Foreigner Joy will soon be foreigner no more

This is what I looked like when I first arrived in Korea, back in spring of 2008. At that time I was exhausted but also thrilled to start my Korean life. For the next four years I learned a lot about Korean culture, it's people and mostly myself. I've had two serious Korean boyfriends in that time, and they helped shape my experience here. So what am I getting at?

I'm leaving Korea.

I will write about how I came to this conclusion and what my plans are shortly. But first I want to say something to those who have been reading this blog from the beginning, or generally keep up with it. Thank you! Really, I was able to get through the tough times and enjoy my time in Korea so much more because I had this blog. Also being involved in the K-blogging community kept me from jumping ship even earlier. I know many of you appreciate what I write and do to represent Korean life, and so a part of me is sad that I will no longer be contributing after I leave. However, I think what I leave behind here on this blog will be helpful to other's in the future and certainly will remain as a great way for me to look back on life here.

With that said I also want to say something to those who might be saying, "I guess Joy has given up." "Korean life was just too hard for her anyways, she must not have tried hard enough to live here." When you live somewhere for four years, especially in another culture, you do spend a lot of time making it your home. There are folks in Korea who have been here a long time, made it a point to learn Korean, and have engulfed themselves in the culture by either marriage or other means. These are "lifers" and for a while there I thought I was one of them. But my life changed and wasn't really going down that track anymore (I'll write more on this later when I talk about why I have decided to leave). In short I want to say to those who might think I have "given up", that making a decision like this is not easy.

So why am I leaving and where am I going? I am going to detail the "why" part in a different post as I feel it would be good to give a better description of this then just, "It was time."

As for where I am going...well. I decided to go back home and go to Graduate school. After spending considerable time researching I have decided to go to Seattle University and attend the M.A. Ed. TESOL program. You see I decided that I need my American life back and I also want to advance in this field. Now, I'm no fool and know that the American job market is tough. I won't be guaranteed work after I graduate. Yet I am willing to relocate myself again to where job opportunities may be. If there is a job in Arizona that would hire me, I'll take it! Perhaps I'll even head out again and this time to Japan.

So from now on I'll still be sharing posts about my remaining time here in Korea (I'll be leaving at the end of my contract in February). Also I'll talk about my move and my time here in Korea. Once again thanks for following me through all these years or weeks...it's been a pleasure keeping this blog. So time to move on...and get going!

Last Few Days of Camp Finally

There are just three more days of camp and thank goodness! Although, tiring and often mind-boggling strange, the camp has been going pretty well. I have learned what the low-levels need and how better to pace myself for them. They take time to process the English and I try to give it to them in a slow yet understandable manner. But mostly they want to learn through games, crafts and activities. I guess that is true for all first-graders.

Camp, as mentioned earlier, wasn't planned very well even though the planning committee did do hard work. I want to step up for winter camp and plan some new stuff for them, but am trying to lay-low so not to seem like a pushy person.

With camp nearing it's end that means next week I will have my time off and go to Jeju. I am excited but also a bit worried, because it will be hot down there and most of the food you can find is seafood. I really hope to get to a supermarket my first day and stock up my pension with things to make for breakfast. Really though, I am trying to tell myself to just go there and relax. Don't worry about whether you get out and see everything or find the most delicious meal on the island. Mostly, I am looking forward to swimming and seeing several sunsets. Really, I don't know if I want to ride around the island everyday to go see something, when I could be at a nearby beach. Plus there are several sights to see in my area of the island.

I know that after vacation the next semester starts and I am already mentally preparing myself. I want to get through it without any hiccups. I know there will be times when I am approached by my Korean homeroom teachers and that I really need to give a nice face to it all. Last week, I approached the person who hired at me at the school (he is also the head-coordinator) about my position. After the kids went home I went up to his classroom. I basically introduced that I don't talk to him much and would like to say "Hi." I got around to asking him how I am doing at the school and got good feedback. He told me he hears that I work hard and that is good. But then he asked me, "How do you feel about the Korean teachers?" I went blank for a little bit and then smiled and said how I enjoy them and like working with them. I also talked about how for next camp I would like to contribute. He was enthusiastic to hear this. I basically just wanted to make sure he knew that I liked the school and my position. I know most of what he hears about me comes from third parties so I wanted to make sure he heard my side. Hopefully, this will help plant a seed for the future when he is considering my renewal.

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, especially how I have grown since my first time in Korea. Sometimes I look back on my first summer here and can't believe it all. I certainly felt so scared and alienated at that time. I am glad to be where I am here in Korea and hope to grow more on this peninsula.

ExpatAbundance: Launch

Just want to let you guys know that I have spiffed up my new blog Expat Abundance with a new post. I am going to run a series on that blog where I will feature KBloggers and entice you to visit their blog. Who knows I might even get around to personally interviewing some people. 

Today's feature is Coco in Korea, so go check out my post and perhaps even explore her blog.

**For those with their own blog out there don't be afraid to link to my new blog so folks can get to it and check out the lists I provide and the features.**

That "qualified" Thing

This is a response to recent comments on my post "Up Against The Competition." I think, although heated, most of the comments were on point and did a good job of correcting my thoughts.

