Back to Real Life

Ahhh a the beginning of a new school year. A time when the leaves are changing, and there's that crisp taste of fall hanging in the air. Or in Korea's case, a time for chilly weather that causes you to grumble to yourself for forgetting your umbrella- again, as it pours rain outside. March showers bring April flowers? My seasonal clock is so out of wack.

Despite all the changes that have turned my working life upside this semester, my week so far is going much better than expected.

It all started when I got back from vacation and called my co-teacher, In Seong, like she had asked me to. Figured I might find out some ideas of what the schedule would be like for the coming week, or some crazy idea like that. Planning ahead in Korea, *pffft* who am I kidding? I certainly did not expect what was about to come out of her mouth though- she was moving! And not just moving schools, she was moving over 2 hours away to a small island somewhere- and apparently only found this out 2 1/2 weeks beforehand. Can you even imagine? Not even 3 weeks to pick up your life and your kids and shove them off to a new town. I found our later it was her husband's turn to teach on one of the islands, so she got transferred as well. Since there are so many islands a rural areas here in Korea, elementary school teachers HAVE to rotate schools every 8 years (high school teachers every 4). If they didn't do this, they would have no one to teach the kids living out on the islands, since the only people really living there are fisherman. She shouldn't have been leaving my school for another 7 years yet... but there you have it.

The good news that she did have to tell me was that I would be working with a new English speaking co-teacher, who would also be teaching WITH me! Team teaching in a Korean class- my prayers have been answered! As much as I love elementary- not being able to speak Korean is quite the barrier between my students and I. It also prevents me from doing any fun activity that requires even a moderate amount of explanation- and so I thought I would be left forever with only my fantasies about how much smoother classes would be with someone there to translate.

Her name is Theresa. Theresa is probably in her late 40s, a single woman who has travelled in over 40 countries. Already I love her :) She just came from working 16 years at an "EnglishTown" program in Gwangju, has written and presented on a variety of topics involving elementary English for other teachers, and even wrote 4 books on the subject last year. She's studied English in the US and Canada for a total of 3 years, has played piano for 20 years, and also loves hiking, photography, and long walks on the beach.... hahahaaa. Ok, so clearly I'm laying it on thick here! What can I say, I'm impressed. If only I could find a man with these qualities- haha ;) I'm really excited to be working with someone with so much great experience though. My year has taken a new turn I never saw coming- it's like I'm starting all over again- but in a fresh and new kind of way. Better yet, she's already started giving me some Korean lessons with a workbook. YES!

There is a reason for this strong English-infusion. The principal has said explicitly that English is his #1 priority at the school this year, and so the never-used English room upstairs is being given to Theresa to use to teach grade 6. She's been hired to teach only English at my school, in addition to 3 other Koreans, each assigned to the other grades, 3-5. Same goes for Pundeok Elementary, where a new full-time Korean-English teacher has also been hired! To go from teaching solo in utter cluelessness, to now teaching only grades 5 and 6, with 3 different Koreans? sheesh- what an overhaul! We'll see how it goes- so far I've only taught with Ms. Young at Pundeok. We did our lesson on the fly today, since I wasn't told about her either until last night, but with all things considered I think it went pretty well!

My firsts 3 days back to work at Yun Hyang were slow- with the Monday back being the opening ceremony of the year and classes just getting started, there's not much for an English teacher to do. The opening ceremony was interesting- all of the students gathered together in rows on the soccer field below the front steps, where the prinicpal and vice pricipal stood infront of grand speakers and a podium. There they spoke for a while in Korean, and then introduced the group of new teachers at the school, who each took a step forward with a bow as their names were called. With lots more talking and bowing by teachers and students, the students later sang the national anthem as well as their school song. What a nice way to start the year!

As for me- I spent my time coughing and sniffling my through the proceedings, and later continued infront of my computer in the office. Around 2:00, after getting back from the lunch I couldn't taste, the vice principal came over to me and said, "Pst, hey you go home. No class." Really? Because there are plenty of days when there is no class and I'm still here until 5:00. Another teacher piped in and said "We think you should go to hospital," by which they mean the doctor. They just have a dramatic way of saying things. Even though I know the doctor is just going to give me a bunch of pills in little individually wrapped packages and send me on my way, I figured I'd better go since I'd been battling a cold in one form or another since I got into Vietnam over a week before. You really can't complain when the waiting times are virtually non-existant... I was in and out of the doctor AND the pharmacy in less than 20 minutes! It still gets me every time- how can they do that here while we wait 1-2+ hours in Canada??

Tuesday was much the same with some lesson planning and a little bit of emailing thrown in. Wednesday was very productive as Theresa decided we'd get a head start on making lesson materials, and so we busted out the colour printer, paper cutter, and laminator! 3 items which I've found out are the keys to an old Korean principal's heart :) He was so impressed! Credit owed entirely to her, but he still told me I was doing very hard work as I sat lifting that spring loaded blade over the large colourful flash cards. When he's happy, we're happy!