Today is graduation day at my school. Last year I dressed up and came prepared to participate in the ceremony. As I sat at my desk it waiting, it eventually became clear they had started without me. I went down to the cafeteria to take a peek, and I immediately understood that I hadn't been snubbed, there was simply no room for any extra spectators. See, my school doesn’t have an auditorium, so between the students, parents and teachers, the cafeteria was packed tight. I even think only the homeroom teachers attended the ceremony.
Today I wore jeans and a polo.
After today the kids will go away for three more weeks, but I will have yet another class to teach. This time I’ll have one class for students and one for adults. Right now I’m trying to put together some activities for the classes and I’m having a harder time than you might think. While there is a temptation to photocopy any old worksheets I find and recycle activities I’ve used a hundred times before–indeed, that seems to be exactly what my superiors want from me–my training and instinct as a teacher tell me I should try to put my lessons into some kind of meaningful context. Fortunately I guess, there is no time for philosophical dilemmas such as these. I’m under a deadline. (Thanks Mr. Vice Principal. No, really.) As a sort of compromise I’m trying my best to choose worksheets, warmers and games that cover similar content areas.
I was going to give an example of a lesson I’m planning for next week, but that sounds incredibly boring. There is however, one activity I’m going to try that I want to mention. I think the official name is Number Battle, but I call it Math Hands. It’s sort of like a rock, scissor, paper game, but with numbers. The complete instructions are here.
Labels: EFL teaching, Korean middle school.
No, of course I'm baffled as to what all the fuss is about. After all, school was effectively "over" more than two weeks ago, and we've all just been running out the clock since then. Nevertheless, they put on their uniforms and came one last time to tie up loose ends, take out the trash and maybe get a final chance to torture the seventh graders for their pocket change. Finally at about ten o'clock, they played the Korean National anthem over the PA system, and the principal addressed the student body via closed-circuit television. Few students, if any at all, paid attention. When he was done, they all went home until February.
I wish I had a break until February, but I do not (It's a long story and somewhat of a sore spot.) I will begin teaching "Winter camp" on Tuesday morning. Unlike summer camp last August, I won't have to go away for this one. The camp part is a complete misnomer in fact, and yet another example of how living in Korea is worsening my English instead of improving my students'.
I already wrote a little about what my camp program will entail. I think it will be mildly fun. My only concern is that I have no real idea who has signed up for the camp, and the activities I've chosen may be far above their level, which will suck. Guess we'll find out on Tuesday.
Labels: Korean middle school.
Vacation is officially over. I’m back in Korea, back in school, back at my desk. Back. What a ride. Mostly I’m happy to be back, and I feel recharged and determined to go into this semester with a good attitude. Of course, I have yet to teach any classes, so for all I know it could come crashing down within the first few minutes.
My school has given me today and tomorrow as prep days, which was pretty smart of them I have to say. Mid-terms start on the 29th, so this way it will give me exactly three weeks of instruction before then. The schedule will stay all nice and neat without any loose threads hanging around.
I arrived on campus this morning to find the fence around the school yard had been torn out. A teacher informed me it is to be replaced with shrubbery and things as part of a beautification project. Kudos to them for that.
Also, the same teacher told me the school festival has been cancelled this year and they will use the money instead to buy new equipment for the school, especially new computers for the classroom that had the fire last June. Again, that’s really great to hear.
I don’t quite know what to think about all this. It’s like the principal got a hold of some really good weed. Like, next week maybe he’ll renounce school uniforms in favor of tie-dye t-shirts. Or maybe not.
Labels: Korean middle school.