But still I feel the old debate of what makes a "qualified" teacher is worth some harder thinking. However, I am not really interested in analyzing this aspect right now but rather want to focus on what it is like for those who are, academically speaking, "qualified" to teach in the Korean public school.

It is my assumption that this person would find themselves working with people who have little to no understanding of the tools they have brought with them. Korean public schools, especially Elementary, are still breaking out of the rote-memorization process of teaching. The "English Zone" in the school is likely to be the only place where they experience Western based methods of teaching. Meaning putting the students first and letting them explore in order to find the answer.

That is why I feel it is great for people with experience teaching to come here, because they can pass on what they have learned to their coteachers but also give Korean students a chance to experience learning on different levels. Despite the fact that I have no teaching credentials I have always naturally taught my classes based upon my experience as a student back home.

Of course these are all assumptions and I can only write from my own experience. I just really want to know what our Korean coteachers expect of us in the classroom. Until now all I have been told is that they want us to be "fun and active" like those guys on the "EBS English" channel. In other words, they want us to be clowns. In some aspects, for instance teaching kindy - 3rd grade, I can agree that a lively attitude is all but necessary. But asking us to just be "fun and active" means that anyone could do that. Are they going to hire someone with a Masters in Education and years of experience in the classroom to be just "fun and active." If I came here and heard that, with those qualifications behind me, I would feel insulted.

Again, though I could be wrong and just spitting out a bunch of bias, and that is why I want to be proven wrong. I want to know that Korean coteachers and Principals want their Native Teachers to come up with enriching lesson plans that involve kids using all their skills and learning on all levels. I want to know that they aren't just interested in pleasing the parent's and having someone at their school with "Ooo-ahhh" credentials.

Wherever I will be next year I will be sure not to act all high and mighty just because I have two years experience. Instead, I plan on focusing on my students and designing lessons and materials that will truly engage them. In my execution, I plan to be a lively and active person but within the limits of my own body's ability.

The fact remains that so many of us teachers in the classrooms across this nation have little-to-no qualifications teacher wise. Yes it would be our responsibility to get more credentials, but I also feel it is the Korean government's responsibility to give better and more proper training to us. If you are going to hire "unqualified" folks and not give them enough training then don't act astonished when they quit or don't live up to your expectations.

Finally, no matter what kind of person a school hires, whether it be a "qualified" vs. a "recent-grad-off-the-plane", for goodness sake Korea give these people more training in how to work with a Korean coteacher and in the Korean school environment. Hey, I know! Why not have the Korean coteachers and the native teachers go to training together? Oh that's right...you would rather put your money elsewhere.

All right...your thoughts.

Up Against the Competition

Job hunting this time is bringing in some surprises. For one public schools are looking to hire people with teaching credentials or a degree in English or education. How do I know this? Well I have already seen schools in my area hiring teachers with these backgrounds, and today a recruiter told me that the positions I applied for all want someone with "real" experience.

Now, don't get me wrong. I do feel it is a good turn in the right direction to start hiring people with actual backgrounds in teaching. This might help teachers adjust here more and also bring new develops to school's English programs. But of course it also means that I am now up against a certain kind of competition that I can't do anything about. In my opinion, my two years experience at public schools should be equivalent to someone's teaching credentials. Mostly because I have learned what works in Korean classrooms and have worked hard through trial and error to get the students excited and learning. But I can see why a school would want a person with actual teaching experience as opposed to the regular just-graduated person.

I did ask the recruiter, whether I had a chance of getting a job next year and she did say yes. I am still going on the hypothesis that it is still too early for most independently hiring public schools. However, if most of the schools out there desire a teacher with an education background I have to wonder if there is enough in supply. But given the current job market in America and other parts of the world, I would say that there are probably a lot of applicants in that category.

I suppose this all means that I have to stand up taller and fight for a job out there and work harder at it. In the past, I think, most people are use to just kicking back and waiting for the recruiter to ring in with a position. I am definitely noticing, this time, that you have to call them up or email and remind them you are still out there. Of course not in an obnoxious way.

**Update: I want to say that this post is my nervous response to being on the job hunt. Knowing that I am not as qualified (credential wise) does make me worry. But I wanted to make the point that schools are starting to want more than just your "native" voice, which I actually feel is a good thing. My only wish is that no matter who they hire more proper training would be provided for the cross-cultural workplace. **

Well it isn't all gloom out there, and there are plenty of other schools. Also I have been considering going back to hagwons. Just thought this recent development was an interesting aspect of the job hunt.

Questions Over Tea (In-Person Interviews)

Last week I went to two in-person interviews at two completely different types of schools. From what I experienced I can see that the competition is fierce and schools have the upper hand.

The first interview was at a hagwon or private academy. I am not really looking to work at a hagwon since I have gotten use to not teaching kindy and I like the public school schedule. But I was sold by the ad and I knew the recruiter. He basically sold the school as one of the best. Indeed, as the interview developed,  I realized it really was a diamond amongst them all. The interview was on Thursday, after work, and I showed up on-time.

