an update in my crazy month

hello hello
I haven't blogged in a really long time. I have been pretty busy still adjusting, and also my summer intensives are crazy... this is my schedule:

Monday and Wednesday and Friday
9:40-10:10 class
10:15-10:45 class
10:45-11:15 class
11:15-11:45 class

1:30-2:10 class
2:10-2:40 class

3:45- 4:25 class
4:30-5:10 class
5:15-5:55 class
6:00- 6:40 class

7:30-8:10 class

Tuesday
9:40-10:10 class
10:15-10:45 class
10:45-11:15 class
11:15-11:45 class

1:30-2:10 class
2:10-2:40 class
3:00- 4:30 class

Thursday is almost the same except I don't teach from 3-3:45.

However, it really isn't much of a change... I really only have 2 or three more classes than my regular schedule.
I am learning lot about myself by being here. What I can do, and what I want to do. I really think that I can teach. I really enjoy teaching these young kids... especially the 6, 7, 8 year old kids. They are just so much fun. I like colouring flash cards, playing games, and just having fun. My favourite is when you KNOW your student has had an "ah ha" moment. You can just see the bell go off in their heads. I really honestly think that this is what I want to do. So much in fact that I think my calling is to go into primary elementary teaching.
I know teaching here will be nothing like teaching in North America, but I just love being around kids. These kids make me laugh and we have so much fun. In my Courage class I always start the class by asking how the kids are feeling. My favourite response is from a little boy named Mike. He always says really fast that he is "fine, great, excellent, fantastic, then pauses, puts his hand on his chin and slowly says good." And lately he has also been adding that he is power ranger. We then continue the class by writing the date on the board, and then I ask my students about the weather. As I do I draw pictures on the board of the weather, then of me and what I might be doing in that weather. If you know me... you know that I can't draw at all. I draw what the kids call Joulla Man. I believe that is a Korean web comic of a stick man. hahah We draw me at the beach, sometimes I am wearing a tube for the water, holding an ice cream and fishing. Mike then wants his picture too and all the other kids chant until I do. Mike gets me to draw him as superman. I do this in all my classes and the kids just love it... in my Buttercup class, which is my main kindergarten class... and the hardest to teach because all those kids are wild children, I have captains everyday, and I draw a picture of me and the captain... kids look forward to being captain for those drawings, and especially helping me mark workbook.
In Buttercup class when I mark workbook we choose a shape, most often a happy face, heart, happy heart, star or happy star. The kids love to choose which shape they want. The captain also gets to choose which colour pencil I use that day on our worksheet. I love that most of the boys cheer for the dark colours, except for Ricky... He always wants pink. He is sooooo cute. He is always very well dressed. His dad is a doctor, and his mom was the one who bought me that real burberry bag. Well one day he was wearing his ECC uniform rather than his normal burberry getup. The uniform he was sporting this day was plaid burberryish shorts, with a short sleeve pink button up collared shirt, and a red bow tie. I LOOOOVVEEEE when the kids wear bow ties! Well, Ricky runs right up to me and says "Teacher Sherry!!! (with his huge smile), guess who is captain today!" I get down to his level and ask him who indeed was captain... he responds with an even bigger smile, "Ricky is..." then he tells me he loves me and runs away. Today I saw him just after my lunch and we cuddled as we watched sponge bob! :)

These younger kids are so much more fun to teach then one of my teen classes. That class has turned into a nightmare. The kids are so rude, and just don't have the time of day for my class... I have tired everything. I wish I could explain just how crazy this class is. They always have a snarky comment, and try to find ways to trick me and have them not do their work. Let me tell you... it isn't working. I am not giving up on them! This is my goal for the year... These kids will learn something from me! haha I think having this range is really teaching me a lot about educating, and something I definitely will be able to use in the future. My last class I had with them, only 3 out of 4 students were present, but ALL three of them got 0% on their spelling tests. I told them they had to copy out their words 10 times, then I told the Korean teacher to tell them they had to get their parents to sign the test. Yeah, that is right... I was strict Sherry!!

I am so glad to have a break after that class, it helps my energy level for my last class of the day. Those kids are great. I love them. It makes ending my day so good. They are so smart, and they love learning most of the time, and we just have a lot of fun in class. My boss came into my class and asked if they had all handed in their English Diaries, but one had forgotten, which is completely out of character. She is a lot slower than the other students, and doesn't try as hard, but always does her work! I told my boss I didn't get one, but not to worry, that never happens and they are really smart... blah blah blah... I praised them up the yang. They were seriously GLOWING. My boss responded by telling them all in Korean something along the lines of what great students they were. As the class continued you could just tell that made them really happy. We had a great class, and had a few of those "ah ha" moments. This class has the same circulum as the class prior, so I gave them the same test. They didn't do very well on the test either, but keep in mind... this is their summer vacation I am teaching them on... (side note, I only teach a hogwan, (public school), they go to their public schools as well, and also other hogwans like science, math, computers, music.... etc) Anywho... I made this same class write their wrong answers out 10 times and gave them the guilt trip of me being disappointed... these students were so sad that I was upset, they promised to do better next time. I told them they needed at least 6 out of 10 for their sentence tests this Friday, or they would have to write the sentences out 10 times just like their vocab words... although I was strict you could tell that they still loved me. As I leave that class I always tell them study hard, but do something fun! haha they nod their heads look at me like I am nuts and say yesss teacher haha... I always tell them to read books and play outside... they just laugh at me. We have great conversations in class... every Monday I start by getting them to tell me about their weekends, and I tell them the edited versions of mine haha.

