“The Impression That I Get”

Today was my first day at Geumjeong Middle School (pronounced Kuhm-Jung). The day starts off at 8:30am, so I get to leave my apartment at about 8:10 in order to make it to my classes on time. Far better than my 2 hour round trip commute to Providence everyday. There is basically six, 45 min periods - except Wednesdays when there are seven. (less classes, but you get time to work on lesson plans at the end of the day).

I won’t be really teaching until next week. Today was simply a “get to see the school, but sit at my cubicle all day and peruse the Internet” day. I’m not complaining.

Here are some of my first impressions: (in COLOR!)

1. I’m going to get some good exercise. The school is located up a hill (not a large incline, but enough to make you sweat. Also, because it’s so humid here, I’m sure the Korean students I passed by were probably saying “Hey look at the white guy who looks like he just stepped out of a shower in his clothes”.

2. There are no school buses. When I approached the school, there was quite literally a hoard of students mimicking cattle, parading up the driveway, and only coming from the opposite direction as I. A lone teacher (I think I’ll name him Russell because he’s like a cowboy rustling the cattle) stood at the entrance greeting students and made sure they were behaving.

3. The students are entertained by me. Every time I pass one they say “hi!” just to hear you talk. When it comes down to it, they are as goofy as any other middle school kids I have met – curious, silly, and rambunctious.

4. The school is LOUD. I’ve worked in many schools before, but this is by far the loudest. In between classes there seems to be little supervision and kids run around screaming, playing, pushing, etc. If this happened in most schools in CT, there would certainly be a detention.

5. I like the school bell. It rings once to signal the end of class (more like a tone), then when the class is supposed to begin it plays a chipper little tune, I'll record it some day so you can hear it.

6. There are not separate lunch periods, nor is there really a cafeteria. At least from what I know so far, the cafeteria is for teachers and is about the size of a large classroom in the States. You pick up a metal tray, chopsticks, a spoon, and serve whatever sides you would like. It costs $2. It's cheaper than bringing a lunch and was pretty darn good. I need to remember to bring a water bottle because they give you only a small drink (if I dare to even call it that). It’s labeled MBP “milk based peptide” and tastes like flavored jello/yogurt/milk. I love it, but it’s too bad it only comes in about the size of a shot glass at the school (Koreans have tons of milk drinks - just not cheese). I wonder if their bottled water is called LHOM? (liquid hydrogen oxygen molecules)? As for the students, they cart in their meals for each classroom that they pick up in the cafeteria. Students eat in their homerooms – something you may only see in lower grades or in parochial elementary schools back home.

7. The textbook sucks. Really…it’s bad. It follows a CD, which I might copy and maybe even use, but for the most part it uses pictures and follows no real structure. Apparently, I can just make up my lessons and try to use key concepts and themes from the text.

8. The teachers are super nice. They’re all really great, smiling, introducing themselves. Like most primary schools in the States they are mostly women. I already find some of them to have similar qualities to teachers from back home. There is a Natalie and Sandra look-a-likes so far (miss you guys), and I could hear the music teacher singing down the hall - she sounds like Mrs. T, but I doubt there is a resemblance besides the dark hair!

9. Yes, they practice corporal punishment and whack the kids. Within the first 2 minutes of sitting at my office desk (there are staff rooms on every floor for the teachers), a teacher came in, grabbing a girl by the arm, whacked her fairly hard, and threw her onto her knees. I wasn’t sure if it was an issue with her skirt length (they wear uniforms) or if it was part of the punishment. Later in the day, 3 boys were being yelled at (one with an ice pack on his eye) and I guess were told to stand against a wall, later the teacher had them sit on their knees. (to think about what they had done? Maybe they hit the boy in the face, maybe a teacher did—I don’t know). I figure it is best not to judge the culture; apparently this system has and does work. According to Jordan the kids actually think it is a good system because they think it really is the only way to get them to behave. No, I don’t intend on using it – I work with peer pressure to get the kids to behave. If one makes a mistake the rest suffer! (insert sinister laugh here).

10. They clean – a lot. On a rotating basis, students are assigned duties. They mop or sweep floors before and after school, serve the lunches on the carts, and at the end of the day clean the classrooms and teacher rooms. I feel a bit awkward having an eighth grader come in to my office, mop my floor, wipe down my desk, and straighten up my books. On the other hand, it’s a good way to say hi to the kids. I just hope they don’t expect a tip!

Our head teacher Kimberly told me that I’m only going to be teaching Monday through Thursday at the school, then on Fridays I’m supposedly going to be ‘teaching’ at the Education Office (basically, the Board of Ed building). What I’m doing there nobody knows, but I have to fulfill another 2 hours of teaching on Fridays. Rumor has it I might be teaching a web/broadcast based English lesson to other schools? I have no clue. But if that is the case it will suck because you aren’t really interacting with students – just spitting out information and worksheets through a computer. I could have done that from the States. On the plus side, the office is closer than the school and there is no hill to walk up.

Tomorrow I’m heading to the Hospital across the street for my physical (80,000won!) bummer. But once the results come in negative for H1N1 I can apply for the alien registration card. Then once that is approved, I can get a bank account. It’s going to take at least a month. Good thing I brought cash!

Since I don't have classes on Fridays at the school, and this Friday I am not supposed to go to the Education Office, I thought I was going to get the day off! (Nope!) Instead, I'm going to the office to 'work'. Also known as surf the net, watch videos, and maybe try to crank out a PowerPoint presentation for the kiddies. (I already made one today and began working on another already).

A quick side note: I got my iron/ironing board, and fan last night. Still waiting on my comforter that was supposed to be delivered last week. Instead of using the electricity of the A/C I slept with the fan on. Unlike the urban legend states, I'm still alive -- even in Korea. (click this link to find out more)