I was greeted by one of the head teachers and was told to take a seat, while she got me a cup of tea. Then she came back in along with another head teacher. I was told usually they conduct the interview with all the teachers and the director, but due to the timing that wasn't happening.

Their questions were really serious and a few took me by surprise. Although I was nervous I tried my best to answer honestly and to share points that I thought would show me as a good candidate. Here are some of the questions they asked:

• What are your strengths? 
• What are your weaknesses?
• What would you do if there was a bully in the class?
• What would you do if there was a shy student in the class?
• Are you comfortable teaching kindergarten? 

Then I met with the director who pointed out aspects of the contract and asked me a few similar questions. The other two left the meeting (I said thank you and shook their hands) and I was left with the director. He asked me if I had any questions about the contract and I just asked simple things like sick days.  Then he showed me around the school and I complimented him on how nice it looked, and lastly I was out the door.

Although I felt really positive and excited after the interview I found out today that they didn't pick me. There were 4 positions and the recruiter told me they interviewed 7 people. In a way I feel kind of left out of this "secret club" of well treated hagwon workers with amazing pay and an amazing house. But then I also feel relieved because it would have been a 40 hour work week (36 teaching) that included kindergarten kids. At this time, when I am thinking of upgrading to middle school kids, downgrading to kindy doesn't really make sense.

Then came Friday where I had an interview all the way up in Nowon, Seoul.

source

This was for a Private Elementary School, meaning it goes by the regular public school schedule and has within it all the usual benefits. But instead of using the national curriculum they give English teachers a subject to teach like Math, Science or Language Arts. One of the eye catching parts of this job was that you get to have your own classroom and own grade to teach. 

I was excited for this job but the hagwon left me excited to teach for them. However, I tried my best to show enthusiasm at the interview.

I had to leave work after lunch on Friday to get to the school in Nowon at 3:30. Indeed, it took me nearly two and a half hours to get there. I walked up a tree lined street with large apartments on all sides, which made me wonder where the teachers lived. Then I came to the school, which was like a public school but with a great make-over. The kids were running around wearing uniforms and matching little yellow backpacks.

I found the meeting room and was told to take a seat and the coordinator would be down soon. I waited for him over a cup of warm tea. When he came he looked tired and busy. In fact he told me that he has been having a lot of interviews and because of this has been busy. He told me he didn't really have the time to look over my details closely. I said "no problem" and that "he could ask me anything."

As he asked me questions and listened to me talk he looked over my resume and cover letter. Some of his questions were:

• How do you feel about teaching Math?
• Do you need the housing deposit? 
• What grades do you like most?
• Why do you like teaching?
• What are your best characteristics?
• Do you consider yourself a really organized person?

The "Math" question was due to that he noticed I have a degree in art and that he has gotten a lot of applicants with a degree in art. I told him honestly that I would never really imagine myself teaching math, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.  I expressed my happiness in the math classes I took in college. He was a bit surprised to hear I took math in college, so I explained to him that it was part of the basic requirements for getting the degree. Also I told him that in class there will likely to be students who don't like math so it will be up to the teacher's skills to make him interested. I was trying to make the point that a math major isn't necessary to teach math. He seemed impressed.

The "organized person" question was his way of indirectly asking me if I don't mind it when my manager asks me to do something at the last minute. In other words, how do I handle the Korean work environment? I first answered with the typical, "Yes, I am organized" and then switched into, "Yes I don't mind getting information at the last moment." Basically telling him that I have adjusted to the Korean work environment and understand it all. He smiled at this.

All I can gather from this interview is that the guy has a lot of candidates and so many number of positions. The school has 23 Native Teachers already teaching grades 1 - 6, so I suppose a bundle of those aren't staying on board. He told me he has to work out who fits where and will get back to me by the end of next week. On my way out there was already another guy ready for his interview. Oh, I forgot to mention that I brought with me a folder of my summer camp work to show him. He looked at it and seemed impressed.

I left feeling good about this interview, but at the same time unsure since the guy was a little out of it. I am excited for the school and it's program but not the location.

More opportunities come up every week on Dave's ESL job board and elsewhere. Plus I have a few recruiters on the job. But regular public schools are still too early to look for. In the end, I don't really want to move away from this area and feeling queezy about living in the cement-blockade that is Seoul. But I really want a good challenge next year and will apply to schools that I see could provide this.

Monday is coming ~ what opportunities are around the corner?

The Changed Job Market for Public School Seekers

As I consider my future job hunt here in Korea I am starting to recognize how much things have changed. First let me just say this is only in regards to public schools, since that is my target. Also keep in mind this is for those looking for a public school in Gyeonggi-do and not going the way of the GEPIK application. Meaning finding a school that searches for their own teacher instead of having one randomly placed there. One could still apply to GEPIK and find themselves placed at a school randomly but only for the Fall or Spring start.

Now that I got that out of the air let's look at how things have changed for those seeking a public school outside the application process.

Last year I was looking for a job around this time. I was in Korea and just got my TEFL certificate and was finishing my previous school. I had several offers and more were coming in towards the end of my contract. I was just looking for elementary schools and in a target region of Yongin and Bundang, so things were naturally limited. Yet I did have offers and even some schools willing to hire me on the spot.

