Hello all,
I'm just stopping by to say hey and yes I am still alive - I'll probably end up editing this entry again later and adding more news, but I just don't have the time right now.
So don't fret! I will update again soon when I have some more time - this week is report cards week so I'm busy trying to fill in all the test scores and stuff. bleah.......
September 10 2009
|
Waaah I am so relieved its almost the weekend. This week seemed to CRAWL by (especially considering my middle school class >.<) so I am happy that tomorrow is Friday. I'm also planning on seeing the long-awaited "9" movie tomorrow so I'm pumped for that. Hooray!
August 26 2009
|
I said goodbye to my MWF classes today. Even though I was in a surprisingly good mood today, I still felt really sad to be losing these students.
After spending the better part of the last 6 months with these students, you really develop a bond with most of them, so it was harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye to them as their teacher. Of course, I'll still see most of them in the hallways so it's not terrible, just.........different.
Today I took a whole bunch of pictures with my camera - yep I'm bringing it out of storage! - but I don't think I'll be sharing them on this blog. Safety issues.
Ah well, change is hard but I've got to get ready for my new classes starting this Friday. I've already been told that I'm getting at least one awesome class from my friend Chris - he told me that they're great workers and really fun, so I'm looking forward to that class. I just hope my other classes will be much easier for me to handle compared to the classes I started out with in March.
Tomorrow is the last day for 4 of our teachers and already I'm starting to feel a little sad! They will definitely be missed, especially since they've done a lot for this campus and its students. I wonder what will happen to this school once they leave...
Anyways, its late and I should really sleep. Insomnia - and not the Craig David song (which I love by the way) - is not a kind friend...
After spending the better part of the last 6 months with these students, you really develop a bond with most of them, so it was harder than I thought it would be to say goodbye to them as their teacher. Of course, I'll still see most of them in the hallways so it's not terrible, just.........different.
Today I took a whole bunch of pictures with my camera - yep I'm bringing it out of storage! - but I don't think I'll be sharing them on this blog. Safety issues.
Ah well, change is hard but I've got to get ready for my new classes starting this Friday. I've already been told that I'm getting at least one awesome class from my friend Chris - he told me that they're great workers and really fun, so I'm looking forward to that class. I just hope my other classes will be much easier for me to handle compared to the classes I started out with in March.
Tomorrow is the last day for 4 of our teachers and already I'm starting to feel a little sad! They will definitely be missed, especially since they've done a lot for this campus and its students. I wonder what will happen to this school once they leave...
Anyways, its late and I should really sleep. Insomnia - and not the Craig David song (which I love by the way) - is not a kind friend...
Aug 22 2009
|
Alright.
Let's get this going again. >.<
It's been such a long time since I've updated, though I do have some good reasons why I have been MIA. This last month has been crazy busy since our school has what are called Intensive classes every January and August. (This is because Korean kids are off from school during these months so they often sign up for extra classes at school so they can advance to a higher level much faster than usual).
The Intensives classes vary for each campus and we had about 8 or 9 different classes for this month. Depending on the class you taught, on an intensive class day you'd work from 8:30am (planning time 8:30-9:00am) to 8pm, with only one 2hr break for lunch and some more planning time - needless to say those days were exhausting. I had an intensive class day twice a week (Tues/Thurs) so it wasn't too tiring, and I actually really enjoyed my class. I taught a speech class, and I had about 7 students in all. Most of them were awesome - really sweet and hardworking, which made my job so much easier! Yesterday was the last class, so I had my students choose a country to research for homework and then make a poster and speech to present to the class. I'm a little sad that the class is finished, but I will be teaching 2 students from that class when I get my new schedule for September/October/November.
This coming week is the last few days of teaching for 4 teachers at our campus, and I will be sad to see them to go. It's kind of weird to go from seeing someone every weekday (and sometimes on the weekends) and then not seeing them again - sort of the same feeling I had when I first came here. We are getting 2 new full time teachers and 1 part time teacher, so hopefully the school will still run smoothly :)
I've also been joining Clara and Hyunjin and Heebeom at their UBF church in Sinchon, Seoul - and the people there are so amazing and welcoming! The service is all in Korean, but for the sermon they have a translator at the back that I can listen to as the preacher is speaking (both Clara and I use the translator). Tomorrow, I'm going to check out a church in Suwon (a lot closer, and it has English), just to see what its like. :)
When I figure out and organize the pictures I have taken so far, I promise to upload them ASAP. Right now I'm gonna go make me some delicious dinner.
Let's get this going again. >.<
It's been such a long time since I've updated, though I do have some good reasons why I have been MIA. This last month has been crazy busy since our school has what are called Intensive classes every January and August. (This is because Korean kids are off from school during these months so they often sign up for extra classes at school so they can advance to a higher level much faster than usual).
The Intensives classes vary for each campus and we had about 8 or 9 different classes for this month. Depending on the class you taught, on an intensive class day you'd work from 8:30am (planning time 8:30-9:00am) to 8pm, with only one 2hr break for lunch and some more planning time - needless to say those days were exhausting. I had an intensive class day twice a week (Tues/Thurs) so it wasn't too tiring, and I actually really enjoyed my class. I taught a speech class, and I had about 7 students in all. Most of them were awesome - really sweet and hardworking, which made my job so much easier! Yesterday was the last class, so I had my students choose a country to research for homework and then make a poster and speech to present to the class. I'm a little sad that the class is finished, but I will be teaching 2 students from that class when I get my new schedule for September/October/November.
