In the Classroom

So what's it like teaching middle school kids in Korea? Well, it's awesome! Out of the 17 different classes I teach I love 16 of them and only want to strangle one of them. I count myself lucky because that is not the case for everyone.
Each class is very different, but in general, the grades are fairly similar to each other. Let's start at Samgye Middle School. All my grade one's (grade seven) are extremely well behaved. I think that's in part to my wonferful co-teacher who won't tolerate bad behaviour. All three classes of grade one's listen carefully and even without me asking, repeat anything I read off of the power point. I also have the privilage of reading the thoughts of these students. My grade one's write in a diary for ten minutes each time I teach them (once a week). I then read these diaries and correct the grammar and spelling. Some kids write a lot, others write very little. It all depends on their English level. However, these kids don't hid anything which makes my marking quite interesting. For instance, during the first weeks I read about how pretty and nice I was (by the way, they know that I read these). Recently I read the diary of one girl who talked about how it was her last class with me because her family was moving away. (students come and go quite frequently in my school since 3/4 of them are from military families and move according to their father's posts). Last week I read about a students house that burned down over the weekend. Pretty much every kid wrote about that. I also learned that I looked much prettier that day than usual. Though the student didn't forget to mention that I always looked pretty, just prettier that day. They really know how to boost your confidence!
My grade two's (grade eight) are a completely different story. They have way too much energy! I was warned about teaching second grade because they're not first graders who just entered middle school and are still easily frightened and they're not third graders who have many exams to study for and so listen. These kids are insane! But a good kind of insane. My co-teacher for my four grade two classes is the sweetest woman ever. I've mentioned her before because we do stuff outside school together. That's right, Cindy. This is Cindy's first year teaching and she's not like most Korean teachers who quite willingly hit the students for getting out of line. I usually plan my grade two classes so that the kids aren't sitting and listening to me the whole class or just doing worksheets. They wouldn't be able to concentrate if I did that. These kids all try hard though and always want to try and impress me.
Grade three (grade nine). What can I say about these kids except that they are my favourite kids to teach! That's saying a lot too because I have fun in all my classes. The grade three's at Samgye are so much fun and are quite hilarious. All three classes have at least a few students who like to joke around with me and keep the class interesting. Last Friday we were talking about a whole bunch of different countries around the world and I had them trying to name flags from many different countries. I was really impressed with how many countries they knew. They knew pretty much every single flag and if they didn't know, it was because there are similar flags. In the middle of the activity I had the flags of France, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and then Russia. For those of you who know, they are all very similar. Especially the Netherlands and Luxemburg who only differ by the shade of blue. Well, first came France and they all knew it. Then for the Netherlands many thought it was Russia. When I told every group they were wrong, they started to realize I was making this difficult for them. Then when Luxemburgs flag came up, every single class looked at me like I was crazy. It was so funny to see their expressions when they realized those were different flags! then they were all certain the second flag was Russia. Which is wasn't. One boy was so convinced I was lying that he told me I was wrong because the smartest boy in the class said that it was Russia. When I finally showed Russia's flag the kids were so confused! The same boy says "ohhhhh!!! that one is Russia!" I just laughed and shrugged and he goes " ohhh! I know it's Russia, I see it on your face!". (Apparently I still haven't learned to mask anything on my face!). Needless to say, the class went over very well. Unfortunately, since my grade three classes are on Friday's, class was cancelled for Chuseok, were cancelled today for school midterms, and are cancelled in two weeks for a school field trip! The following week I may be going to this volunteer camp from Friday to Sunday in which I would again miss my grade threes! Sadly they are also all graduating come February. Good thing the high school is one the same property because then I'll still get to see those kids!
At my other two schools it's much different stories. At Sameso, my grade ones are so eager to learn! One little boy keeps trying to convince me games are the only way to learn English. The girls on the other hand randomly throw out comments about how they want my body which then temporarily makes me forget what I was teaching because they say it in the middle of me talking. Usually when they say stuff like that though, they just mean they want to be as tall as me or want my nose. Don't get me started on that! Grade two at Sameso is also a lot of fun. Their English isn't the greatest, but they're fun nonetheless. The girls work hard and the boys just keep telling me it's too hard and thus can't do the assignment. What they haven't seemed to learn yet is that I won't let that get them out of finishing the assignment and will sit next to them until they finish the sheet if I have to. I'm beginning to think they're just saying that SO THAT I'll sit there and make them finish it! Grade three is fun as well. Their English is worse than grade one and twos, but they are a funny bunch and make the class interesting.
Sinheung middle school is my least favourite school, but that's not saying much because I still love that school as well. The grade ones listen, the grade three's don't understand a word I say so we usually end up laughing over how no one understands anything I just said, and the grade twos....those grade twos. I can't stand them! The boys don't know much English and so don't talk. Half the girls are too shy to even look at me when I talk to them and the other half of the girls have formed a posse and if they could enshrine me in their school I am sure they would. They follow me everywhere and ask me a million questions about myself. What's the problem you say? well, when I'm trying to teach they keep changing the subject. I ask, ok, answer this question, they say, teacher, is your brother ever going to come to Korea ?(yes, they are in love with Andrew). I say, no he's not. Answer the question. what's your favourite music teacher? we went over this last week. Answer the question. It's like pulling teeth just to get them to focus on the lesson! I don't mind talking about it outside class, but inside class just gets me. One girl is the leader girl and she takes that roll seriously. It doesn't help that there's a love triangle going on between two grade two girls and the only grade three boy (this is the school with 24 students total). Oh the drama of 13 year olds!

Quite frequently my kids try to convince me their friends are crazy and they're the only one worth talking too. It's cute to see really. One little boy will pass me in the hall and then turn around and walk backwards just to look at me as he walks away. I'm not sure if I should be creeped out or not...
There's also my extra class that I teach on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. There's only eight students - four girls, four boys. The girls are so eager, the boys like to sleep. Unless we're watching a movie or doing some sort of riddle. They love those! Last class two of the boys came up to me with long sad faces telling me about the midterms they were writing this thursday and friday and if they could please use class time to study. I'm pretty sure these kids have learned how to get to me because I agreed. Though I did make them ask me in proper English sentences before I said yes. What they didn't know was that I knew about the exams and planned for them to play games and eat brownies I made so that they wound't have to think too much. So while the boys studied the girls and I talked about tons of stuff. Like how they all want my nose. In Korea, all the girls want western noses. They hate their noses. I spent a good fifteen minutes telling them that they didn't need plastic surgury to get better noses. I'm not sure they were convinced though. I did learn with my grade ones that if they had a million dollars (yes, they all learned the song "if I had a million dollars" that class and I am now singing it in my sleep) all the girls would get plastic surgury to fix their noses. So I spend my time telling them not to get it.

I'm sure I could remember many other funny stories in my classes. I have at least one or two hilarious moments ever day, but I am coming down with a cold right now and I just don't feel like thinking anymore. I need to go to bed. I picked up drugs at the drug store, but I have no idea what the guy gave me or if it will even work for the symptoms I have. I just acted out being sick and he gave me some stuff. So far it's not working because I feel worse. Even though I am sick though, I can still gloat that it is beautiful and warm weather here and I'm hearing it is not only snowing in Saskatchewan, but Hamilton as well! Suckers!