On Monday night after the last evening session ended at 21:00 (Koreans use military time, so so shall I), I ventured forth with a couple of fellow trainees closer to my age than most of the recruits here. We walked down the hill to a small mom-and-pop store with a few tables and chairs outside, and drank a few beers. I am happy to have made a few friends with whom I can keep in touch while in Seoul. Steve is from Indiana, but has been teaching in Korea for four years. Gavin is from Australia, and has spent eighteen years abroad doing ESL from Malaysia to Oman.
After the last training session yesterday afternoon, I came back to my room for a short nap before dinner. Turns out my roomies had the same idea--this was about 17:15. I actually woke up again at about 22:30 to find they were both still sleeping. I guess we were tired. I went back to sleep.
Needless to say, we were all up bright and early this AM, which explains why I'm posting at 6:00!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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6 comments:
I'm just curious. Is this where you are now?
http://www.hitacademy.co.kr/intro_07.asp
-A Korean reader
Welcome to Korea~ :)
Any word on the camera? And could you post a bit more about the food? What is your room like? What have they been teaching you during training?
Thank you, Joy!
No word yet on the camera, though I have of course asked about it. The room, O my inquisitive friend, is a pretty standard hotel room, the main differences being the mud well where the shoes come off, and the bathroom--although the shower stall does have a door.
The training sessions have focused mainly on classroom management and teaching ideas--I'm getting the impression that, at least on the elementary and middle school levels, Native English teachers are more entertainers than educators.
Yes, we are definitely "encouraged" to be more entertainers than educators. When I got too serious in my classes back in June, I was told by my supervisor and principal that the kids didn't think I was fun, and that I needed to play more games with them and sing, etc. It gets pretty absurd sometimes. Koreans aren't really all that aware of how language learning actually takes place.
Also - it's not just Korea that uses military time. Almost all of continental Europe does as well.
I think its impossible to teach anybody anything really without entertaining them, don't you? Especially kids. Once it becomes a job nobody really wants to use their brains!
So you're in a hotel with roommates while you're training, but you will get your own apartment once they place you in a school, right? I hope?? When does that happen?
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