Although I am not looking for a job currently my foreign coworker is and has been having trouble. Things are definitely more competitive now and schools are for sure being more picky. Another factor seems to be that people are choosing to continue their careers here in Korea so there are more experienced people to compete with than before.

However, my coworker has had several offers, one she rejected and others rejected her. I believe she has landed a job now but there are some complications in her documents. So things aren't terribly bleak but from what I can tell she didn't have a whole lot to choose from. In the past you could have more choices but these days being picky is hard.

The landscape of job hunting for a public school in Korea has changed because there has been a surge in applicants and schools have become pickier.

I saw what was happening to my coworker as warning signs for my future job hunt and so decided to contact a few recruiters with my concerns.

Recruiters Expressing the Change:

The following are the responses I got from several recruiters. I won't mention who they are but they are coming from reputable sources.

1. "We have not been too successful with these of late. (Talking about independent public schools)
   Getting the match is simply too hard and usually a waste of time for us.
   Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now.
   If we are lucky enough to have those candidates, we have to be able to offer them positions in the locations they desire.
   If we are incredibly lucky to still have a match, the teacher has to be able to pass the interview and get the docs in before the other applicants from other companies.
   It just does not usually work out. So we will not be dealing with independent schools anymore. Life is too short for them.
   I do hope you find something you want."
2. "Honestly competition among foreign teachers to get a position is really intense so far. Even stable public schools or private academies’ principals tell me they want teacher who has degree in English or Education or Teacher license. Or they are looking for a teacher who has teaching experiences in Korea AND who is in Korea. Because economy in Korea is bad like the world does. So their budget is reduced. They need to stay on the budget and have to hire qualified teacher. So they choose to do not pay overseas flights then hire a qualified teacher. Even some Public schools and private academies don’t care TEFL, TESOL.
   School needs to prove they have good quality teachers for students. Most foreign teachers who already stay in Korea currently, they are extending to contract with school for next year. Because they heard there are no opportunities to make money back home now. I think you don’t want to work for bad institute during your rest of contracted days. So I’m telling you about present scene of Teaching in Korea. Anyway I didn’t mean to knock you down about it. But if my say made you it, I apologize to you."

 This line "Most schools want experienced, white, young, pretty, US females in Korea now " seems to be the most controversial part of this new job hunting game. Even on Dave's ESL cafe there are threads where people go on about how they can't get a job because they don't fit the new biased criteria of schools. We can sit here and discuss this discrimination and outright illogical thinking, but the reality is schools have the upper hand. In that case one needs to prepare themselves for a much harder job hunting climate.

My advice to get a job in this new climate:

1. Be patient! Look at the reality of the situation and understand that it might take longer than expected.
2. Get a professional photo. It really doesn't take much to put on an ironed dress-shirt and sit in front of a camera. In fact you can go to your local Emart or Lotte mart and make a visit to the photo booth section. Here they can take your photo under those studio lights than do a little photoshopping to make everything look smooth. You can get both digital and hard copies to take home. From what I have heard on Dave's ESL, and from what my coworker has experienced, this seems to be working like a charm. Consider your professional photo next to other applicant's casual ones, which one do you think they will take more seriously.  
3. Be nice to the recruiters. They probably have no worries with getting paid. So if you are rude or impatient to them they can likely put you on the bottom of their pile. I suggest keeping things simple and concise when communicating. Also some might not know all the answers to things such as immigration issues or (well) your life.
4. Have a Plan B, C, D... Because the job market is tougher one should have a plan if they don't get a new job right after your current contract ends. Either make plans to go back to your home country or choose to stay in Korea. You can stay here on an extended visa or go in and out of the country and stay here on a tourist visa. This goes without saying, but have money saved up for this in between time.
5. Send photos of your work with children: Some might say schools don't want to hire experienced teachers because they cost more. However sending pictures of you working with happy smiling children might convince a school otherwise. If you are working at a school now ask your coteacher to take your picture during a special activity. 

It is my opinion that there is no solid "one type" of person that schools are looking for. One school might want an experienced applicant while another wants one fresh off the boat. Yes it is important to keep in mind that most schools are choosing just based on age, race and looks. We all know this is wrong but it is the way it is. That's why you have to take what you got and step it up a notch! 

Although, all of this makes me nervous I can't help but see that it was inevitable. With the job market being so poor in America (and other countries) and new graduates having trouble finding work coming here looks like gold. 

The most important aspect I feel, in the end, is to support each other. That is what I am doing right now by providing this insight I feel on the current job market.

But let's hear from you!

Are you having troubles finding a new job?
If you work for a hagwon are things changing in that sector too?
Any words of wisdom?

Comments?

Reason Behind the Name

It has been spinning in my head for quite some time now to mention about how I came to name my blog Foreign/er. Also if you notice my name "Joy" is in the blog title inside the URL.