This coming week is the last few days of teaching for 4 teachers at our campus, and I will be sad to see them to go. It's kind of weird to go from seeing someone every weekday (and sometimes on the weekends) and then not seeing them again - sort of the same feeling I had when I first came here. We are getting 2 new full time teachers and 1 part time teacher, so hopefully the school will still run smoothly :)
I've also been joining Clara and Hyunjin and Heebeom at their UBF church in Sinchon, Seoul - and the people there are so amazing and welcoming! The service is all in Korean, but for the sermon they have a translator at the back that I can listen to as the preacher is speaking (both Clara and I use the translator). Tomorrow, I'm going to check out a church in Suwon (a lot closer, and it has English), just to see what its like. :)
When I figure out and organize the pictures I have taken so far, I promise to upload them ASAP. Right now I'm gonna go make me some delicious dinner.
July 3 2009
|
hehehehehehehehehehe
so...............I know what you're thinking...
Jessica is the biggest flake on earth for not updating her blog earlier.
Yes, I admit that my being MIA makes me seem a little unreliable, but really I honestly have been so busy this past month that it's hard for me to sit down and write out what's been happening here every day or week.
I can't believe how quickly June went by; I guess my parents were right when they told my that time seems to go by so much faster with every year you grow older. I made it through some very nerve-wracking parent teacher interviews at the end of the month, and some open classes (parents of student come in for about 30 minutes to sit in and watch you teach - that's even worse than parent teacher interviews).
I really loved seeing Sarah and Carleigh for the last week in June; honestly it was something I was looking forward to for such a long time. Even though they seemed a little tired from their travels in Japan, still we tried to do a few things to give them a taste of Korean culture - museums, Korean BBQ, noraebang, and of course the wonders of soju. ;D My students really liked meeting them too; even though they were really quiet when they met them, they still ask me how they are doing!
And now we're into July - Happy Belated Canada Day! I actually made little decorations on my board and gave a quick explanation/history lesson about how old Canada is and when it was first created to all my classes that day. A true patriot :)
I'm getting ready for my intensives classes that I have to teach next month - that means that on top of my regular afternoon classes I have to teach twice a week from 9am to 12pm. The plus is that I will get paid overtime, but the obvious downside is that I'm going to be unbelievable exhausted each day and will have to catch up on marking on the weekends. However, I do get to decide my own schedule for my particular class (which is speaking class) so I can think of some creative ways for students to practice speaking and making speeches.
Ok, well that's it for now. I'm really going to try to do better with this and update on a regular basis. I love you all and miss you so so so much!
so...............I know what you're thinking...
Jessica is the biggest flake on earth for not updating her blog earlier.
Yes, I admit that my being MIA makes me seem a little unreliable, but really I honestly have been so busy this past month that it's hard for me to sit down and write out what's been happening here every day or week.
I can't believe how quickly June went by; I guess my parents were right when they told my that time seems to go by so much faster with every year you grow older. I made it through some very nerve-wracking parent teacher interviews at the end of the month, and some open classes (parents of student come in for about 30 minutes to sit in and watch you teach - that's even worse than parent teacher interviews).
I really loved seeing Sarah and Carleigh for the last week in June; honestly it was something I was looking forward to for such a long time. Even though they seemed a little tired from their travels in Japan, still we tried to do a few things to give them a taste of Korean culture - museums, Korean BBQ, noraebang, and of course the wonders of soju. ;D My students really liked meeting them too; even though they were really quiet when they met them, they still ask me how they are doing!
And now we're into July - Happy Belated Canada Day! I actually made little decorations on my board and gave a quick explanation/history lesson about how old Canada is and when it was first created to all my classes that day. A true patriot :)
I'm getting ready for my intensives classes that I have to teach next month - that means that on top of my regular afternoon classes I have to teach twice a week from 9am to 12pm. The plus is that I will get paid overtime, but the obvious downside is that I'm going to be unbelievable exhausted each day and will have to catch up on marking on the weekends. However, I do get to decide my own schedule for my particular class (which is speaking class) so I can think of some creative ways for students to practice speaking and making speeches.
Ok, well that's it for now. I'm really going to try to do better with this and update on a regular basis. I love you all and miss you so so so much!
May 22, 2009
|
Hey,
This is just a quick post before class - I know, I have been totally MIA for the last couple of weeks. This week was a little rough, so I'm glad that its finally the weekend (well, almost)! Tonight I'm going to see the new Terminator movie with some other teachers (Dad, this one is for you and your fandom of the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv. show). Tomorrow I'm thinking of going into to Itaewon in Seoul to meet up with Jenn and visit the Korean War memorial. Jenn tells me t is one of the most unforgettable experiences to have while in Korea, so I'm really looking forward to it. Afterwards we're probably going to the 63rd building (Hannah, Clara - Yes, we are going because of My Girl hahaha) with another Korean friend of Jenn's - Jinsun. She's super sweet and she was the one that took us to see King Sejong's tomb a couple of weekends ago.
I'm really going to try to keep updating this blog - I don't want it to become another thing that I forget to do... PLease Leavce me some comments!! I like them a lot!!
This is just a quick post before class - I know, I have been totally MIA for the last couple of weeks. This week was a little rough, so I'm glad that its finally the weekend (well, almost)! Tonight I'm going to see the new Terminator movie with some other teachers (Dad, this one is for you and your fandom of the Sarah Connor Chronicles tv. show). Tomorrow I'm thinking of going into to Itaewon in Seoul to meet up with Jenn and visit the Korean War memorial. Jenn tells me t is one of the most unforgettable experiences to have while in Korea, so I'm really looking forward to it. Afterwards we're probably going to the 63rd building (Hannah, Clara - Yes, we are going because of My Girl hahaha) with another Korean friend of Jenn's - Jinsun. She's super sweet and she was the one that took us to see King Sejong's tomb a couple of weekends ago.
I'm really going to try to keep updating this blog - I don't want it to become another thing that I forget to do... PLease Leavce me some comments!! I like them a lot!!
May 5 2009
|
Hey!
