi, and fish. Yep, I can't remember a time having fish before 9 AM. On Sunday, Dr. Kim made breakfast. He thinks that I should have a more westernized breakfast, so he prepared eggs, toast, cereal, juice, and coffee for me. I can only say that I really like both styles. Side note: Koreans eat similar foods for all three meals.
On Saturday, I went shopping. It was quite an adventure. I wanted to buy some teaching supplies and an iron. Dr. Kim has an iron, but it's the old-style with no steam. He had asked me before if I had any inconveniences, but I told him no, since I feared that he would go an buy an iron. I feel guilty having him provide everything, so I bought an iron the first chance I had. I went to a few different stores to find a suitable and cheap iron. I still spent a fair amount, but not as nice or much as my iron in the states. I also tried to find teaching supplies, but it was difficult to find the right store and bigger challenge finding similar products. I wanted to buy a basic folder, but there weren't any to be found. I did find ones that were suitable and quite nice. Overall, I had an exhausting day trying to find a few items.
On Tuesday, Dr. Kim informed me that a meeting was arranged. I will meet my biological father on Saturday at 11 AM. Dr. Kim will escort me to the adoption agency, but will not attend the reunion because he feels that my father will feel uncomfortable with another Korean. I am not sure how long the meeting will be, but Dr. Kim thinks that I will talk with my father for an hour or so and possibly go for lunch somewhere. The manager of the adoption agency is making special arrangements since my teaching schedule. The agency is normally closed on weekends, but the manager will come in on Saturday and also will be my interpretor. It is only unfortunate that my twin brother, David, will not be here to meet our father.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
First Week
Saturday, January 6th
Well, the first week of teaching is over. I tried to keep the lessons interesting, but it proved to be a challenge. With classes being two hours, it is difficult to keep the attention of the students for the whole time. Attendance is only so-so because January is winter break and most students have better things to do. A few students have already skipped a few classes, but I do have a few very dedicated students. I think that enrollment is set and I will have classes with 10, 11, and 3 students. Teaching is definitely more work than six hours of class time. If you consider preparation, waiting and subway, I am spending about 12+/weekday. It would definitely be easier if I lived closer to work like the other teachers. I would have a little more difficulty with some things because I would need to find housing.
Housing in Korea uses a very different system than the US. Many times apartments will need "Key" money for the apartment. This amounts to 3000-10,000 dollars. After, there is a small monthly payment. I guess that some apartments are available like in the US with a smaller deposit and larger monthly rent, but there are fewer options.
After work on Friday, Dr. Kim talked to me when I arrived home. He said that SWS contacted him. He said that the manager of SWS contacted my biological father. He still works as a public servant in Seoul. He is remarried and has a son. His son is completing his mandatory Army service (two years). Dr. Kim said that his wife doesn't know about Dave and I. Dr. Kim will call SWS and try to arrange a meeting for next Saturday. I am guessing that the meeting will be a one time chance, but a great opportunity.
Well, the first week of teaching is over. I tried to keep the lessons interesting, but it proved to be a challenge. With classes being two hours, it is difficult to keep the attention of the students for the whole time. Attendance is only so-so because January is winter break and most students have better things to do. A few students have already skipped a few classes, but I do have a few very dedicated students. I think that enrollment is set and I will have classes with 10, 11, and 3 students. Teaching is definitely more work than six hours of class time. If you consider preparation, waiting and subway, I am spending about 12+/weekday. It would definitely be easier if I lived closer to work like the other teachers. I would have a little more difficulty with some things because I would need to find housing.
Housing in Korea uses a very different system than the US. Many times apartments will need "Key" money for the apartment. This amounts to 3000-10,000 dollars. After, there is a small monthly payment. I guess that some apartments are available like in the US with a smaller deposit and larger monthly rent, but there are fewer options.
After work on Friday, Dr. Kim talked to me when I arrived home. He said that SWS contacted him. He said that the manager of SWS contacted my biological father. He still works as a public servant in Seoul. He is remarried and has a son. His son is completing his mandatory Army service (two years). Dr. Kim said that his wife doesn't know about Dave and I. Dr. Kim will call SWS and try to arrange a meeting for next Saturday. I am guessing that the meeting will be a one time chance, but a great opportunity.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Start of Class
Tuesday, January 2nd
Tuesday was a very crazy and busy day. I started with getting to Pagoda by subway, which takes me an hour. It is fairly easy because I only need to transfer subway trains once and it is a short walk from the station. After arriving, I meet with a manager to get settled, get a locker, copier access log-in, and try to print out my papers. It was very hectic since many of the students are still trying to register and all of the teachers are trying to get prepared for their classes. January is winter break for all of the students, so this month is the busiest month when more students will enroll in class. I also found out that each month only has 20 class periods. I didn't hear about that in training, but I had my suspicions because February is shorter and how do you teach the same amount of information. I had a challenge trying to figure out if I would have to make a test or if there would be a standardized test.
