Almost Seven~

I have 8 1/2 more weeks to go in the ROK. Too bad things are just now becoming worthy of staying. My co-teacher is great, and my students are sweet. Well, ok; most of them. Poor Seunghui..she is going to graduate school, in-charge of finding and dealing with another foreign teacher, in-charge of the English education at Songwoon Elementary, and is now in-charge of RCY (Red Cross Youth) for Siheung. I didn't know this existed, but it sounds pretty cool. But, while she is busy being super-busy, I have the opposite problem. Why just yesterday I was scrambling to find things to do with my enormous amount of free time and I was sooo bored, I lost track of time. It was 5:00pm before I realized it was time to go home. I shared my chain idea with Angelique, a Canadian who lives in Siheung (unfortunately no where near me though) and has twenty-five weeks left here. Like me, I get the feeling she hasn't always had the greatest time in Korea either. Siheung can be a really lonely place to live for a foreigner, and I don't recommend it. That poor prospective teacher that will take my place won't have any idea what hit them.

I said before that Seunghui and I are using the stoplight method adapted from Callaway Elementary in Florida. Well, this is how our way works. We have a small stop sign on the right side of the board. Every students starts on green. However, if any student chooses to act out or not do what they are told, his or her number will be written next to yellow. And, if the offense is repeated, the number is erased from yellow and written beside red. At the end of each period, the students are given a circular sticker of the color they earned that day. For red students, the punishment is to stay after class and copy sentences. For students that have eight green stickers in one month (2 per week), a prize will be rewarded. There is something else special for students whose numbers actually get written next to the green light. These students get a special "happy sticker," and four happy stickers in a month can earn them a party. Now, the party thing gets tricky. See, we don't have enough money. This year's budget needs to cover my plane ticket home. So, I was thinking of finding a fun game to play or something. And when should we have the party? Well, after lunch? No, I have class. After class? Well, ok, what about 3pm? Well, most kids go to Hagwon (afterschool). Shucks! Siheunghui and I decided 12:30pm was a good time. It is right after lunch, but just before their next class, giving them 30 minutes. I volunteered to handle the party because Seunghui has her plate full this year. We can't have the "happy sticker" students from all ten classes at once, because that might be chaotic. Hopefully, we can pull this off the first ten school days of April, having one class come each day for their reward party. Ahh..sounds crazy. We'll see if it works..

My schedule, well; I'm still getting the hang of it. So far, this is how it works:

Period Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1st: Seunghui / Seunghui / Seunghui / SH + KA /SH + KA

2nd: SH + KA / SH + KA / SH + KA /Alice /Alice

3rd: Seunghui / Seunghui / SH + KA / SH + KA /SH + KA

4th: SH + KA / SH + KA / Alice / Alice /Alice

LUNCH-----------------------------------------------------

5th: Alice /Alice /Alice /Alice

6th Alice

*** 10 = me / 10 = Seunghui / 10 = us (Suenghui has class in another room while I teach)***

Pd Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri (WEEK ONE)

1st Part 3 Part 3 Part 3 Part 2 Part 2

2nd Part 2 Part 2 Part 2 Part 1 Part 1

3rd Part 3 Part 3 Part 2 Part 2 Part 2

4th Part 2 Part 2 Part 1 Part 1 Part 1

LUNCH-----------------------------------------------------

5th Part 1 Part 1 Part 1 Part 1

6th Part 1

***There are six parts in each lesson. Each class meets 3x/wk. It takes two weeks to finish.***

Pd Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri (WEEK TWO)

1st Part 4 Part 4 Part 4 Part 6 Part 6

2nd Part 6 Part 6 Part 6 Part 5 Part 5

3rd Part 4 Part 4 Part 6 Part 6 Part 6

4th Part 6 Part 6 Part 5 Part 5 Part 5

LUNCH-----------------------------------------------------

5th Part 5 Part 5 Part 5 Part 5

6th Part 5

***The schedule & teacher were chosen based on the subject matter of each period in a lesson**

Part of Lesson Material being taught Teacher

1 Look & Listen Alice

2 Look & Speak SH + KA

3 Read & Practice Seunghui

4 Write & Practice Seunghui

5 Story time & Activity Alice

6 Review & Project SH + KA

***As you can see, we each teach two periods in a lesson, and teach two together***

I learned something very interesting during my time in Korea. I learned, that as Westerners, the question "Why?" is just simply a part of who we are. This question changes the way we teach, learn, and problem solve through life. Because of this question, completing tasks that are unfamiliar to us are not as problematic as they could be. The reason I discovered this novelty is because not every nation has it. In fact, most of Asia doesn't. I believe my mother referred to it as "inferencing." I guess that would be the ability to "figure it out." And seriously, how many times have we all heard our teachers say those words to us? Lucky for us they did many times because it made us who we are today. Asians, on the other hand, not only narrow in on their choice of study and future profession quite early in life, but are taught based on cookie-cutter, government-issued lesson plans; no questions asked...literally. In fact, the question "why" is considered incredibly rude. Whereas, in Western culture, it's simply asked out of curiosity. Westerners have grown up to not blindly accept concepts. We all want to know why. Why do we need to learn math? If there is no reason, we don't need to study it. Why does mom always tell me to wait after eating to jump in the pool? If there is really no need to wait, then I shouldn't. This is how we think and operate, so it's second nature to us. However, not to Asians. I can only speak of Koreans, but I am told the same about Nepalis as well. No one asks why, and no one is taught to "figure it out," so no one learns the steps to problem solving. Man, oh, man..the things we were taught that I'm just now coming to appreciate. I appreciate that which is second nature to me. But that which is second nature to me was actually taught to me, either by words, actions, or cultural environment. Hmm..interesting. Look mommy..I'm growing up!

Part six of each lesson is a review of everything taught in that lesson. Following the review is an activity that is based on this concept of inferencing. No wonder the kids were always thrown for a loop when I asked them to think about a picture or sentence. Seunghui was talking to me about learning the very insight that I shared above in her graduate classes. Wow..I discovered a graduate-level teaching concept on my own! Cool! In fact, she wants to learn how to do this from me. Well, I haven't yet really figured out how to teach something that is second nature to me, but seeing as I've spent the last thirteen months teaching English, I'm learning.

This afternoon four six grade girls came to talk with me. They didn't speak much English, but I was impressed with the fact that they weren't too shy to talk with me. Yes, it's a bit awkward when you run out of things to say, but I'm becoming the "free-talking" pro. Favorite colors, days of the week, the weather, food, pets, etc.. They stayed for over an hour..yikes! Oh well..I really had nothing better to do. I like my students this year, and I think they like me..which helps.