Getting the ball rolling!

Hello family, friends, strangers!  My parents brought to my attention that it's rapidly approaching two months since I've posted anything on here... oops! Been pretty busy, let me tell you what I've been up to...

So, I'm a teacher.  After a quick month of TESOL training in Thailand (aside: American TESOL institute DOES EXIST, I did get a job through them (that pays), and they did fulfill all parts of their contract! that's for you researchers) and a 10 day orientation in Busan I was tossed right into the mix, sink or swim.

I am at a school in Daegu called Moonseong elementary school, alternately spelled Munsong, Moonseong, Moonsung, or 묵성. This school is MASSIVE, with just about two thousand students.  I am the primary native speaking English teacher (or NET.. Korea loves acronyms) for third and fifth grade, with some shared responsibility with the 6th graders.  My schedule is, in a word, confusing.  Since the school is so massive, there are no students I see more than once a week, and the sixth graders I see alternating weeks on a rotating basis.  Since realizing this set-up is rather unconducive to following a lesson plan (hard to plan with the co-teacher when I only see the students one in six classes), they've given me full freedom to teach whatever I want.  This is a blessing and a curse.  The pure creative liberty is nice, but it's already difficult to generate ideas after six weeks of elective lessons.  Not to mention the other NET at the school is in the same boat, so we're churning through potential lessons double-time.  Any ideas would be well appreciated!!!

A few weeks ago I started my extra lessons in addition to the regular classes.  This means a class of gifted fifth graders, a grammar and writing class for teachers, and a kindergarten class.  These are some of my favorite classes, seeing as I have full liberty, and the level is more advanced so I can pretty much do anything (except, of course, for kindergarten, where the level is so low I can pretty much do nothing but play games; not complaining).  I've taught my gifted class all the parts of a story, and have them in "studios" writing a movie, to be filmed at a later date (my school is well funded, so we've got cameras and a budget for props, costumes, etc.).  Every week I give them a riddle or two, and they are absolutely loving that.  Korea is not known for it's out of the box thinking, so the first couple weeks I really had to guide them right to the answers.  It's amazing to see how quickly these kids are picking up the whole riddle, double talk, wordplay concept, and I feel like it's a really effective exercise for them in creative thinking.  Last week, unprompted, I got answers for "what word starts with P, ends with E, and has thousands of letters?" and "what goes up when rain comes down?"  answers can be submitted to my e-mail.. I'll mail you a fun-size pack of mike-n-ikes.

The teacher class is going really well, also. Every week they submit sentences, and I use the corrections to guide the class.  Having to explain my corrections is forcing me to rush up on my grammar, too, which I definitely appreciate, and was actually the reason I elected to teach the writing class over the conversation class (taught by the other NET).  It seems to be a good system, because often they're looking to translate expressions or idioms, which more often than not opens up discussion on the differences between Korean and American culture. I've been giving them some activities, as well.  I start every class with a rebus puzzle, which has had a development very parallel to the riddles with the gifted students, and after warming them up to them they seem to really be getting into it.  I also had them write cinquain poems, a stunning success!  Four poems about students and one about soccer (by me).

Finally, kindergarten.  Cute and crazy pretty much sums it up.  Though I do have one girl who's practically fluent, which blows my mind every time.  "Thank you for the class today, teacher.  Very fun games."  Soon she'll speak English better than I do.  Now if I could get the rest of them to repeat after me instead of picking their noses while they stare at me with a sort of aloof, perplexed fascination.

Ok, I have to do a load of work for the aforementioned classes, but here I am, getting the ball rolling again as promised (Dad).  Thanks for the push!

안녕히 겨세요!
Anyeonghi kyeseyo!