One Short Week for Jeremy, One Giant Leap for... ?
Trip Start
Aug 30, 2005
1
14
49
Trip End
Aug 29, 2006
Jochiwon,
Korea Rep.
Monday, September 26, 2005
I offically started teaching last week on Tuesday - but I still can't help but feel like a bit of a fraud. Now I say this because, first I am not a licensed teacher and second because I have little to no idea what I am doing. The first lesson went off quite well for the majority of classes, witha few exceptions. I just can't help the feeling of a hooker being pimped-out. With seven schools I feel like nomad, wandering aimlessly trying to aid children in an effor to learn English that is at times a joke. For instance, at Jochiwon Boy (& Girls) Middle Schools there are nine Grade 7 classes - I see these students eveery 3 weeks. Then there are the expectations of conducting several types of lesson plans to both middle and elementary school students. Most of the time I can get away with 3 or 4 lesson plans a week, but with elementary Grade 3 students they don't even understand what I am saying. It can be awfully interesting at times. Some schools want me to follow books, others want me to be original - thus it can also be confusing. All week it was a real rollercoaster of emtion, sometimes I felt great other times like I had been kicked in the head.
In addtion they told me that several people from Canada would be dropping in to make observations in my class this week - I think I may have mentioned this in previous blogs. Apparently the number attending is up to about 15; AHHHH, they seem to think I am a real teacher! If nothing else, my first week gave me a new respect for teachers!
Aside from the lamenting about the fluidity (by that I mean organized chaos) of the Korean public school system, it was also a good week. I had Monday off, because of the national holiday of Chuseok (Thanksgiving), with some good R&R and delicious donated food. Then Friday was a school field trip, which I watched another Korean movie "Family Crisis" which was really quite funny... even though I still have no idea what they are saying. As well we attended a mathematics festival at the University in Chung-ju; I had a distinct feeling the University students were stalking me through the exhibition. No really! They kept harassing me to play their math games, which I was very bad at I might say. They also had a video camera, that magically appeared everytime I stopped - like a papparazzi. After that the students proceeded to get as wet as possible before the bus ride home in the University fountain.
On Saturday we went to the Korean equivalent of Disneyland - sort of. I am taking out my ass here, as I have never actually been to Disneyland (or Disneyworld) but I would say it is similar in that it has rides. And creepy characters of all sorts. Which is a segway into my next subject: The Name. Everland. Now in Korea this sounds awfully close to "Neverland" when said to you after only a few weeks in the country. So Jeremy of course can't think about the book Peter Pan, noooooo, I think about Michael Jacksons' ranch. I thought to myself: "Who the hell would name a place after MJ's ranch?" So I start to conjure up a whole host of gruesome thoughts. Needless to say this was cleared up for me before we proceeded to goto Everland, as I thought it an essential detail. Overall it was my first real amusement park encounter since I was about 10, at Callaway Park near Calgary - so it was a real treat. I wouild say judging from my experience it was probably more a 6 Flags-type setup, than Disneyland. I did several rounds on a ride I like to call the 'Vomitor' or properly known as the 'Double Rock Spin' - it spins you in the air backwards and forwards several times, rightside up and upside down. I also had a cariturature done with the boy of the family whom hosted me - I must say it is quite good. We went on a safari and watched the fireworks to top the night off. I did have a blast, but after 16 hours I was bloody tired! So I slept most of Sunday and did laundry and dishes - yeah!
Today I started full week two, the morning was rough with the Grade 3 and 4 students - but onto Rome I go! Plus this weekend is a long one and I am off to Seoul. Should have some good stories by then.
Until next!