I came to this name "Foreign/er" when I was preparing to come to Korea and knew I wanted to blog about my experience here. Before coming to Korea I had graduated college and was working at an insurance company. It was banal work of making reports and researching quotes online. If I had stayed with that job and got into becoming an insurance agent I probably could still be living in San Francisco and making a nice sum of money. The picture is that I was a post-graduate living in a 2-bedroom apartment, with a roommate, and dreams of becoming something other than an insurance agent.

I had always wanted to go abroad either to study or just to have the experience, because I had never been outside the American border. During my junior year of college I was working on applying to study abroad in China, but after I became seriously ill the idea was let go.

There I was sitting in the insurance office and making my plans for teaching in Korea. I was thinking about what my experience would be like when I got to Korea. It came to me that Korea would be a foreign country and provide many foreign experiences. But I also realized that I would be a foreigner to Korean's eyes. I immediately realized that there was a dual relationship of living abroad.

• Korea is foreign to me.
• I am foreign to Koreans. 

That is where I came up with "Foreign/er". To put a "/" there between "Foreign" and "er" felt appropriate. I knew I would have experiences of seeing the foreign and that Korean people would have experiences of seeing me the foreigner.

To this day this concept still holds strong in my mind, especially when I am caught in a moment where a Korean person (old, young, middle aged) stares at me for a long time. In that moment I experience this "Foreign/er" concept of mine and actually try to hold on to it. I stare back and smile, which works really well with children.

The "Foreign/er" concept has presented itself in many situations as I have lived here. Many times I experience it with my boyfriend when we have a conversation about Korean life and society and find ourselves disagreeing. Other times I have it when I am experiencing something distinctly cultural about Korea, that can't be had anywhere else in the world.

This concept can also apply to my work where I have had struggles with accepting and understanding the dynamics of the Korean workplace. Along with being in the classroom and having moments with my students.

You might think that this is a kind of "outsider" and "insider" way of looking at one's life here in Korea. Or an "us" vs. "them" point-of-view. But I beg to differ, because the way I see it is that I am attempting to see myself from both my own point of view and that of the people of Korea.

I keep track of my blog by using Google Analytics, which is a software that can tell you what keywords people put in to get to your blog and which websites are linking you. Surprisingly, the number one keyword for a long time that people use to end up on my blog is Foreigner Joy. I don't know if this is because they heard my blog's name somewhere or they are specifically looking for "joy" from a "foreigner". If it is the latter one than I have to think people are coming to my blog to find foreigners feeling happy in Korea. One wonders if these people find what they are looking for when they come here, mostly because I have expressed my discomforts towards Korea. But I do try my best to balance it out with positive posts.


The thing is having the name "Joy" people might think that you are joyous all the time. Or that you are going to write about joyful things as a theme. That is fine, but so far I haven't explicitly done this on my blog. Yet it's an idea I am willing to toss around and use.

There you have it, the reason behind my blog's name "Foreign/er" or "Foreigner Joy." I hope this sheds some insight into the psychosis of my blog.

Let me know your opinion of my blog's title and what you thought it meant when you first stumbled onto it. Otherwise it would be fun to hear any catchy K-Blogger titles you have been thinking of.

Post Air Travel Rambles

The past 24 hours have proven to be both tiring and inspiring. First off my flight to SFO was delayed due to waiting for other people from other flights to connect to mine. Then while in the air we were delayed landing because SFO was having a traffic jam. When I looked at the mini-map on the screen in front of me I saw a loop-de-loop shape over Oregon.

The flight itself was pretty good, which was Asiana Airlines by the way. I think, however, that because I have regularly flown Korean Air that I have been spoiled. Let me just say that Korean Air has their butt together, and the food tastes better.

Yet once the lights turned off I put in my ear plugs and put on my eye mask and made myself a comfy little corner near the window and tried to get some sleep. I kept on waking up to adjust myself and  move my neck around.

Before they turned off the lights I think they tried to entertain us to compensate for leaving an hour and half late from Korea. They did this by parading around the plane in traditional Korean clothes, like it were a show at a folk festival.

The rest of the flight was pretty smooth. Then came landing and I made my way through the immigration maze.

Yes it was great to see English all around me and hear it being spoken too, but this was still the International side of the airport. It felt as if I was at the delta of a huge melting pot river ready to burst out.

As I waited outside for my hotel shuttle I had a view of the mountains, houses and freeway.

It doesn't look like much but concrete and blue sky, however to my eyes it was like seeing something for the first time again.

First off if you have never been to San Francisco and the Bay Area then you might not know what I mean by all this. The air smelled fantastic! It had the distinct sea smell mixed with eucalyptus. It was home in every sense of the word from scent to sight.

I nearly cried as I looked out over this imagery. Sure I had been in America last year on my summer vacation but this time around something struck a nerve in me.

I checked in to my hotel, called family and took a long hot bath. It had been since last November when I took bath, which was in Osaka at the hotel during my visa run.

Then I watched a little TV to chill out, which was interesting as I had somehow forgotten that American TV has a lot of commercials.  My hotel room...

After vegging out I decided to go look around the neighborhood.

This is the suburbs of San Francisco, which is up in the more Northern parts on the peninsula. It is suburbia, quiet and quaint. Soon many things felt like a novelty, like having to push the button to cross the street.

