The Day One Teaching Saga

I really didn't want to write this blog, but I know I should so I can look back on it and laugh (hopefully). Plus, my mom insisted I document my beginnings.

Today was my first day teaching in the Korean schools. Well, I guess it was also my first day teaching as an actual teacher as well. I was pretty nervous, but mostly excited to get to the middle school. I had been assured I just needed to introduce myself and that I didn't need to bring anything or plan for anything else. So I hiked the 20 minutes from our apartment to the girls' middle school where I was to teach. And everything is good, right?

Wrong.

I was at the wrong school. Um, excuse me? Apparently, I needed to be next door.
At the boys' middle school.
Um, excuse me?
Me?
Boys' Middle School?
Teaching God knows how many MIDDLE SCHOOL, ADOLESCENT BOYS?
And ONLY boys?

Yes. That's exactly the case. So I march over to the BOYS' middle school to much staring and talking and, "Hello!" from said adolescent boys. As I'm going upstairs to the teachers' offices, a boy stops me and says, "Hello, teacher! Oooohhhhh!!! You beautiful! You beautiful!" I say, "I am married. I have husband. I am wi-fuh." He responds, "I love you!"

Great.

So I get to the teachers' offices, and what do I find out? I was supposed to bring slippers to wear while in the school. Whoops! So I get handed the frumpy, flowery, six sizes too big for me, grandma slippers (how big do they think my feet are?). Goodbye being stylish on the first day. There, I see the teacher I have been in contact with who picked us up from the airport. *relief* Someone who is familiar. I meet the principal and the vice-principal, get introduced to the other teachers, and then get taken upstairs to my office.

Wait, so all the other teachers are on the second floor, but I am ostracized on the fifth? Yes, lonely me, in my lonely English classroom on the lonely fifth floor. *sigh* okay. First period is free, that's a relief. Then second period comes. Apparently, I am in charge of the entire class period. Another thing that would have been helpful to know. So I introduce myself as long as I can, ask students questions about themselves, what they want to do in class, etc., and then they have free time. While talking, I get a paper wad thrown at me.

My first class period of my first day.
"This is my first day, and already you do this? I am very disappointed!"

After class, the student who had thrown the paper and another student who saw and felt bad came up and apologized telling me it was an accident that it had hit me. Ah, well, all is forgiven.

It's at this point I realize that I have different levels of students. Today was all Level 2 learners (meaning their English is so-so), but I did have one Level 1 class.

Ah, blessed, holy Level 1 learners come down from the heavens to bless my day with an angelic kiss! (You have no idea how excited I was to have these students). They sat down. They were quiet. They were respectful. They asked questions. All things I lacked (heavily) the rest of the day. Also, the co-teacher for that class told me it was a wonderful class and I was, "born to teach there." One bright, shining spot...

The period before lunch was much like the first. Now, you must be thinking, "This doesn't sound all that bad. Why were the Level 1's so different?"

Oh, ho, my friends. I have completely left out the facts that in BOTH Level 2 classes I have had thus far in the day I have had incessant talking, no listening, and the students touch each other, Lord, how they touch each other! Give them some time to stand up, and they're putting each other in headlocks, or slapping each other, or kicking each other. Enough to make me want to scream, "NO TOUCHING!" (I hope some of you get that reference...) Anyway, so I realize that this is going to be challenging.

Lunch was excellent (way better than school food in the US), and it was good to talk to the other teachers. I even met one teacher who had been to Iowa. So crazy! As I'm back in my classroom after lunch, I see boys' heads peeking through the windows and staring through the doors. Hmm....great. Also, a boy keeps coming in and saying, "Hello, teacher!" Yes, it's my friend who professed his love for me at the beginning of the day. Wonderful.

Then came the black hole of my day. The period which sucked all life and love and happiness and pretty things from me. After lunch, the students come in all hyped up because they've been running around and playing soccer. Good sign. These students did not stop talking. You think I exaggerate, but I don't. I yelled into a microphone SEVEN TIMES to get their attention. I repeated my number one rule (no talking when I'm talking) SEVEN TIMES. No-thing-sank-in. Finally, exacerbated, I let them read and chat amongst themselves (not like I had anything planned anyway). A group of students decided to mock me in the corner. One in the group came up behind me and gestured something (most likely crude). It's at this point I wrote in my journal, "WHY, GOD, WHY?"

After that horrendous class, my co-teacher told me that class is always like that. Um, no, we're going to do something about that. So I was done teaching class periods for the day, but then it turns out that I also teach an after school English Conversation program. Once again, I was told I was supposed to come up with something for it (20 minutes before it started). Hmm....right. Fortunately, my friend teacher came up with something and helped me implement it. Who should happen to be in my after school program? You guessed it. My obsessed friend. Every time he came to the front to tell us something in English, he would end with, "You're beautiful!" or "I love you!" Needless to say, way too exhausted, depressed, and dejected, I left as soon as I could to crash at home.

Kel had told me I just needed to say, "Oh, Korea," and roll with the punches. Today, however, I felt much more like saying, "WTF, Korea?"



So that's day one. Yes, it's angsty and angry and all that, but I'm not giving up. Oh, I also left out a lot that makes the day so much worse than it seems (it all adds up, you know). I talked to my mom (the queen of Middle School teaching), and she helped out a lot. I know that I will grow so much from this, and I know things will get so much better. The good/bad news is that I only see the same students once per week (meaning I have a TON of students). I already have some ideas on how I can improve the classroom behavior, and I also have ideas for activities that will hopefully garner their interest. I just needed to record my day, and I hope you got some enjoyment along the way. I'm looking forward to looking back on this and laughing. Someday.