Yes, yet another bathroom break

Okay, So I am not actually going anywhere. Well, anywhere anytime soon outside of Korea. My boss laughed at me, encouraged me and sent help my way; though I cannot say I deserved it, and the last few days have been a little better. Barley. But barley is still a form of better and as everyone says: give it time.

Tomorrow will mark the one-month since I left my house mark (Monday will be one month arrival). I am still shocked to be here and, obviously, not adjusting as well as I assumed I would. However, there are some small things that make my day, but first a more complete run down of my day:

Into the office by 9:30 am (usually earlier)
10:00 am- Collect my kindergartener’s
10:05 am - try to get them to compromise between sleeping and running around
10:25 am - bathroom break
10:55 am - bathroom break
11:00 am - snack time
11:15 am - bathroom break
11:20 am - “academics”
11:45 am - bathroom break
11:50 am - “academics”
12:15 pm - bathroom break
12:20 pm - playroom (if good)
12:25 pm - wash hands/drink water
12:30 pm - Lunch break
1:30 pm - back to class-activity depending on day-art/science/activity etc
1:55 pm - bathroom break
2:00 pm - continue above activity
2:20 pm - bathroom break
2:25 pm - pack up/clean up
2:30 pm - kindergarten go home – Prep Time for afternoon classes
3:00 pm – 8/9 year old class
4:20 pm - “break”/ prep for next class
4:30 pm - 9/10 year old class
5:50 pm –done with classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday
5:50 pm – Tuesday, Thursday prep/”break”
6:00 pm – Tuesday, Thursday 12/13 year old class
7:20 pm – “finished”

There are many additional things that we have to do for each of our classes. Lesson plans, evaluations, tests, and other preparatory things can keep us late or make us go in early or work over our lunch etc. Also the Korean-English teacher’s for the afternoon classes teach for 45 min per class on Wednesday, so I have extra prep time then.

It is not particularly hard schedule, but you always have to be on and hyper with the kids so it makes it longer than it seems and overall the prep work takes a lot of time. It’s the writing evaluations every week for each kid, science/art pre-work for things to go smoothly and lesson plans for all four classes (unless you have even more). I am not close to complaining about my schedule though-the Korean kindergarten teachers and the Korean-English teachers work four times as hard as we do and for far less pay. They are goddesses I swear (but cross one of them and they are a straight from the underworld)!

Some of the things I love:

All of the kids are one to two years younger than the ages I give by American standards. Koreans are one at birth and age differs based on the lunar new year not there actual birthdays. Technically I am teaching 5 year olds, 7 year olds, 8 year olds and 10 year olds.

Koreans don’t sweat. I just do not understand this one, but it constantly fascinates me.

I have two “advanced” students in my 4:30 who I am able to discuss Jane Eyre and Romeo and Juliet with because they are reading them in Korean.

The younger the kid- the funnier the concept of soju. Soju is Korean liquor that is colorless and bland, but will eventually kick your but because it sneaks up on you 9especially if you mix it with other liquors/beers)…

More later—a rundown of the kids like the teachers…