Yet as I walked through the neighborhood my emotions ran high. This was just a typical street on any here in Northern California, but to me it became so special.

It brought back memories of when I lived around Northern California in various places. The quietude and sharp contrast to a Korean neighborhood started to get to me.

Seeing the American flag people had put out to decorate their lawns or houses felt so symbolic.

Of course, it was recently July 4th.

I have been trying really hard in my tired and fatigued head to talk about this experience without painting Korea as this god-awful place and America as the ultimate utopia vision.

What I realized was that it wasn't really about that Koreans live in tall apartment complexes while Americans (in most areas) live in houses. No, this was personal and was touching on the emotional roller coaster I have been riding since I have been working at my current school.

I can't tell how many times I have cried, crumpled my forehead in anger and lost all hope over what are probably trivial occurrences at work. Last February when I was having the worst of it I felt so desperate that I wanted to just pack up and go home.

Seeing these houses with their comfortable curtains and green lawns made me become aware of what I value so much in life. That is comfort, both in work and home. A sense of peace and comradeship at the workplace.

It feels like every since I went to Korea all I wanted to do was get it right. To do the right things and not disrupt their culture. To learn and accept the differences and be a perfect little diplomat. Yet ever since things messed up at the hagwon my faith in myself to accomplish this has always been shaken.

For some reason coming back to America and seeing the suburban houses I felt a sense of relief that it is all still there and solid. But, most importantly, everything here revolves around a different society, one which is familiar and like a soft pillow.

Before getting on the plane, yesterday, I ran into these two very crucial aspects about Korean culture, that of Kibun and nunchi.

Kibun – The word kibun has no literal translation in English, however, as a concept that permeates every facet of Korean life, it can be described in terms of pride, face, mood, or state of mind. In order to maintain a Korean’s sense of Kibun, particularly in a business context, one must show the proper respect and avoid causing loss of face. In a culture where social harmony is essential, the ability to identify another’s state of mind, often referred to as nunchi, is crucial to successful business ventures. For this reason, you must be aware of subtleties in communication, observing non-verbal and indirect cues that often suggest the true sense of what is being communicated. 

After reading up on this a lot of the broken pieces started make sense and would fit into a focused puzzle.  One example from my experience is asking my coteachers in a direct manner about matters at work.

The point I am trying to make is that Korea has this kibun and nunchi society, whereas America mostly and practically doesn't have it. Sure Americans are perceptive to each others moods, but our values are elsewhere.

Seeing these houses reminded me of how hard Korean life has been and how much I strive to understand yet seem to always come out even more confounded.

To move on with my return-to-America story I then went on to find a Walgreens (Pharmacy) and went inside to see what they had. Then I moved on back towards the hotel to have a bite to eat.

While I did so I saw a Korean tofu house restaurant.

Tomorrow I will get back on another plane and fly out to Florida to visit family. I know my initial reaction to coming back to America was emotional. Inside I don't feel it is really negative, but something that will allow me to asses better the past 2 years in Korea and see more clearly into my future. 

If anything what I really know is that my biggest battle with living in Korea isn't with accepting the different scenery, rather is the experiences I have with my Korean work-relationships. So, if I desire to make a life in Korea then that is one area I truly must grow in.

Up Ahead

I just wanted to make an update here. It is already July and to me that means that summer is whizzing by fast. I don't want summer to end as much as the humid heat makes me sweat. But what can you do? Right?

I should look on the bright (sunny) side because in nearly two weeks I will be on a plane to America. My second summer vacation will be spent in Florida and California. Within about 14 days I am going to bounce around America and visit my relatives and past living places. I am excited but nervous at the same time. Another thing I am feeling is that I haven't yet really grasped that this is going to happen. I mean I have planned for it really well. Got my hotels and car rentals booked. I even bought a travel notebook to keep it all straight. Yet, inside I feel like my life in Korea is going to keep on puttering without interruptions.

I look forward to this visit. I know that going will help get some perspective on my life here in Korea and also I get to reconnect with close relatives. The future is going to roll around and this job contract will eventually be at it's end. What to do then?

You may have been wondering why lately there haven't been many posts featuring adventures with JH. This is because JH is Korean and therefore works his ass off during the week. On the weekends he is a very tired man who desires rest. Unfortunately he is with me who wants to go out and seek new places. Yet I don't want to harm the poor guy. So lately we have been resting together and doing mild things. Also he has been attending hagwon English classes during the week so that adds more to his tiredness.

As for my job it is also puttering along. Nowadays there has been a new feeling amongst the Korean coteachers. They seem less interested in talking or caring about us Native teachers. I am not sure what caused this and probably will never really understand. I think though they are just trying to get through till the semester is over. Probably just burnt out from work and all the stuff that goes along with it. I haven't gotten into any scuffles so that is good.

We are already over half-way through 2010 and I wonder what lies ahead?

2011 GEPIK Rumors

My open class was today and it went pretty smoothly. Really, what can I say if the people who attended showed up late and left early?

