Aside from the split in my day between the adult class and the children classes I was enjoying the lessons and I like most of my students. In all truthfulness I think this is the best bunch of kids I have taught so far, and aside from the fact I have to drag myself out of bed to teach them in the morning I like the adult students too. Only one class is a chore, and that’s because the girls in it are so quiet you can hear a pin drop from Japan. But, as has been the case here too many times, just when I get into a routine the carpet is pulled out from under me and I am left lying on a bed of useless lessons plans and straddling a gap wider than the space between Christina’s ears.
Although I know hagwon schedules are dependent on demand, pushy mothers and the Korean public school calendar, I don’t know anyone who has had to undergo the same number of adjustments and last minutes frustrations as I have faced here. I think that it would be a lot easier to deal with if I was given some kind of explanation now and again, never mind a warning. Even with a schedule Christina teaches her classes to her own time zone, which essentially involves running over my into my class time and expecting me to combine two different levels and age groups into one class. I gave up politely reminding her what the time was and used the time “researching” on the BBC website and messaging on facebook. Despite the fact she is the manager she literally comes in to teach her classes and then disappears faster than you can say-“Would it be possible to have a staff meeting so we can discuss the students and the schedule?”
Although it’s been chopped and changed today’s schedule is pretty indicative of what occurred in January. (This is largely just for my own memories so feel free to skip it!)
10-11 Adult Class. This early morning (for me) class consists of three ladies in their early to late thirties, plus one intermittent guest who shows up when the others blackmail her. They all have a fantastic grasp of the English language although one only talks using idioms and random phrases. This is where my poor teaching skills are apparent. For the most part I understand what they are saying and trying to convey which make it’s difficult for me to correct them. But through this class I am given a small insight into some Korean customs, including those surrounding Lunar New Year. Worryingly one of students is absent at least once a week because she gets so drunk the previous night “she has a blackout” and can’t remember what she had did. After this class I head back home until around 1.40 when I head back into the hagwon for the classes with the children.
2.20-3.10 Beginners. See the picture above. Five of the cutest kids in Hongseong (sure I am biased. I still haven’t met Henry!). Jenny (the blur-she is camera shy), Jullea (“Hello, Miss Jo”), Cindy, and the twins Alice and Diane. I am supposed to spend 50 minutes teaching them what’s on a random collection of flashcards-which would be as much fun as pulling teeth with a blunt tooth pick. Instead I am teaching them how to ask and answer simple questions. Can you….? Are you…..? Do you……? And so on. Despite the fact she knows all the answers left, right and centre Jenny is very patient and understands that she should let the others answer too-she’s the youngest in the class and she’s my little star.
3.10-4.00. Basic Speaking. Ann, Lita (yes really and no explanations that her name sounds like a measurement of liquid will persuade her otherwise) and Sarah (the opposite of Jenny and as such my least favourite child). This is the most frustrating class, mainly because Lita makes everything an uphill struggle. She is one of the family of five siblings, the rest of which are a joy to teach…but hopefully she will grow out of it.
4.00-4.50. Intermediate One. Andy, Jinny and Sally. See above. I have not been consulted about any of my students and their abilities, if I had been I would have suggested Andy is too weak for this class. A factor not helped by the fact Jinny (or Rachel as she was called at New Briton) can be a little bully. Looking at my new schedule it looks like this has been taken into consideration which should mean less tears of frustration from the poor chap. Sally is the reason I love teaching because she has such a thirst for English and a real desire to learn.
4.50-5.40. Intermediate Two. Yun Seob, Sonia, and May. Yun Seob is the first student I have had who doesn’t want an English name, which is perfectly fair enough. A bigger concern came when it appeared that he didn’t like anything….at all.
Me: Yun Seob, do you like music?
YS: No.
Me: Really? Why?
YS: Just.
But after a couple of weeks he warmed to me and I can even coax coherent sentences out of him. Sonia and May work well together, (see below) and make every lesson a good laugh. This is the one class where there is not even the pretence of a book yet with these kids 50 minutes flies by.
7.10-7.40. Intermediate Three. Branden, Tom, Jun and Angela. It annoys me that the time with my best class is so short-sometimes Christina overruns so much I only get 10 minutes with them-other times I have to combine their class with the Middle School one. They have the best English ability, and since Angela was put in this class-after 2 quiet weeks in the Middle School one- everyday has been an eye-opener. I am just working on their sentence formation at the moment, but they are a very bright bunch-although Branden is imitating my sarcasm-which can only be a bad thing!
7.40-8.30. Middle School-Park Gun, Seok Jae, Jae. My main job with these boys is getting them to talk-they all know lots of English words, but when it comes to expressing themselves they are a lot weaker. They also think they can cheat when we play “Hot Seat” by talking in Korean. Awww bless.
But as of tomorrow this all change, and the only reason I know this is because I happened to spot an altered timetable over Charlie’s shoulder. During my break between lessons I sit in the main room planning the lessons for the next day. This is made apparent by the books around me (it’s not like I am trying to learn English from them) and the fact that when the kids crowd around me and ask me what I am doing I respond “Jo Teacher is planning lessons for tomorrow.” It would have taken less than ten seconds for Christina to say “tomorrow, new schedule” but that would have been too easy. It appears that I will no longer be teaching either the beginner class or the middle school one. But crucially my first class (after the adult one) won’t start until 4.50-so if I hadn’t noticed the new schedule I would have gone in at 1.40 for no good reason. I think the reason Christina didn’t tell me anything is because I will be finishing at 9.20-which is something I have been fighting since the first draft of the schedule 2000 drafts ago.
The truth of the matter is 3 months ago I would have been more pissed off than a kimchi farmer after a bad harvest but now I am just blah. Aside from the impending knackeredness my biggest gripe about finishing so late is it means I won’t see anyone on a school night. I don’t get the pleasure of a lie in and I give it two days before the schedule is changed again due to the warm, wet, westerly winds. Writing this blog entry I realise I will be very sad to say goodbye to all the kids, and of course I am glad I will have the kids to say goodbye to. But looking at my calendar I am just relieved that there are only 12 more weeks until I am one that plane home.
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