Week One...Done!!

So I completed my first week of teaching here in Bucheon!!(pic to the left is my 1st day of school outfit) And, I must say...I throughly enjoyed it!! Teaching is much better than selling!! Although, it is different right now than it will be in the school year because school is not actually in session right now. They are still on winter break, so these are kids who were chosen to be able to attend English classes during their break. That being said, the classes are smaller than they will be when school is in session, I don't teach quite as many classes, and the kids who are there, for the most part actually want to learn English...but I think I am really going to like teaching when school officially starts back up. 


The kids are great!!! I am teaching 4 classes from grades 3-6 right now. I have a beginner class of 3rd and 4th graders, an intermediate I class of 4th and 5th graders, an intermediate II class of 4th and 5th graders and then an advanced class of 5-6th graders. 

The kids seem to really like the class and me me...in fact, I got presents every day after the first day!(see below) Some of the girls in my advanced class asked me on the first day if they could take pictures of me...hahahaha...so they whipped out their cell phones to get my picture. I was prepared on day 2; I brought my camera and got their picture(see picture to right). 

Classes can be rather comical...them trying to speak to me in Korean and me in English, but we are seeming to manage just fine. Since it is winter break, I don't have a co-teacher, so nobody to help me translate...and even the advanced students have very limited English...so there have been a lot of hand gestures, laughing and me shrugging my shoulders saying, "I don't know...sorry!! " Since I only have 4 classes right now, I am done teaching by 2pm and have to stay at school until 5pm, so I have been able to get all of my lesson planning done at school and not have to bring anything home!! 

I try to teach them one unit of vocabulary per day, and then end with a game or begin the next day with a game to review. They love to play games and win prizes, so it keeps them involved. I made the mistake of giving away American quarters on the first two days of class to winners of the games b/c I didn't have anything else to reward them with. I was then able to get to the store and buy stickers, but they wanted the $$$...oops!! Friday was game day, so I brought gum and chocolate to give out as prizes... they loved that!! 

So, I would have to say that week one of teaching was a success!! The other really nice thing about my school is its proximity to my apartment. It literally takes me as long to walk to my school as it does to walk across the parking lot!! They told me it would take about 5 minutes to get to school from my apartment...if I was crawling on my hands and knees, I don't think it would take me 5 min!!                                                                                              

my school, Gogang Elementary

   

wing 1 of the school

wing 2 

"soccer field"(concrete) in front of school

teachers' lounge, my desk is 1st on the left...lesson planning central

my apartment building          

               

my street, turn right, then....

 street to school