This week has been....uneventful so far. Yesterday was actually a really good day, but unfortunately I'm not in the best of moods right now so it's not going to come across as well as it may have. Anyway...yesterday I taught kindergarten and two fifth grade classes and both went really well. The kindergarteners are AMAZING. I absolutely love working with them...they are so cute and attentive! We learned A through D last week and a word to go with each letter. They were all on top of those, but the addition of E and F and elephant and frog was a little much, I think. Plus maybe they are getting bored. Still, the kindergarten class is the perfect way to start a week! Of course, they were preceded by our weekly assembly, which gets more boring by the week. I can hardly stand it...it amazes me that the kids are able to get through it relatively well! Maybe it's more interesting if you can actually understand what is being said.
The fifth grade classes went well, too. They are pretty small (about 20 students), so I think that helps a lot. One of them is really dominated by one boy who lived in California for four years (I think) and a couple other boys. Everyone else is really shy, which is unfortunate. I am trying to bring them out, but it's going to be a long process. At least half of the students in the other class participate on a regular basis, so that's nice for me. Although it might also have to do with the fact that I teach that class second, so I'm better at teaching the lesson then. Regardless, it's a good way to go off to lunch.
On Monday afternoon, I spent hours making alphabet games. It took so long, and I'm only through F! It's going to be a long process, but at least they'll be there for years to come once I'm done. My co-teacher was also especially chatty with me yesterday. Maybe he missed me over the weekend. He invited me to come to the beach with his family sometime...I'm not sure when. I am happy to be invited, though, both because I love the beach and I want to meet his little daughter, who is 10 months old. She sounds sassy. I think we will get along great.
I also had a couple of awkward introductions yesterday. First, I was ambushed in the kindergarten room and quickly taken to the principal's room to meet all these people on some sort of advisory board. They were the heads of the Mothers' Association and Fathers' Association and such. I don't have any idea what sort of power they have here, but they must have some if they are meeting with the good old principal! Second, in the afternoon I was asked to introduce myself to a group of teachers and principals from two other elementary schools in the area who were making the plan for my enrichment class. I am basically being asked to teach an English-only class for the most competent students, 20 of whom will come from Hongsan. There will be two levels and I am being asked to teach from 3:10 to 5 on Thursdays. I am not that happy with the time, because I was initially done at 11:50 am on Thursdays, but what can you do? I'm here to serve, after all. Plus, now I have another commitment on Thursday evenings. Last night, two strange men stopped by to see me right before dinner. I was so confused for a while, but basically they are with a construction company in town and want me to teach them conversational English. Now, I am not supposed to do this as a job under my contract because we are supposed to focus on taking in the local culture, but the way I see it, it's not really that much of a bother for me to help them and they will really appreciate it. So now I'm teaching them twice a week for free. I think I will grow to really regret this undertaking, but it's done now. Maybe they'll be really nice and pay me anyway. I would have felt really bad about saying no, anyway. It's not like it's hard for me to teach them to say hello and how are you.
Before I came home last night, though, my co-teacher took me to the top of the "mountain" right behind the school. It contains the remains of an ancient fortress from the Baekche dynasty. It has a really nice view of the area. I really love when me co-teacher takes me to do this stuff because he knows so much about it all and likes to talk, so I end up learning a lot more than I would on my own. I'm glad he likes to take me, too!
After dinner (mmmmm, curry!) some friend of my host father's came over with his family. I think they live in Buyeo. Their son is Mi-syoung's age, I think, but speaks incredible English. I have no idea where he learned it...I didn't get a chance to ask. He served as interpretor for a bit between me and my host mother. It was nice to have a clear line of communication!
Today was hectic and stressful. Even though I spent so long preparing for my lessons, they really didn't go that well. My fourth-grade lesson was a little too complicated, which I suspected before but decided to try anyway because I wanted to see if they could do it. I tried a variation of Pictionary/Taboo, but with people. We are practicing how to say "Who is (s)he" and "(S)He is _____." I think they understood by the end, but it wasn't the greatest lesson for the first half. The first graders simply had too much energy to be content coloring, and all my other activities were a dismal failure, too. I really need a classroom where students can move--where I can do some running and movement games to practice our alphabet and other activities. Alas, I am stuck in a room that barely has room to stand up. Oh, well. The second grade lesson went a little better, and the kindergarteners were as angelic as always. The other thing that sucks about my recent schedule change (besides a long day on Thursday) is that I will now teach kindergarten only once per week. I am really sad about that. They are sooooo cute! Today we did some review games and they did really well with recognition (and also trying to understand my directions for Go Fish and Memory) but didn't do so well with remembering yesterday's material. Gives me something to work on next time, I guess. They all ambushed me with hugs (my first ones here) and some even said thank you! I'm not sure where they learned that, but I made sure to give them great encouragement for doing so. They followed me all the way outside, hugging me and saying goodbye. It was a heart-wrenching separation on both sides.
I did more lesson-planning at school this afternoon, but I ended up redoing most of it this evening, anyway. I think I might just give up on the idea of getting my planning done at school. I just can't work there as well and I end up staying until 5 every day. I need my computer! And also no distractions from other teachers and students. They were both trying to stuff me with candy today.
Now tonight is just low-key. I might even have time to get in some leisurely activities like reading my book and knitting!
p.s. Blogger really isn't liking my photos lately, so I have posted them on Snapfish. You should have an email inviting you to view them. Enjoy!