"Puppet On A String"

 It's not like me to write this many posts within a few days, but today calls for an "emergency session of the joint chiefs" as I need to vent my frustration and disapproval with the Gunpo Education Department's Web Cam Class.

I have been teaching this webcam class for the past few weeks, which frankly, I am not thrilled with - and have told my co-teachers this. There are many reasons why I dislike this webcam class - the top being:

• I really, REALLY, don't like being on camera.
• I think teaching over the web is frustrating as it's so much easier to teach in person.
• I'm teaching adult teachers rather than children.
• There are always issues with the audio/video.
• Those issues waste about 10 min of time out of a 30 min class.
• The adults I teach are also teachers with busy schedules, so their attendance is spotty (and always late).
• The textbook is horrendous, and has a complete lack of flow.
• I think it's a complete waste of my time and runs later than my normal school day.

That being said here are some of the reasons I think it is a good thing.

• It gives adult teachers in the district a chance to practice English.
• It lets them take a class without leaving their office.
  
• that's about it...

 My "student" - how would you like staring at this to teach?

Now for my ranting...

Today I was told that the Education Office wanted to come and videotape me teaching my webclass and then give me an interview. I was pissed because they didn't give me any heads-up about this, and I hate being on camera - never-mind being interviewed for their new web program that I have very little good to say about. I even told my co-teachers "I hope they don't want me to be honest - because I'll tell them how lousy I think it is!"

The Ed Office said they would be over around 4:00 (the time my class starts) to videotape/interview me. I was wrapping up my first class - of which I have 2 students, when one of the Ed Office's administrators (who went to school in Canada and speaks very good English) jumped into my lesson and told me that the videographers would be there soon. She then told me I should really be wearing their issued headset (which I didn't use because I initially couldn't get it to work, and because it makes my ears too damn hot). She instructed me to reinstall the web program in order to get it to work, which I did as her boss came in to my office (a rather pushy, fake looking, and annoying lady I might add).

We both started becoming frustrated with one another, because I was reinstalling the program as her administrator instructed, and because no one signed into my web class (I only had one student, and she was probably busy preparing her mid-term exams). So she got on the phone with her administrator who told me to log in to another teachers room. The other foreign teacher began teaching the lesson as the videographers rolled their cameras watching me watch him teach. The administrator (also logged in to make it look like there was more than 2 students in the class) stopped him and told him that I should teach his class because the Ed Office was filming. Great - now I'm teaching someone else's class! I couldn't even teach my own lesson because I wasn't the moderator of the 'room' and ended up bullshitting my way through their crappy textbook. (excuse the language, but that's how I felt!) Halfway through a sentence to these other students, the supervisor tapped me on the shoulder and said "That's enough teaching, now let's do the interview." I ignored her the first time because I thought it was rude to the adult students in the class - and wrapped up what I was saying.

For the "interview", the supervisor put me back on the phone with her admin - who said "So, this is what they want you to say, tell them the program is a great program and that it gives teachers a chance to practice and learn English without having to leave their offices, and that it is a new program that very few school systems offer, and that it is very good and fun." My reply (in my head), "So, you want me to lie??" This is what I really said "Ooooooookkkaaayyy" [insert a mix of a frustrated/sarcastic tone in there why you're at it]

So, I gave them the interview they wanted - they pay my salary I suppose, what can I really do without looking like a jerk and jeopardizing my employment with the district? - (besides blog about it to retract what I said in the interview) I felt like a complete sell-out, no better than those Fox News commentators.... (groan!)

As I've said before, almost everything in Korea is about image. From the high rates of people getting plastic surgery to give off a better image, to things like this promotional video to make the class look better than it really is. It's too bad things have to be so fake, but I guess I'm no better as I contributed to it, and gave them my fake "opinion".

Here's the kicker. After the supervisor left, my co-teacher told me that they chose me because I supposedly, "am more handsome than the other teacher" whose class I took over. I'm taking that as a fake compliment - everything else seems to follow that theme today.

"I Started a Joke"

It's been a long and tiring week. I guess I deserve it after having it pretty relaxing for the last few weeks.

The biggest dampener of the week was my co-teacher telling me that I had to attend a meeting at the Gunpo Education Office in order to take an introductory class for teaching the web-based broadcasting class. They had mentioned this last semester and it wasn't a mandatory thing, and I was teaching an after school class to my school's teacher (who never really showed up). But now to make up the lost hour, I'm supposed to teach adults online English conversation - out of a really crappy textbook. I think what annoyed me the most was the lack of information I recieved about this. All I was told was "go to the meeting," "here's the website, your webcam and headset" (no login or password yet), and "what class are you teaching?" I didn't even know what class I was teaching - the education office administrators had that all figured out. Apparently, I'm supposed to teach Wednesday afternoons, although my co-teacher thinks it's Wed and Fridays. (let's hope not!) After the first few classes I think I won't mind, but it just not the same being in front of a classroom with younger students. Adults are so much harder to teach, and the subject material has to be more serious and less interactive. My 2nd and 3rd graders love doing hangman and cryptograms. I don't think some "agemma" is going to want to waster her time and money having me teach her games.

I was pissed off about this whole thing all week, but was really looking forward to Friday afternoon. We were having an English speech competition, where students write an essay and present it to a board of judges. We assessed them based on pronunciation and presentation. Some students simply presented by reading their scripts, others brought props and memorized long essays, while the younger students acted out small skits. I was really impressed with a few of the high level students who's pronunciation was astoundingly good. There were many hard words that these students could pronounce easily. The 3rd graders were most impressive. One girl gave a speech on Plato's Allegory of the Cave - one of my favorites. Her twin gave a speech on George Washington's life and death....mostly it was about death... and one of the highest students in the school gave a very good presentation on the hopes of unification of North and South Korea.

One of the twins

 I had to take a photo of this script as it made no sense to me, and is quite funny.

(to their defense, this is the 1st graders work though)

The 1st and 2nd graders were not as impressive in their pronunciation, but their presentations were very funny and creative. I took a couple videos to share with you all.

After the competition, Jordan and I had to run out to meet the male teachers for a meeting. (aka go out, eat great food, drink a ton of soju, makoli, and mek-ju). We had a pretty good time. Our sol-goggi (beef) dinner was probably the best one I've had in quite some time. After dinner the principal invited us out to the downtown area near my apartment to go get some more drinks. One of the teachers was a drunk and kept singing "I started a joke" by the Beegees --- and then would look at me and say "Nick, you're a homo!" I didn't think his 'joke' was funny as he kept saying it over and over all night in front of the other teachers. It was pretty disrespectful for a people who are all about showing their respect. Then again, this is the same guy who peed in the corner of our hotel room on the last trip....so I guess I shouldn't expect much.