As an English teacher working for GEPIK these are just some of the unexepected turns this job can take. In fact, usually we don't know what is going on underneath the surface at our own school. On a broader scale being brought up to speed on changes within the curriculum and such are also kinds of information that somehow doesn't make it to us. If you have taught and worked in Korea for a while you will know that being told about changes usually come at the last minute.

However, I feel that instead of waiting for the information to come to me I will just dig it out of my peers and coteachers.

Recently I posted a topic on the GEPIK teacher's Facebook group probing its members to respond to my inquiry about upcoming changes. I also posted this same topic on a forum-based website for teachers in Korea.

The Rumors:

I would like folks to please post any rumors they have heard from coteachers or other Native Teachers about changes for 2011.

What I have heard:
- Grades 3 - 6 will get new books.
- Schools will choose the material / therefore not everyone will use the same book / meaning we may not be able to easily share materials
- Grades 5 & 6 will increase to 3 times a week

What have you heard???

The responses I received were very interesting and ranged from the serious to lazy. Things have calmed down now and not many people are posting so I thought it would be a good time to anonymously share their responses.

Most people seemed to know about the book changes and were familiar with that, however there were a few that didn't know our schools will end up choosing the book. In fact, I heard from my coteacher that the local government will pick 4 textbooks and then schools can take their choice from these 4.

3 & 4 are getting new books again next year. They are seen 3 times a week, as well. It is supposed to be twice by the native teacher and once by the Korean teacher alone. 5 & 6 will change text books the following year. I am pretty sure they will still be seen 3 times a week like they are now. I am aware that some schools do not have enough native speakers to cover the 2 classes per week, but based on the cirriculums, that is what they are supposed to be having. That being said, schools will adjust accordingly. For example, 5th grade in my school does not see the native teacher, but 4 and 6 see us twice a week. 3rd sees us once and the Korean teacher alone 2x.

Not sure if that is helpful or not.

Increasing the classes means increasing the teaching hours of Native Teachers. However most of us are at our max and already doing overtime with after school classes. Keep in mind that we can only go to a limit of 28 teaching hours per week. Typically, 20 - 22 of those are with the normal classes. 

Getting rid of Native Teachers???

how about the fact that the GPOE ditched the 'intern teachers' even when schools wanted to keep them, in favour of bringing more crappy teachers here... I work my butt off to keep my job and the GPOE would rather have someone who is less competent and pay them more... and that in 2012 the GPOE is gonna start getting rid of native speakers bc they think that they have enough Korean teachers who speak English well enough to teach conversation.

there are more important things than changing textbooks that we should be looking at.

This writer brings up a curious point that many teachers don't know about. Personally, I don't know what to believe or make of this. I agree, though, that there probably are more important things to worry about than our books changing. Certainly, if you think about it, we can't expect the Korean government to permanently continue to import Native Teachers. One person replied to this by saying:

Here's a fun one for you... by 2012, the Korean government is planning to replace all English teachers with Korean English teachers who can TEE (Teach English in English). I've seen official documents, I've been to a lecture about it; but luckily it is not just GEPIK, but EPIK and all other English Teachers in Korea. Good Luck Guys. Keep on top of it!

Personally, I have to think whether it will affect me or not. By 2012 what will I be doing?

More responses:

... no they are not. I think you've gotten something wrong in translation. I'm pretty sure it would be impossible for them to do that with any good effects. they are STARTING to do this. my coteach went to some meeting and her english is excellent, this is what she said. I'm also fairly certain that its ONLY gyeonggi as 1)GPOE is a bit crazy and 2) EPIK is still supporting TALK... also to note the Gyeonggi Education minister was re-elected, NOT the one who made all the changed last year, bc this guy was brought in part way thru the year AFTER the annoying changes had already been made...

the Teaching English in English thing is absolutely true as I know of co-teachers busy with the training at the moment. I do not see this working as the material itself is full of mistakes, but this seems to be what they are aiming for. I do not see them however firing all the native speakers at once, I think it will be a systematic replacement if that at all, because I fail to see even some of the most competent co-teachers teaching on their own. They have too much of a struggle with pronunciation first off and secondly grammatical structure is a nightmare to them. So, the education department will either realize this halfway throught their "replacement project" and keep us around OR they won't and in another 10 years start bringing native speakers back in again. I won't worry too much about it, cause if all else fail and you are really deadset on being an ESL teacher, there are always the hagwons, I doubt those are going away anytime soon ;)

 Resolution:

I think you run the risk of wasting a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what is happening and obsessing about things you have no control over if you constantly try to keep up with what is happening internally at the education department. Also considering that each new minister changes things to his liking...

Bottomline: we are at the BOTTOM OF THE BOTTOM of the food chain here and we have no say. I have been with GEPIK for the last 4 years and if there is one thing I have learned it is not to worry about "what might happen".

Certain Native Teachers don't deserve to be here?

One individual made a complaint about how they see that some people don't deserve the job...take a look..

This brings about another topic...It may or may not be realated: I've met many foreign "teachers" who do not deserve to be teaching. The system needs to do better background checks and proper interviews and not choose teachers who "look" qualified. I have a friend who is leaving her middle school position at Byuk-jae middle school and when given two resumes (one a Vietnamese woman an impeccable resume and excited sounding cover leter and a Gyopo male with NO experience and dull sounding cover letter) to look over guess who the school chose?

