If you have never tried moving to or from 3 countries in 3 months, let me tell you it does make life interesting but I don't necessarily endorse it. Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore... or Sevilla... or Virginia... But three very happy things happened this afternoon: the school director showed up at my apartment with a fan for my room, the art teacher who is Korean told me to come by her classroom every day this year and she will teach me a few phrases in Korean, and I discovered a hidden stack of Spanish 1 and 2 textbooks in a dark corner of the bookroom on the fourth floor of the school. Now why did these things make me happy?
1. The weather in Korea is warm and humid. Not as hot as Virginia, but definitely warmer than Ohio. But even though some apartments have AC (mine does not), nobody can afford to run it. My roommate has the only room in our place with a window that opens outside, so at night my room cools down to 93 degrees F. The heat in the apartment and the AC at school is wreaking havoc upon my sinuses. Therefore, I was ecstatic when my fan showed up.
2. Imagine this. A Korean guy shows up at the front door wearing a maintenance man vest. I greet him "Anyanghaseyo." So far so good. He replies... but then keeps jabbering away about a phone. I search through the few Korean phrases I know. I want chocolate. Did you do your homework? You are ugly. Thank you, goodbye. I throw all those out and silently lead him inside to the phone jack where he proceeds to find a problem. Fortunately that was the time the director showed up with the fan and called the school secretary to talk to him (he's only lived here a couple years). I decided that even though most the teachers can't talk much Korean, I absolutely must learn as much as I can. In all my free time, you know. So fortunately, after I asked the art teacher how to say something, she was apparently very impressed that I could pronounce it so well and told me to come by every day and she would teach me a little. So that will be a start.
3. Everything concerning school is an absolute mess right now. Let me show you my classroom:
The last teacher was a huge packrat and it has taken me 3 days just to go through all the boxes she left behind. I was finding the most random stuff, but no books of any kind! Why? Because she did not use any. Great. She taught entirely by one method of teaching I kind of like some of the time but I don't like it enough or have the personality to do every single day all the time (if you know anything about teaching language it's TPR and TPR-S). She just used these 3 crates of files she had created of stories and random stuff like dirty wigs and toilet paper all mixed together. But she must have been a good teacher... some of the students work I saw was really good, but I'm having trouble figuring out her organisation. So I was very happy to find the school does actually have textbooks I can use at least as a guide so I don't have to make everything up. I was pretty freaked out for a while (the standards I have didn't help either... evidently I'm supposed to teach Latin American dancing... HAHAHAHAAHA). Now it seems more managable. It is decided I am teaching 7th grade math, and I talked to the high school math teacher today so I have a lot better idea how to do that. There are a few other teachers who have been great about helping me with everything. This week we have training in the morning and time in the afternoon to work on the classroom, but I have a ton to do setting up the room, finding my books, coming up with procedures and discipline plans, making some lesson plans, etc. in addition to setting up an apartment and bank accounts and stuff like that.
This evening one of the elementary teachers took me downtown to exchange some money and look at cell phones (not sure if I'll get one or not). Downtown is the area near Osan base- I'll post a few pictures of it here. I'm definitely back in Asia... Korea reminds me a fair amount of Thailand, just not as tropical or quite as dirty. It is nicer than the places I went in China, but definitely not Hong Kong. It's always hard to compare countries since every one is different.
Well, good night (or morning, depending on where you are)!
1. The weather in Korea is warm and humid. Not as hot as Virginia, but definitely warmer than Ohio. But even though some apartments have AC (mine does not), nobody can afford to run it. My roommate has the only room in our place with a window that opens outside, so at night my room cools down to 93 degrees F. The heat in the apartment and the AC at school is wreaking havoc upon my sinuses. Therefore, I was ecstatic when my fan showed up.
2. Imagine this. A Korean guy shows up at the front door wearing a maintenance man vest. I greet him "Anyanghaseyo." So far so good. He replies... but then keeps jabbering away about a phone. I search through the few Korean phrases I know. I want chocolate. Did you do your homework? You are ugly. Thank you, goodbye. I throw all those out and silently lead him inside to the phone jack where he proceeds to find a problem. Fortunately that was the time the director showed up with the fan and called the school secretary to talk to him (he's only lived here a couple years). I decided that even though most the teachers can't talk much Korean, I absolutely must learn as much as I can. In all my free time, you know. So fortunately, after I asked the art teacher how to say something, she was apparently very impressed that I could pronounce it so well and told me to come by every day and she would teach me a little. So that will be a start.
3. Everything concerning school is an absolute mess right now. Let me show you my classroom:
The last teacher was a huge packrat and it has taken me 3 days just to go through all the boxes she left behind. I was finding the most random stuff, but no books of any kind! Why? Because she did not use any. Great. She taught entirely by one method of teaching I kind of like some of the time but I don't like it enough or have the personality to do every single day all the time (if you know anything about teaching language it's TPR and TPR-S). She just used these 3 crates of files she had created of stories and random stuff like dirty wigs and toilet paper all mixed together. But she must have been a good teacher... some of the students work I saw was really good, but I'm having trouble figuring out her organisation. So I was very happy to find the school does actually have textbooks I can use at least as a guide so I don't have to make everything up. I was pretty freaked out for a while (the standards I have didn't help either... evidently I'm supposed to teach Latin American dancing... HAHAHAHAAHA). Now it seems more managable. It is decided I am teaching 7th grade math, and I talked to the high school math teacher today so I have a lot better idea how to do that. There are a few other teachers who have been great about helping me with everything. This week we have training in the morning and time in the afternoon to work on the classroom, but I have a ton to do setting up the room, finding my books, coming up with procedures and discipline plans, making some lesson plans, etc. in addition to setting up an apartment and bank accounts and stuff like that.This evening one of the elementary teachers took me downtown to exchange some money and look at cell phones (not sure if I'll get one or not). Downtown is the area near Osan base- I'll post a few pictures of it here. I'm definitely back in Asia... Korea reminds me a fair amount of Thailand, just not as tropical or quite as dirty. It is nicer than the places I went in China, but definitely not Hong Kong. It's always hard to compare countries since every one is different.
Well, good night (or morning, depending on where you are)!
5 comments:
Je je je...learn the Hangul, you should be able to pull it off in 6 hours or so; incredibly easy and SO HELPFUL (especially with restaurants and the markets!).
¡Te veo el día 4 de diciembre!
Spanish teaching rule #1: When in doubt, give a worksheet.
Now you can relate to what it was like for Dad and I in Spain. After we greeted Hola they would continue in Spainish. And those two little old ladies that came up to me and talked about 5 min before they got the idea I spoke no spainish. They sure were freindly.
We miss you lots and know you will do well.
Now you can relate to what it was like for Dad and I in Spain. After we greeted Hola they would continue in Spainish. And those two little old ladies that came up to me and talked about 5 min before they got the idea I spoke no spainish. They sure were freindly.
We miss you lots and know you will do well.
Grandma says she is impressed with your ability to adapt to a new culture. She is proud of you for living your beliefs and standards. She wishes she was there with you , but she would have to have a wheel chair to follow you around. Ha. (actually she is getting around really well for 82.) Aunt Donna will help her check your blog. We are here eating cinnamon rolls.
Hi Lindsay-
We are hanging out and eating cinnamon rolls with your folks and we miss you. We are so excited for your adventures, and I love you hair. Please know that you are in our prayers and we are reading your blog.
Lots of love,
Aunt Donna
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