So, in the last week from 5/5-5/13, I've had a mini vacation! We've had 4 days off in that short period of time, as well as desk warming for much of the remaining days! I love it! The days off have been Children's Day, Buddha's Birthday, the "sandwich day" as my friend explained; is the day between a weekend and a holiday; no need to come to work, and Teacher's Day. I can't think of a better way to celebrate being a teacher than to be off of work! LOL.
During this time, I decided to try and see some South Korean culture...the rain zapped my energy some of the time, but I did manage to get out and see the Oeam Folk Village (just minutes from my apartment), and go to the The Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan! I have some great pictures to show you!
Click here to view pictures. I hope you enjoy!
Not much to talk about today; until next time, <insert blank face here.> :-)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Let's take it back....
So, it's Buddha's birthday, and the rain has come out to play. Which in turn, means my booty is staying in today!
It's been an eventful long weekend, so I can't even complain. I have so much to share with you, but I think I'll break it up into a couple of posts as to not overwhelm you. Let's backtrack to what's been going on in my world since we last spoke....
Since the beginning of April, my work load has lightened tremendously! I think that first month of working terribly hard to impress my co-teachers and students has paid off! Let's compare.
THEN:
1) It took me long hours to plan 11 different lessons...I mean like every day I was at my computer until about 10ish going over lessons, planning, finding activities, etc. It was imperative to find out what my co-teachers liked/didn't like, and to find the balance of how we would co-teach. All of this is, of course, by trial and error, because we don't have time to sit down and plan together.
2) In the after school classes, students were mis-behaving (just to try me), and it seemed like no matter what I did--no matter how much I planned, it wasn't enough to keep the students' attention. SMH. This was a pretty frustrating period for me.
3) I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get in between schools on the designated days in time. Even with the bike I purchased, I had to take taxis on certain days...and the costs were adding up; not to mention the time it took me to transition.
NOW:
1) I am planning 11 different lessons in a fourth of the time it took me before. I can actually leave my books at the school because my planning periods (desk warming hours) are enough time to finish everything and some! Practice makes perfect. I am leading the class 100% for most classes--some co-teachers even leave if they must; they trust that the students and I have a good rapport! This means so much to me! The students listen and respond well in most of my classes.
2) My afterschool classes have come full circle. One thing I learned in orientation and have heard several times since is, if you are not having fun teaching, the students are not having fun learning. I realized that the problem resided with me, not the students. I sat down and took some time to assess the levels of my different after-school classes. I realized that I had been trying to teach advanced lessons to a class that needs to learn the basics and teaching too simply for my class who needs more challenges. I made the adjustments, added in structure to all class, and voila! the perfect recipe for learning appeared!
3) I purchased a car! Yep, I did it! After going back and forth, I decided that a car would not only help me save time and money for those hectic days, but would give me the freedom to move about the country! It seemed like having a car was meant to be; no longer than 30 days after starting my new contract, a friend sold her car to me to buy a new car. It was in my price range, and came from a trusted buyer. Can't beat that. I even purchased an English language navigation system. OMG...having a car sure beats an hour on the bus. Still, I only drive on the days I must...I'm still on my bike 2 days of the week, and on the bus/subway 3 days a week. If I didn't do combination transportation, I'd probably be spending more on gas then on taxis....Take a look at my car! She's a peasant by some standards, but in my eyes she's a Queen!
<something happened to my pics; will repost soon>
It's been an eventful long weekend, so I can't even complain. I have so much to share with you, but I think I'll break it up into a couple of posts as to not overwhelm you. Let's backtrack to what's been going on in my world since we last spoke....
Since the beginning of April, my work load has lightened tremendously! I think that first month of working terribly hard to impress my co-teachers and students has paid off! Let's compare.
THEN:
1) It took me long hours to plan 11 different lessons...I mean like every day I was at my computer until about 10ish going over lessons, planning, finding activities, etc. It was imperative to find out what my co-teachers liked/didn't like, and to find the balance of how we would co-teach. All of this is, of course, by trial and error, because we don't have time to sit down and plan together.
2) In the after school classes, students were mis-behaving (just to try me), and it seemed like no matter what I did--no matter how much I planned, it wasn't enough to keep the students' attention. SMH. This was a pretty frustrating period for me.
3) I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get in between schools on the designated days in time. Even with the bike I purchased, I had to take taxis on certain days...and the costs were adding up; not to mention the time it took me to transition.
NOW:
1) I am planning 11 different lessons in a fourth of the time it took me before. I can actually leave my books at the school because my planning periods (desk warming hours) are enough time to finish everything and some! Practice makes perfect. I am leading the class 100% for most classes--some co-teachers even leave if they must; they trust that the students and I have a good rapport! This means so much to me! The students listen and respond well in most of my classes.
2) My afterschool classes have come full circle. One thing I learned in orientation and have heard several times since is, if you are not having fun teaching, the students are not having fun learning. I realized that the problem resided with me, not the students. I sat down and took some time to assess the levels of my different after-school classes. I realized that I had been trying to teach advanced lessons to a class that needs to learn the basics and teaching too simply for my class who needs more challenges. I made the adjustments, added in structure to all class, and voila! the perfect recipe for learning appeared!
3) I purchased a car! Yep, I did it! After going back and forth, I decided that a car would not only help me save time and money for those hectic days, but would give me the freedom to move about the country! It seemed like having a car was meant to be; no longer than 30 days after starting my new contract, a friend sold her car to me to buy a new car. It was in my price range, and came from a trusted buyer. Can't beat that. I even purchased an English language navigation system. OMG...having a car sure beats an hour on the bus. Still, I only drive on the days I must...I'm still on my bike 2 days of the week, and on the bus/subway 3 days a week. If I didn't do combination transportation, I'd probably be spending more on gas then on taxis....Take a look at my car! She's a peasant by some standards, but in my eyes she's a Queen!
<something happened to my pics; will repost soon>
The registration and title transfer was so easy and cheap to do. And getting my Korean license wasn't bad either. The only hassle was getting to the US Embassy in Seoul to get my US license notarized. UGH...that's a story for another day. Insurance is affordable and I'm on the road legitimately!
So, anyway. The moral of the story is...when there are problems, look within for the answers/solutions. I am having soooo much "more" fun since finding new and exciting ways to teach. I'm enjoying my new found freedom...and loving Korea so much more lately. Not to mention the weather has finally broken, and the warmth is spreading. Love is in the air...and it is coming from me! :-)
Until next time, continue to live, laugh, & love...but do it all a little harder!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)