I just got back from a weekend trip to Japan with another friend from Canada, and I absolutely loved it! Amazingly, this trip was planned and organized only a couple of days before we flew out - we hadn't decided if we were even going to leave on Saturday morning until Thursday night! We only toured around Tokyo, but it is a huge city and I don't think we would have had time for anything else.
Our first day we arrived in Tokyo at around 11:00 and found a hostel/hotel to stay at in Ueno. That afternoon we spent walking around that district and explored the HUGE park just a 15-10 minute walk away from our hostel. The scenery there was gorgeous, lots of towering trees and lots of small and large Shinto shrines everywhere. We met an old man who had been writing some poetry and talked with him for a little bit, then wandered down to a market area to sample some Japanese noodles and CREPES mmmmmmmm. Later that night we took the subway to Ginza, after hearing that it was a popular place to go, but there wasn't really much to see except shopping.
P.S. - Japan = RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE FOR FOREIGNERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
The next day (Sunday) we woke up bright and early and visited the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park - lots of pictures from there too - and then spent part of the afternoon in central tokyo to see the Imperial Palace gardens. When we were walking toward the gate for the gardens we were approached by 4 college girls who wanted to show us around and practice having English conversations. The gardens were beautiful too, and the girls were telling us what buildings used to be what, and we got their email addresses to write to them too! Then we traveled up to Shibuya terminal - Carleigh, I immediately thought of you and Jet Set Radio Future when we were walking around here (I tried to go to Dogenzaka Hill, but it was waaay on the other side of the district). In Shibuya and the area of Harajuku there was some good shopping there and interesting sights to see, like the nightlife character of Tokyo. To finish the day off, we headed back into central Tokyo to visit the Tokyo Tower, which looks like the Eiffel Tower (actually it stands taller) and take a 360 degree look at Tokyo city. Breathtaking.
Our last full day we went to the Ueno Zoo in the morning and since it was a holiday in Japan a lot of places were free, including this one. The only problem was that it was ridiculously crowded and after about an hour or so we were so annoyed with the crowds that we left. After that, Jenn wanted to visit Shinjuku because she had heard it was a great place to see, and we ended up going into this MASSIVE garden park and spending a good 2 hours there. Inside we were able to drink tea in a traditional tea house, which was delicious. I have a ton of pictures from the garden that will slowly make their way to this blog. After Shinjuku, we traveled to Ebisu and walked around there for a little while before heading to Odaiba (a waterfront area) where I could ride the giant ferris wheel. YES, I GOT RIDE MY GIANT FERRIS WHEEL! Below, there was a HUGE arcade room where Jenn and I played Mariocart racedriving, some game where you drive a bus (haha) and, of course, DDR. Good times :D
This morning was relatively slow paced compared to our last two days; we spent part of the morning shopping for some souvenirs in Ueno before heading to the airport to fly back to Korea. Our plane landed at about 4:00, but with the busing I didn't get home until 7pm, and now I am getting ready for the next week of teaching classes.
I realize that this is a very condensed retelling of my trip, but maybe you can hear more about it on skype!
I just got back from a weekend trip to Japan with another friend from Canada, and I absolutely loved it! Amazingly, this trip was planned and organized only a couple of days before we flew out - we hadn't decided if we were even going to leave on Saturday morning until Thursday night! We only toured around Tokyo, but it is a huge city and I don't think we would have had time for anything else.
Our first day we arrived in Tokyo at around 11:00 and found a hostel/hotel to stay at in Ueno. That afternoon we spent walking around that district and explored the HUGE park just a 15-10 minute walk away from our hostel. The scenery there was gorgeous, lots of towering trees and lots of small and large Shinto shrines everywhere. We met an old man who had been writing some poetry and talked with him for a little bit, then wandered down to a market area to sample some Japanese noodles and CREPES mmmmmmmm. Later that night we took the subway to Ginza, after hearing that it was a popular place to go, but there wasn't really much to see except shopping.
P.S. - Japan = RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE FOR FOREIGNERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
The next day (Sunday) we woke up bright and early and visited the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park - lots of pictures from there too - and then spent part of the afternoon in central tokyo to see the Imperial Palace gardens. When we were walking toward the gate for the gardens we were approached by 4 college girls who wanted to show us around and practice having English conversations. The gardens were beautiful too, and the girls were telling us what buildings used to be what, and we got their email addresses to write to them too! Then we traveled up to Shibuya terminal - Carleigh, I immediately thought of you and Jet Set Radio Future when we were walking around here (I tried to go to Dogenzaka Hill, but it was waaay on the other side of the district). In Shibuya and the area of Harajuku there was some good shopping there and interesting sights to see, like the nightlife character of Tokyo. To finish the day off, we headed back into central Tokyo to visit the Tokyo Tower, which looks like the Eiffel Tower (actually it stands taller) and take a 360 degree look at Tokyo city. Breathtaking.
Our last full day we went to the Ueno Zoo in the morning and since it was a holiday in Japan a lot of places were free, including this one. The only problem was that it was ridiculously crowded and after about an hour or so we were so annoyed with the crowds that we left. After that, Jenn wanted to visit Shinjuku because she had heard it was a great place to see, and we ended up going into this MASSIVE garden park and spending a good 2 hours there. Inside we were able to drink tea in a traditional tea house, which was delicious. I have a ton of pictures from the garden that will slowly make their way to this blog. After Shinjuku, we traveled to Ebisu and walked around there for a little while before heading to Odaiba (a waterfront area) where I could ride the giant ferris wheel. YES, I GOT RIDE MY GIANT FERRIS WHEEL! Below, there was a HUGE arcade room where Jenn and I played Mariocart racedriving, some game where you drive a bus (haha) and, of course, DDR. Good times :D
This morning was relatively slow paced compared to our last two days; we spent part of the morning shopping for some souvenirs in Ueno before heading to the airport to fly back to Korea. Our plane landed at about 4:00, but with the busing I didn't get home until 7pm, and now I am getting ready for the next week of teaching classes.