I made a little girl bawl today in class. I was so surprised when she started to cry. We were learning about the star shape and the colour purple. I had them all hold their purple colour pencils in the air and as that was happening, little Geena and Allie were talking. I told them three times to not talk, and the fourth time I told Geena she had to move in an extremely friendly way. She looked at me and shook her head. I have learned to not give that much attention, and took her things and nicely just put them on the other desk as I continued the lesson. She stood there, with her things on the other desk and didn't cry, but power cried. I got the Korean teacher, then all was decent... although during our next story reading class she was still a little sad. However, I would take controlling issues like that than what my teens try to get on with any day!
Also, side note. If I ever hear the song "The Wheels on the Bus" ever again, I am going to throw punches hahah. I have heard that song everyday this month. EVERYDAY. And... the kids don't like to sing it... they yell it. haha.. ohhh... but one lesson with that class was so fun.. well two stick out in my head. I made bus tickets, and arranged the seats in the class to look like a bus. I have all the kids bus tickets and roles, when the song came to their part they got to get on the bus... it was so much fun!! Then one of the lines is the parents on the bus go chat chat chat. Well I needed to teach them what parents meant... so at my wits end and having no luck, I bring in my family photo and show my parents to the class. They were soooo excited to see my family! :)

So moving to Korea I have been forced to get used to a lot. I see meat hanging everywhere, the smells are always strong, fish and gasoline mostly. This was an easy adjustment for me... I didn't even care that much when I saw the row of pig heads. However, not last night, but the night before I found something that I will never get used to. I HAD A COCKROACH in my apt! It was the biggest bug I have ever seen. I screamed, I guess typical me, took a picture, again, typical me, however I didn't get close because I was too afraid. Then called my friend Rick who lived downstairs to get it out. I hope I don't get anymore... I hear they travel in packs. I am too afraid to google anymore information!

Over this past weekend I went to Boemeosa temple with some friends. My friend Heather who I actually went to high school with posted a note on pusanweb.com and asked if anyone could take us around and tell us and translate what everything was. It was seriously amazing. One of the best things I have done in Korea so far. My minor in school was Religious Studies, and most of my courses were focused on Buddhism. I loved listening to what things were, and just understanding it! Like when they spoke about Avalokiteshvara the Bodhisattva... I knew what that meant!!! :) I really loved learning about this particular Bodhisattva... in some traditions it is a male, in other this Bodhisattva is female. At this temple she was a woman. Most of the Bodhisattva's are male, which make it so interesting. A Bodhisattva is a sentient being who takes a vow to prolong their own Buddhahood, or enlightenment until all other sentient beings are enlightened. Oh gosh... I can't wait to visit other temples!

Today was a short day at work and I was finished at 4:30 so I went to the post office, mailed my letters, then went to the beach. Today was such a great day. Normally the weather has been insanely humid, but today it was cool... but still pretty hot. I loved sitting by the beach and just day dreaming. It was my favourite part of my day! The best thing was seeing all the people at the beach. My beach isn't as busy as Haeundae... which has been known to have a million people there at one time. A MILLION. Seriously, I went there last weekend, and it was body to body. And you have to rent an umbrella to stay at the beach pretty much... so it looks like an umbrella city... I wish I had my camera with me that day. Anyways, back to my beach. At my beach today there were a bunch of people there, and it is the Korean way to not wear bathing suits. When I went to Jeju, my friend Elena bought her first bathing suit, and Hannah refused to pack hers. We went to a tropical Island! At my beach I saw what I am assuming were students in black shorts, white t-shirts and red bow ties... swimming in the beach. It was so cute.

I went to the Mega mart and bought a new lap top computer. I am pretty pleased about it. I only spend 519 000 won on it, and my friends told me it was a great computer.... I know nothing about technology. I also got a pet fish. His name is Jack. I love him. I sing to him and talk to him everyday. He is so white he is almost clear with a little orange on his head. He is named Jack since Johanna asked me what his name was as I was watching Will and Grace and Jack made me laugh!

OHH... and I solved how the mosquitoes are getting into my place... the bottom of my screen window has an opening on the metal for some reason... I need to get tape... these buggers have been driving me bananas... I swear they have bigger brains then the bugs at home! But once I get some duct tape... I will be in sleeping heaven! :)

I am sure there is TONS more I want to talk about, just can't think of it at the moment...
oh wait...
I made friends with this girl who is from Sierra Leone originally and moved to Korea from the States to work for the military. She cooked us AMAZING African food, and had Sangria... it was wonderful... Also, her apt was the BEST place I have ever seen in Korea. She had two bedrooms, a study, a laundry room, a living room, TWO BATHROOMS WITH SHOWERS, AND A BATHTUB and a kitchen! Plusss... she had a full size washer AND dryer, and a dishwasher... if anyone works for the military... look into coming to Korea... you may just get the best place I have ever seen here! And the people I talked to who all worked for the military said they loved their jobs!

Well... hope all is well.. keep in touch.. and thank you to all who sent me such lovely little smiles in the mail! :)