My first class was from 12pm-2pm. I taught Power Training, which is a little more advanced than Basic Training, but still a low-intermediate level class. I have 6 students in the course, which I am excited because it will be easier to interact, but still allow for group work. The class went fairly well. My second class is at 5pm-7pm. This class had 11 students. The class was very shy and nervous, so I had some difficulties with getting them to respond. I hope that the class will get over the shock as class continues. My last class of the day is 7-9pm. With this time, I had my first major problem with two other teachers and it eventually hit the administrative level. Two teachers asked me to switch classes, but there excuse for switching seemed very poor. I didn't know what to do and I was only given time between classes (10 min) to decide what to do. I knew that this would prove to be a challenge because I would need roster changes and other things. I eventually found out that the other teachers didn't get approval to swap, but I ended up changing any way. My last class started with only 1 student which was really nice. To finish the day, I hopped back on the subway for an hour.
Tuesday was a very crazy and busy day. I started with getting to Pagoda by subway, which takes me an hour. It is fairly easy because I only need to transfer subway trains once and it is a short walk from the station. After arriving, I meet with a manager to get settled, get a locker, copier access log-in, and try to print out my papers. It was very hectic since many of the students are still trying to register and all of the teachers are trying to get prepared for their classes. January is winter break for all of the students, so this month is the busiest month when more students will enroll in class. I also found out that each month only has 20 class periods. I didn't hear about that in training, but I had my suspicions because February is shorter and how do you teach the same amount of information. I had a challenge trying to figure out if I would have to make a test or if there would be a standardized test.
My first class was from 12pm-2pm. I taught Power Training, which is a little more advanced than Basic Training, but still a low-intermediate level class. I have 6 students in the course, which I am excited because it will be easier to interact, but still allow for group work. The class went fairly well. My second class is at 5pm-7pm. This class had 11 students. The class was very shy and nervous, so I had some difficulties with getting them to respond. I hope that the class will get over the shock as class continues. My last class of the day is 7-9pm. With this time, I had my first major problem with two other teachers and it eventually hit the administrative level. Two teachers asked me to switch classes, but there excuse for switching seemed very poor. I didn't know what to do and I was only given time between classes (10 min) to decide what to do. I knew that this would prove to be a challenge because I would need roster changes and other things. I eventually found out that the other teachers didn't get approval to swap, but I ended up changing any way. My last class started with only 1 student which was really nice. To finish the day, I hopped back on the subway for an hour.
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Preparation
Sunday, December 31st
I went to church with Dr. Kim. I am starting remember many of the faces at church, but Korean names are still challenging me. If they have an English name or surname of Kim, Lee, or Park, I seem to be able to remember the person's name, but all others are forgotten. Dr. Kim translated again and I tried to follow along. After service, I ate lunch with the university students. They had a variety of majors and were 18-25 years old. It was quite interesting to have a conversation since most were quite shy when trying to speak in English.
During lunch, a man visited my table and gave me a gift. He thought that he should get something for me after listening to the sermon. While we were eating, he went to a bookstore. He bought me "A Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (English version). I actually purchased the book in US from a recommendation from the CEO's wife of Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Ltd in Shanghai, China. I read a few chapters in the book, but never kept up with the daily readings. I guess the Lord has chosen to give me another chance to finish the book. Even though I have been visiting or living in China/Korea where Christianity isn't as widespread, I have been placed within communities where Christianity is quite prevalent.
Monday, January 1st
I spent most of the day trying to prepare my syllabi and course outlines for my Basic Training and Power Training classes that I will start on Tuesday. What a challenge to figure out what I will do for a whole months worth of teaching from books that I have never used.
I went to church with Dr. Kim. I am starting remember many of the faces at church, but Korean names are still challenging me. If they have an English name or surname of Kim, Lee, or Park, I seem to be able to remember the person's name, but all others are forgotten. Dr. Kim translated again and I tried to follow along. After service, I ate lunch with the university students. They had a variety of majors and were 18-25 years old. It was quite interesting to have a conversation since most were quite shy when trying to speak in English.
During lunch, a man visited my table and gave me a gift. He thought that he should get something for me after listening to the sermon. While we were eating, he went to a bookstore. He bought me "A Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren (English version). I actually purchased the book in US from a recommendation from the CEO's wife of Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Ltd in Shanghai, China. I read a few chapters in the book, but never kept up with the daily readings. I guess the Lord has chosen to give me another chance to finish the book. Even though I have been visiting or living in China/Korea where Christianity isn't as widespread, I have been placed within communities where Christianity is quite prevalent.
Monday, January 1st
I spent most of the day trying to prepare my syllabi and course outlines for my Basic Training and Power Training classes that I will start on Tuesday. What a challenge to figure out what I will do for a whole months worth of teaching from books that I have never used.
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