I realize that this is a very condensed retelling of my trip, but maybe you can hear more about it on skype!
April 25 2009
|
Ok, so I realize that I should have updated this blog A LOT sooner than I am doing right now, but most of the time I have so many things on the go that it's hard to just stop for a while and write about whats new with me. That being said, it is a little surprising to say that there isn't really that much that is different at work or home.
-Last weekend I went shopping with Yunjung to Forever21 and to Suwon Station. Most of the Bus stations in Suwon and Seoul have bus stops like we do in Canada, but they also have an underground area where there is a lot of market, discount street shopping types of stores. I bought some long t-shirts for 5000 won and they have ridiculous english language phrases but Yunjung said they were ok to wear to school. The Forever 21 in Myungdong Seoul is awesome - three floors of my favourite clothing brand. Let's just say I had a lot of fun there.
In one of the department stores we went to they have a brand like H&M, only in Korea its called H&T. I bought many shirts with FABULOUS on the front, and I thoroughly enjoy them.
-I finished another month of report cards on Thrusday night, and I have another set due on Monday by midnight. The company has decided to change the format of the report cards too, so that we have to record every day they had homework done or not, every grammar test and the date, all of the vocabulary quizzes, selection tests, and unit test scores and then add on another comment. Needless to say, I was feeling a little frazzled for the first half of this week. But I'm feeling so much better now that half of my reports are done. PLus the weather is getting warmer (although it has been raining almost every day) so that's a pro. :D
I was supposed to go to Everland today, but the teachers decided to take the Korean councillors we work with out for dinner and then we went to a noraebang (Kareoke singing room - and a really nice one too!) and I didn't get home until 2:30 this morning. You all know that I am no morning person, so I told Jen and Chris that I would go with them in two weekends. PLus the weather said that it was going to rain and I didn't feel like standing outside getting wet to go on a roller coaster. I guess the T-express will just have to wait for me!
My spring vacation is almost here - I have oy two more days of teaching before the break, so I'm looking forward to some extra time off. I still have no set plans to travel, but I will most likely be staying in the country. I have talked to some of my other Korean friends to see if they are available, but they might be busy during the week. Maybe I'll be able to go and see some more of the famous tourist sights around here. Annnnd bring my lovely camera too...
-Last weekend I went shopping with Yunjung to Forever21 and to Suwon Station. Most of the Bus stations in Suwon and Seoul have bus stops like we do in Canada, but they also have an underground area where there is a lot of market, discount street shopping types of stores. I bought some long t-shirts for 5000 won and they have ridiculous english language phrases but Yunjung said they were ok to wear to school. The Forever 21 in Myungdong Seoul is awesome - three floors of my favourite clothing brand. Let's just say I had a lot of fun there.
In one of the department stores we went to they have a brand like H&M, only in Korea its called H&T. I bought many shirts with FABULOUS on the front, and I thoroughly enjoy them.
-I finished another month of report cards on Thrusday night, and I have another set due on Monday by midnight. The company has decided to change the format of the report cards too, so that we have to record every day they had homework done or not, every grammar test and the date, all of the vocabulary quizzes, selection tests, and unit test scores and then add on another comment. Needless to say, I was feeling a little frazzled for the first half of this week. But I'm feeling so much better now that half of my reports are done. PLus the weather is getting warmer (although it has been raining almost every day) so that's a pro. :D
I was supposed to go to Everland today, but the teachers decided to take the Korean councillors we work with out for dinner and then we went to a noraebang (Kareoke singing room - and a really nice one too!) and I didn't get home until 2:30 this morning. You all know that I am no morning person, so I told Jen and Chris that I would go with them in two weekends. PLus the weather said that it was going to rain and I didn't feel like standing outside getting wet to go on a roller coaster. I guess the T-express will just have to wait for me!
My spring vacation is almost here - I have oy two more days of teaching before the break, so I'm looking forward to some extra time off. I still have no set plans to travel, but I will most likely be staying in the country. I have talked to some of my other Korean friends to see if they are available, but they might be busy during the week. Maybe I'll be able to go and see some more of the famous tourist sights around here. Annnnd bring my lovely camera too...
April 6th
|
Hey
This is just a quick post before I head into work for the week. I finally managed to get myself an end table for my room, as well as some dishes (haha Tanya) and other things for my apartment. It's actually starting to look like someone really lives here, instead of just someone crashing here for a few days.
The weather here is getting a lot warmer - It's finally time to wear t-shirts to work!
This is just a quick post before I head into work for the week. I finally managed to get myself an end table for my room, as well as some dishes (haha Tanya) and other things for my apartment. It's actually starting to look like someone really lives here, instead of just someone crashing here for a few days.
The weather here is getting a lot warmer - It's finally time to wear t-shirts to work!
Pictures! (1)
|
*As per request, I've taken down the pictures of my students. I hope you all had a chance to see them!
I figured out how to post pictures on this blog - took me a while didn't it.
These pictures are from my MWF classes. They're such great kids!
I figured out how to post pictures on this blog - took me a while didn't it.
These pictures are from my MWF classes. They're such great kids!
Whew!
|
haha, I bet you're all wondering what happened to me for the last couple of weeks. well, I have been SWAMPED here with prepping for lessons making grammar tests, marking essays and then the joy of all joys in teaching - writing report cards.
BUT
The madness is almost all over - I have only 2 more classes to write report cards for and those aren't due until Monday at midnight. Booyah! I'll probably spend a good chunk of my weekend writing comments to get those out of the way. Plus we are about to start the second month of a 3 month term(?) her at yes Youngdo, so I want to get some outlines for the upcoming curriculum finished ahead of schedule. This last week I was working about 12-15 hours a day, so I'm feeling pretty tired from school stuff.
