Today was busy, busy, busy, because I set myself up with too much material to prepare in my ambitiousness of Sunday. Since I don’t have a printer at home, when I do work here I am still left with a lot of prep at school—copies, cutting, laminating, etc. Such is the life of any elementary school teacher, I reckon, though most are probably more on top of their game than I am. I chalk all this up to my first year as a teacher here…it must be so much easier to teach when you already have material to fall back on! I can only imagine that with the paperwork trail I’ve already created, teaching any of this stuff again would be easier and my lessons would be better. Guess that’s where the value of experience comes in.
Anyway, I was at the school til the usual five because of my silly English Chat class, which I am growing to almost detest because it never fails that I don’t prepare something until Monday before class and it never seems to work out, anyway. There are just too many kids in the class for it to be fun for me. An hour and a half of 26 nine and ten year olds is just trying under any circumstances. Put it at the end of the day and in a completely foreign tongue, and it’s just a nightmare! I think I will like my Friday afternoon fifth and sixth grade class better because it is so small we can afford to have fun. The third and fourth grade class is just tiring and frustrating. Today was okay, but I still had to yell a lot more than I liked and they were still talking! Unbelievable. At least I’d planned a silly Halloween lesson, so they were somewhat entertained and the time went by relatively quickly. So I was finally leaving after an hour and a half of this nonsense and the teachers were having a dok and grape party without me! I mean, they invited me to sit once I’d walked into the room with an armful of art supplies, but by the time I’d put them away with my gimpy arm and closed up my room, they were basically gone. Those jerks!
I mumbled and grumbled my way home, but by some stroke of luck, my mother had expertly timed it so that I received a package on this of all days. Spirits instantly restored by a boxful of Cheetos, cookies, Reeses, and Grey’s, I headed to TKD, where I kicked worse than usual but I blame it on my lack of body symmetry stemming from my injury. I think my instructor feels bad for me for being so horribly inept and uncoordinated, but it’s cool. I may not be getting the best workout, but I am sure enjoying my time with those kids! For some reason, Ju Hui (my little first grade friend) decided to watch tonight. He was initially there with his grandfather, who looks older than the hills. I cannot believe that he is responsible for raising those two rambunctious boys! No wonder he looks old…anyone would probably be worn out by them! They were probably there to watch his brother, but I like to think he wanted to see me. He did slip out for a while and came back with presents for me! It was the most ridiculous candy that looked like a Valentine’s Day leftover to me—not because it was old from months on the shelf, but because it was just ridiculously cheesy and full of lovey dovey sayings. Guess that’s just Korea, for you—normal candy is labeled “for our love” and has such phrases as “You are my sunshin,” “Thanks for YOU,” I needs you!,” and “I want to make you happy.” This just supports my earlier observation that this kid is the biggest womanizer of all time. Ladies, watch out! He won’t be Hongsan’s secret for much longer!