One year ago today I was embarking on the best and longest vacation of my life, a 6.5 week backpacking trip through Africa and a bit of Europe with a great friend. One year ago today teaching in Korea was a distant hope. One year ago today I had the whole summer to look forward to working as a public school teacher in America. One year ago today I was a single gal surrounded by close friends and family living in my hometown.
Crazy how much life changes in one year.
I have actually been swamped at work the past couple of weeks. Korean public schools are obsessed with the idea of open classes. An open class is when you basically put on your smiling happy face and fake the shit out of a lesson, trying to pretend that teaching "who is she?" and "my father is a pilot" are the most exciting concepts you have ever heard of. It is all just for show as lessons are never this well planned or timed and studnets' behavior is never anywhere near this level of attentiveness and quiet. Open classes are more trouble than they are worth in my opinion. I have only one more left (that I know of) next week and then I'm in the clear... until next semester.
Besides all the open classes, I had an awful day at work yesterday. (I try to keep this blog positive and upbeat, but sometimes it's necessary to vent.) My school changed my summer vacation on me after months of me asking "are you sure that I can have this time off?" and "has the summer schedule been approved yet?" and hearing "no, but it will be fine" and "don't worry". Of course it wasn't. My vice principal decided that my other co-teacher and I would have to teach 4 weeks of summer camp instead of 2. I also found out that while I came into work for 4 weeks every day during my winter camp while NO other teachers were in the building I could have gone home in the afternoons instead of staring at a computer screen banging my head against the desk of boredom and spent my 20 hours of 'at home work' that I never knew about. Lovely. To make matters worse, my 5th grade students were horrendous yesterday. Their behavior was some of the worst and rudest I have EVER seen in students, and mind you I have taught students in three different countries now. Trying to teach them was miserable. I am pretty sure that I sound just like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoons, you know- the whomp, whomp, whomp... I also have to try and communicate this to my co-teacher who, by the way does not really speak English well. (First thing she said when I met her a few months ago was "Me English- no good.") And on top of everything else, someone stole my shoes. Yes. I have to wear indoor shoes inside the building and when I went into my cubbie yesterday morning they were gone and all that was left was a pair of men's work shoes many sizes too big. Ugh.
No worries, folks, things are all good. Thank God for supportive family, friends, and boyfriend, otherwise I would not have been able to last these 9 months here in Korea. By the way, today is my 9 month anniversary in Korea. 3/4 of the way done with my 1 year commitment!
Namaste
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