The weekend is almost upon us here in Korea, and I think I'm going to try to buy some more stuff for my apartment, so that it actually LOOKS like someone is living there. ;D
I'll write again (mostly likely tomorrow) about living in Korea and not just what my teaching schedule is like (although it feels like that is all I do - school stuff. I have no life XD).
OH, and I 'll have to find some time to post the pictures and videos I've taken so far. Uploading just takes such a darn long time!
BUT
The madness is almost all over - I have only 2 more classes to write report cards for and those aren't due until Monday at midnight. Booyah! I'll probably spend a good chunk of my weekend writing comments to get those out of the way. Plus we are about to start the second month of a 3 month term(?) her at yes Youngdo, so I want to get some outlines for the upcoming curriculum finished ahead of schedule. This last week I was working about 12-15 hours a day, so I'm feeling pretty tired from school stuff.
The weekend is almost upon us here in Korea, and I think I'm going to try to buy some more stuff for my apartment, so that it actually LOOKS like someone is living there. ;D
I'll write again (mostly likely tomorrow) about living in Korea and not just what my teaching schedule is like (although it feels like that is all I do - school stuff. I have no life XD).
OH, and I 'll have to find some time to post the pictures and videos I've taken so far. Uploading just takes such a darn long time!
March 12, 2009
|
Once again, I have to say that my procrastination for planning my lessons is coming back to bite me in the behind. I have my 3 hr classes tonight (one of which is the evil one) and I have NO IDEA what I'm going to talk about with them for such a long time. The 4:00 class isn't too bad, because they are at the same level as one of my other classes, so I basically use the same lesson plan. But my middle school students, that's another story. These kids have to be "entertained" while learning in order for me to get them to focus.
This is the weekend I'm going to get ahead ;)
Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or called me on skype - it's so nice to come to work and read all about what's going on over on the other side of the world. Sarah, thank you so much for you video message and facebook posts - you have no idea how much I really needed that :D
I have a pretty bad head cold right now that I'm taking tons of medicine for - I hope that it will be gone by this weekend.
Anyways, back to my much needed planning...
This is the weekend I'm going to get ahead ;)
Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or called me on skype - it's so nice to come to work and read all about what's going on over on the other side of the world. Sarah, thank you so much for you video message and facebook posts - you have no idea how much I really needed that :D
I have a pretty bad head cold right now that I'm taking tons of medicine for - I hope that it will be gone by this weekend.
Anyways, back to my much needed planning...
March 9th
|
Totally behind on my planning...
I had really set my mind on getting the lesson plans for ALL my classes this week finished on the weekend, but I forgot to bring the textbooks home with me. So I'm here 3 hours early (as usual) writing up what I'm going to talk about today.
I apologize to anyone who doesn't watch LOST, but I finally watched the most recent episode and I HAVE to comment about it.
Dad, Lauren; how freakin' excited were you when you saw "the statue" in the first ten minutes of the show?? I literally screamed when I watched it, I think my neighbours must have heard me yelling. It's a pity that it didn't really last for longer than a few minutes, and I hope that the producers will bring it back sometime soon.
I think I finally figured out the whole time travel thing and how Jin was in that DHARMA Initiative suit when he came across Jack, Kate and Hurley. If you have any insights, please share them with me :D
And Sawyer and Juliette?? Booyah, I totally like them better together than with Jack and Kate. Ahh I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. What about when all the OCEANIC 6 are finally reunited with the other LOSTIES?
Ok, enough rambling.
I hope you are all enjoying the cold weather in Canada; it has gotten a lot warmer here over the last couple of days. Right now I'm just preparing myself for the "DUST STORMS" of April. Oh what fun that will be.
I had really set my mind on getting the lesson plans for ALL my classes this week finished on the weekend, but I forgot to bring the textbooks home with me. So I'm here 3 hours early (as usual) writing up what I'm going to talk about today.
I apologize to anyone who doesn't watch LOST, but I finally watched the most recent episode and I HAVE to comment about it.
Dad, Lauren; how freakin' excited were you when you saw "the statue" in the first ten minutes of the show?? I literally screamed when I watched it, I think my neighbours must have heard me yelling. It's a pity that it didn't really last for longer than a few minutes, and I hope that the producers will bring it back sometime soon.
I think I finally figured out the whole time travel thing and how Jin was in that DHARMA Initiative suit when he came across Jack, Kate and Hurley. If you have any insights, please share them with me :D
And Sawyer and Juliette?? Booyah, I totally like them better together than with Jack and Kate. Ahh I cannot wait to see what is going to happen next. What about when all the OCEANIC 6 are finally reunited with the other LOSTIES?
Ok, enough rambling.
I hope you are all enjoying the cold weather in Canada; it has gotten a lot warmer here over the last couple of days. Right now I'm just preparing myself for the "DUST STORMS" of April. Oh what fun that will be.
Weekly Overview
|
I realize that this post is a late one - honestly it really sucks not having internet at home. I probably won't have an internet connection at my house until the end of NEXT week at the earliest, so my posts on this blog until that time will be few and far between. But I still like hearing from you and reading your comments, so make sure you keep writing!
I'm really enjoying my M/W/F classes, and my T/TH class at 4 oclock are really set too, but I have to say that my class of middle school students on Tuesday and Thursday night from 7-10 is giving me a hard time keeping them interested. I have some great students in that class, and if it wasn't for them I would probably have given up hehe. There are about 3 or 4 students that act like they are too cool for school or something. They constantly speak in Korean, which is against the rules of the school, even though I REPEATEDLY tell them not to, and when I give them punishments, like writing lines or going to see the Korean teachers in the office - most students are terrified of them because they will actually yell at the kids if they aren't doing they're work or misbehaving (it's a Korean culture thing I think) - they always say no or try to make up for what they did. but then 30 seconds later they're acting up again.
ERGG I will have to get creative, and a few teachers have given me some suggestions to try out. Ultimately, they've told me to teach to the kids that want to learn and that are doing the work, and when the parents of those misbehaving kids wonder why their kid doesn't know English, its their own fault. Aish the hormones of 13-14 year olds are sooooo frustrating....
YEsterday I went with some teachers to a Suwon Bluewings soccer game and took my camera along. The pictures I took may not have been the best, but I think they captured the feeling of being in an outside stadium watching a sports match. The fans on our side - we were cheering for Suwon too - were soooo loud and enthusiastic; I had to videotape some of their singing to show Mum. Afterwards we went out to a galbi restaurant for some good ol' beef grilled right in front of us.
mmmm lots of deliciousness.
Today, I'm pretty much taking it easy - althoguh tonight I want to organize and prepare my lesson plans for the whole week so I won't be as stressed as I was last week. I can't wait to get to the point where I can wing it most of the time.
I'll try to update again soon, and maybe even include some pictures :D
I'm really enjoying my M/W/F classes, and my T/TH class at 4 oclock are really set too, but I have to say that my class of middle school students on Tuesday and Thursday night from 7-10 is giving me a hard time keeping them interested. I have some great students in that class, and if it wasn't for them I would probably have given up hehe. There are about 3 or 4 students that act like they are too cool for school or something. They constantly speak in Korean, which is against the rules of the school, even though I REPEATEDLY tell them not to, and when I give them punishments, like writing lines or going to see the Korean teachers in the office - most students are terrified of them because they will actually yell at the kids if they aren't doing they're work or misbehaving (it's a Korean culture thing I think) - they always say no or try to make up for what they did. but then 30 seconds later they're acting up again.
ERGG I will have to get creative, and a few teachers have given me some suggestions to try out. Ultimately, they've told me to teach to the kids that want to learn and that are doing the work, and when the parents of those misbehaving kids wonder why their kid doesn't know English, its their own fault. Aish the hormones of 13-14 year olds are sooooo frustrating....
YEsterday I went with some teachers to a Suwon Bluewings soccer game and took my camera along. The pictures I took may not have been the best, but I think they captured the feeling of being in an outside stadium watching a sports match. The fans on our side - we were cheering for Suwon too - were soooo loud and enthusiastic; I had to videotape some of their singing to show Mum. Afterwards we went out to a galbi restaurant for some good ol' beef grilled right in front of us.
mmmm lots of deliciousness.
Today, I'm pretty much taking it easy - althoguh tonight I want to organize and prepare my lesson plans for the whole week so I won't be as stressed as I was last week. I can't wait to get to the point where I can wing it most of the time.
I'll try to update again soon, and maybe even include some pictures :D
MWF Classes - First Day!
|
So I had my first day of teaching yesterday. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have 3 classes; one from 4-5:50, one from 6-7:50, and one from 8:05-9:50. My first and last class went pretty well (I think) largely because I had such a big class with 14 students in each so they would talk and volunteer answers. My middle class has only 7 and they are SUPER quiet. I hope that as they get used to me I'll be able to get them talking!
The first class is a group of kids that are in Grade 4 in Korean school, but are reading English at a Grade 2 level. They are a great group of kids, so adorable and alot of fun to joke around with. I have a kid named Dustin in that class, so I was telling him about the Dustin I know from Empire. ah sigh. There's another kid David who s SOO CUTE and he likes to volunteer A LOT of answers.
My second class is in Grade 5 but they are reading at about a grade 1 level in English, so it's a little harder to get them talking and thinking about learning new vocabulary and following along with our stories.
My last class is a mix of students ranging from grade 7-9, reading at a Grade 3 level of English. They seem a little quieter than my first class, but they still offer some answers with a little coaxing. I've learned that it's better to be really animated and maybe a little bit silly in order for the kids to get interested in what you're saying. hehehe there is no shame in my classroom as I used to say to my mom.
I've got to plan a demo lesson for my Tuesday and Thursday classes - which I've been told will likely be a little more challenging. I have some "troublemakers" in one of the classes, so I'm hoping I'll be able to figure out a way to get them to pay attention and behave for me!
The first class is a group of kids that are in Grade 4 in Korean school, but are reading English at a Grade 2 level. They are a great group of kids, so adorable and alot of fun to joke around with. I have a kid named Dustin in that class, so I was telling him about the Dustin I know from Empire. ah sigh. There's another kid David who s SOO CUTE and he likes to volunteer A LOT of answers.
My second class is in Grade 5 but they are reading at about a grade 1 level in English, so it's a little harder to get them talking and thinking about learning new vocabulary and following along with our stories.
My last class is a mix of students ranging from grade 7-9, reading at a Grade 3 level of English. They seem a little quieter than my first class, but they still offer some answers with a little coaxing. I've learned that it's better to be really animated and maybe a little bit silly in order for the kids to get interested in what you're saying. hehehe there is no shame in my classroom as I used to say to my mom.
I've got to plan a demo lesson for my Tuesday and Thursday classes - which I've been told will likely be a little more challenging. I have some "troublemakers" in one of the classes, so I'm hoping I'll be able to figure out a way to get them to pay attention and behave for me!
*Skippable*
|
^Is that even a word?
Anyways, you can skip this entry if you don't want to hear me gush about my obsession with the Korean drama Boys Before Flowers.
I'm so in love with this episode it's not even funny anymore. The superb acting from Lee Minho (and even the other F4 characters) leaves me craving more screen time for his character. Plus he's not bad to look at ;D
aish, even though it is airing right now, the subs won't be out for another couple of days. I hate the waiting game...
Anyways, you can skip this entry if you don't want to hear me gush about my obsession with the Korean drama Boys Before Flowers.
I'm so in love with this episode it's not even funny anymore. The superb acting from Lee Minho (and even the other F4 characters) leaves me craving more screen time for his character. Plus he's not bad to look at ;D
aish, even though it is airing right now, the subs won't be out for another couple of days. I hate the waiting game...
First Day
|
Hey!!
Wow it's certainly been a while since I last posted on this blog, but things here have been super busy. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from my teachers so that I know where to catch the bus - I now know how to get to Gangnam in Seoul - and the best places to eat :D
I did write a bit when I first arrived here so I wouldn't forget my first impressions of Seoul.
The first day is as follows...
Feb 24/25 2009 (First is Canadian time, second is Korean time)
My best friend Hannah decided to join my parents on our trip to the Toronto Pearson International airport on Monday afternoon. In the car we took a TON of random pictures to make a remembrance of this day. They were all great though.
As soon as we began to get closer and closer to the airport, my stomach began to get a bad case of the butterflies, and there were a few moments where I seriously doubted whether or not I could really do this on my own. But I also realized that this was a goal I had worked towards for about 2 and a half years, and that putting this off was not the right thing to do. It was hard saying goodbye to my friends and family, especially my mom at the airport. Even right now I don’t feel like I’ve experienced any significant feelings of homesickness, although I am constantly preparing myself for those times when they DO come. I love the letters and warm sentiments that they wrote to me.
While we were waiting to board our flight to Chicago, I and a few other travelers heard our names being called out on the PA for a last boarding call at a completely different gate. None of us had even heard any earlier announcements that such a change had been made, and we had to book it down the hall to make our flight.
On the flight to Chicago I pretty much just read my book, The Alchemist, for the hour long journey. I kept finding myself distracted from the story however, because I was so nervous about finding my next check in location at an airport I had never visited. When the plane landed, I successfully navigated myself across the Chicago Odhare International Airport (asking the right questions and hopping aboard a train) to the International Terminal 5, serving Asiana airlines on their flight to Korea.
The waiting to board for this flight was the worst. By the time I had reached the boarding waiting area it was 11:00, and I had been up and running around for hours that day. Trying to keep my eyes open so I wouldn’t miss the boarding call was torture, and when we were finally allowed to board the plane at 12:30, I silently thanked God for this merciful turn of events. Although I had hoped I would get a window seat for this long 16 hour flight, I wasn’t as lucky as I thought. I was seated in an aisle seat next to an elderly Chinese couple who must have loved the sounds of their own voices, by the way they were talking so loud. They were very polite and quite friendly – we tried to talk as best we could in the limited English that they knew – but on such a long flight, nobody wants to hear constant loud chatter as if they were the only ones in the area. To make matters worse, they were constantly waking me up so that they could excuse themselves to the bathroom, so I didn’t get nearly as much sleep as I would have liked. By the end of the flight I felt a little bad for the stewardesses that served our aisle, because despite the outward politeness, these elders were quite pushy and demanding for service.
As we finally descended into Seoul Incheon Airport, I began to feel a little anxious because I wasn’t exactly sure of the next step I was supposed to take. Luckily, I met with some other foreigners who were also in Korea to teach ESL, so we stuck together getting our baggage and finding our pick up drivers to take us to our new jobs. Fortunately, we were all picked up at the same time, so nobody was left all alone wondering what they should do. I managed to take a few pictures of the airport outside before I was hurriedly ushered into a van to take me into Suwon.
This is where the real fun began. Driving through the Incheon was actually pretty nice, especially since there were small mountains on either side of the van, and the sun rising up in the east. (haha random DBSK recollection)
And OMG I FINALLY GOT TO PRACTICE MY KOREAN WITH A NATIVE KOREAN PERSON. It was awesome; since I didn’t know the exact way to put together a sentence in Korean, I just used the words I did know in order to explain what I was saying, and for the most part we were able to understand one another. There were some instances where he or I would saying something, but the other person didn’t real understand what they were talking about, but I still feel a little proud at this accomplishment. He asked me things like how I learned to speak Korean, my age, why I was in Korea, etc. Sometimes I would do my best to ask a question about a particular landmark I saw, and he too would try to explain it to me in Korean and English (Konglish!). I tried to rely on things that my Korean friends had told me about Korean culture in order to conduct myself appropriately (aniyo,aniyo,aniyo haha, thank you Hannah).
Funnily enough when he was dropping me off, he kept complimenting my eye colour and saying that I had very beautiful eyes. That was a little awkward haha. After waiting for about 15 minutes, the YES representative – Cloud (yes, that is his actual name) – came to meet me and showed me around my apartment before taking me over to the school. I was quite impressed with the facilities they have, and was relived to learn that they had free wireless internet I could use while waiting for my own to be installed – I need an ARC. After dropping me off at my apartment to get unpacked and settled into my new home for the next year, I was told to be ready for Orientation training later that evening at 6pm. And so now here I sit, detailing my adventure thus far.
Waiting to start my teaching is hard, but I know that this training will help me to prepare myself for next week. Let's hope the kids like me!
Wow it's certainly been a while since I last posted on this blog, but things here have been super busy. I'm trying to learn as much as I can from my teachers so that I know where to catch the bus - I now know how to get to Gangnam in Seoul - and the best places to eat :D
I did write a bit when I first arrived here so I wouldn't forget my first impressions of Seoul.
The first day is as follows...
Feb 24/25 2009 (First is Canadian time, second is Korean time)
My best friend Hannah decided to join my parents on our trip to the Toronto Pearson International airport on Monday afternoon. In the car we took a TON of random pictures to make a remembrance of this day. They were all great though.
As soon as we began to get closer and closer to the airport, my stomach began to get a bad case of the butterflies, and there were a few moments where I seriously doubted whether or not I could really do this on my own. But I also realized that this was a goal I had worked towards for about 2 and a half years, and that putting this off was not the right thing to do. It was hard saying goodbye to my friends and family, especially my mom at the airport. Even right now I don’t feel like I’ve experienced any significant feelings of homesickness, although I am constantly preparing myself for those times when they DO come. I love the letters and warm sentiments that they wrote to me.
While we were waiting to board our flight to Chicago, I and a few other travelers heard our names being called out on the PA for a last boarding call at a completely different gate. None of us had even heard any earlier announcements that such a change had been made, and we had to book it down the hall to make our flight.
On the flight to Chicago I pretty much just read my book, The Alchemist, for the hour long journey. I kept finding myself distracted from the story however, because I was so nervous about finding my next check in location at an airport I had never visited. When the plane landed, I successfully navigated myself across the Chicago Odhare International Airport (asking the right questions and hopping aboard a train) to the International Terminal 5, serving Asiana airlines on their flight to Korea.
The waiting to board for this flight was the worst. By the time I had reached the boarding waiting area it was 11:00, and I had been up and running around for hours that day. Trying to keep my eyes open so I wouldn’t miss the boarding call was torture, and when we were finally allowed to board the plane at 12:30, I silently thanked God for this merciful turn of events. Although I had hoped I would get a window seat for this long 16 hour flight, I wasn’t as lucky as I thought. I was seated in an aisle seat next to an elderly Chinese couple who must have loved the sounds of their own voices, by the way they were talking so loud. They were very polite and quite friendly – we tried to talk as best we could in the limited English that they knew – but on such a long flight, nobody wants to hear constant loud chatter as if they were the only ones in the area. To make matters worse, they were constantly waking me up so that they could excuse themselves to the bathroom, so I didn’t get nearly as much sleep as I would have liked. By the end of the flight I felt a little bad for the stewardesses that served our aisle, because despite the outward politeness, these elders were quite pushy and demanding for service.
As we finally descended into Seoul Incheon Airport, I began to feel a little anxious because I wasn’t exactly sure of the next step I was supposed to take. Luckily, I met with some other foreigners who were also in Korea to teach ESL, so we stuck together getting our baggage and finding our pick up drivers to take us to our new jobs. Fortunately, we were all picked up at the same time, so nobody was left all alone wondering what they should do. I managed to take a few pictures of the airport outside before I was hurriedly ushered into a van to take me into Suwon.
This is where the real fun began. Driving through the Incheon was actually pretty nice, especially since there were small mountains on either side of the van, and the sun rising up in the east. (haha random DBSK recollection)
And OMG I FINALLY GOT TO PRACTICE MY KOREAN WITH A NATIVE KOREAN PERSON. It was awesome; since I didn’t know the exact way to put together a sentence in Korean, I just used the words I did know in order to explain what I was saying, and for the most part we were able to understand one another. There were some instances where he or I would saying something, but the other person didn’t real understand what they were talking about, but I still feel a little proud at this accomplishment. He asked me things like how I learned to speak Korean, my age, why I was in Korea, etc. Sometimes I would do my best to ask a question about a particular landmark I saw, and he too would try to explain it to me in Korean and English (Konglish!). I tried to rely on things that my Korean friends had told me about Korean culture in order to conduct myself appropriately (aniyo,aniyo,aniyo haha, thank you Hannah).
Funnily enough when he was dropping me off, he kept complimenting my eye colour and saying that I had very beautiful eyes. That was a little awkward haha. After waiting for about 15 minutes, the YES representative – Cloud (yes, that is his actual name) – came to meet me and showed me around my apartment before taking me over to the school. I was quite impressed with the facilities they have, and was relived to learn that they had free wireless internet I could use while waiting for my own to be installed – I need an ARC. After dropping me off at my apartment to get unpacked and settled into my new home for the next year, I was told to be ready for Orientation training later that evening at 6pm. And so now here I sit, detailing my adventure thus far.
Waiting to start my teaching is hard, but I know that this training will help me to prepare myself for next week. Let's hope the kids like me!
The Day Before...
|
Oh Wow.
It's hard to imagine what I thought this would feel like - the day before leaving the country to start my adventure in Korea. It seems like I'm an emotional roller-coaster right now; at times I feel really excited and anxious to get across the Pacific Ocean, and other times I feel so consumed with fear and nervousness that I don't know what to do with myself. I'm hoping that as soon as I land in in my new home for the next 12 months I'll feel a little more at ease. As scary as the idea is, teaching English in Korea has been my goal for such a long time that it's likely a good thing that I'm finally able to do it.
Time to go finish packing!
It's hard to imagine what I thought this would feel like - the day before leaving the country to start my adventure in Korea. It seems like I'm an emotional roller-coaster right now; at times I feel really excited and anxious to get across the Pacific Ocean, and other times I feel so consumed with fear and nervousness that I don't know what to do with myself. I'm hoping that as soon as I land in in my new home for the next 12 months I'll feel a little more at ease. As scary as the idea is, teaching English in Korea has been my goal for such a long time that it's likely a good thing that I'm finally able to do it.
Time to go finish packing!
Opening and Introduction!
|
Hi!
For those of you who may not already be aware, I have decided to open a blog in an effort to make recording and sharing my experience in South Korea a little less complicated. While I will still be sending out emails to everyone, I'm also going to attach a link at the bottom of each email that you can click on to come here. This blog will allow you guys to read more of my daily schedule and see the pictures of all the places I've visited, AND you can leave me comments too!
I'll let you know when my next blog is coming :D
For those of you who may not already be aware, I have decided to open a blog in an effort to make recording and sharing my experience in South Korea a little less complicated. While I will still be sending out emails to everyone, I'm also going to attach a link at the bottom of each email that you can click on to come here. This blog will allow you guys to read more of my daily schedule and see the pictures of all the places I've visited, AND you can leave me comments too!
I'll let you know when my next blog is coming :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)