 People responded like this:

As for people who are in jobs they don't deserve, ... I agree with Ji, I have lost count of the amount of people I have met who just not belong here.

The ONLY thing so many foreigners are here to do is drink as much soju as they can, go to work hung over as often as they can, in other words extend the life of being a student with just one more year. They take as little pride and show as little interest as is humanly possible in the job they are here to do. And this is one of the main reasons why foreigners have the reputation they do with Koreans/parents in general, because we have created it for ourselves and unfortunately the system is doing nothing to correct this.(nor is the behavior of some might I add)

I have to say I can agree with this writer here. One of the best places to experience this closely is the Orientation. There were people in the group who seemed to just snooze through everything so that they can get out and drink later. Certainly the aspect of teaching in Korea as a post-college party is a topic worthy of debate. Partying is cool and all, but let's not forget about the image we portray to our colleagues and neighbors. 

Back to the Books...is the change a sign of things to come?

One writer from the forum website wrote this insightful comment:

At an EPIK workshop last year, I heard that there would be several "approved" textbook programs, and the schools did indeed get to "choose" from the approved vendors.  The kickbacks and profits of the textbook publishers, and their relationship to the education ministry and the ruling party, as well as the local school districts, must be a factor in this.

As offensive, inappropriately suggestive, and just plain wrong the current textbook series is, from the Korean pedagogues point of view, it serves the function of keeping children away from English language based culture that has not been mediated by Korean translation.  Additionally, the tests designed around it have proven to be significantly obscure, allowing the testing to serve the historic gatekeeper function: That is, a test which helps to winnow a serviceable elite, not a test of actual ability or knowledge.  Notice how the tests measure the ability to relate certain Korean concepts to other Korean concepts in the "correct" way, with the English language keys thrown in as a tertiary check on "correctness".

The elementary part of the old curriculum was anarchic enough that rational approaches to grammar could be used effectively within its framework.  And for Korean teachers unfamiliar with, and quite possibly resentful towards, English, the old curriculum allowed the schools to spend a little more time honing the basics of Korean with their most recalcitrant charges, under the guise of studying English.  At the more advanced levels, the method of having to explain everything in Korean, the memorization of equivalents ad infinitum, and other methodologies, helped to prepare the students to invest further in the Hagwan and tutor industries, perhaps developing them into lifelong consumers of this commodity inappropriately labeled as English.  It's the Korean economy, . . . . .

Joybot0's suggestion that we pool our resources in digesting these changes is well received.  We'll be in a better position to exploit the upsides in what will hopefully be a mixed bag.  There may even be some evidence that the old Korean paradigm of focusing myopically on East Asian reference points is starting to shift.

 One of the regenerating topics that came up at Orientation was the influence of Native Teachers on not only the children but how they are receiving their education...

Leads me to my own topic:

What impact do Native Teachers have on Public School teaching methods?

It was told to me during Orientation that our presence in the classroom is a modern experience for the students. This is because we teach them using references from how we were taught back in our home country. Typically this contrasts greatly with how Korean children are taught in school. Just for example, it is typical for Korean teachers to stand in the front of class and direct the class with dictation and speech. Children listen and repeat. From what I know there is little Q & A going on. Basically what you need to do is imagine that a classroom in Korea is taught differently from that in the west.

I personally feel that I am not on a mission here to change the Korean classroom and oppress them with my ethnocentric ideas of how children should learn. However, I do believe that as we teach the classes in our natural non-Korean ways that things could rub off elsewhere. Even if English time is the only time they experience a different way of learning they are still having a different experience.

Some of the examples people at the Orientation talked about were that when we teach English we usually walk around the classroom. We look over the students shoulder and check their work. Or we ask them for their opinion and thoughts. I was told that nowadays the Korean coteachers are participating and going around the classroom getting personal with the students.

My conclusion is that Korean public schools will never really look and feel like they do in the west. Instead they will modernize and advance in their own way depending on the will of the Korean teachers and the materials they have at their disposal. So if the materials change, not just for English, then perhaps methods of teaching will reshape as well. I bet I could find someone who taught here a long time to tell me how much things have changed.

There you have it people a long and clustered post about rumors for changes within the GEPIK public school system. Remember this was focused on Elementary school teaching and I have no clue what could be happening with Middle or High.

In the end, I would really like to know more about this replacement program they have brewing and whether it will be a threat or not. Till then I am just going to whistle my way through summer and look forward to my vacation.

GEPIK Summer Plus Orientation: Part 1

Reflection:

Before I retell you the fun and interesting things I experienced for the last 3 days I just want to first spend time on reflecting it all.

The purpose was to have everyone learn something to help us become better teachers. I am super tired right now from choppy sleep and so can't really tell whether their goal for Orientation took place inside me.

What I do know is that I walked away from this event with the following things:

• I made new friends who, like me, don't like to drink.
• I found a few Scrabble buddies.
• Speaking up in class and making a point everyone is thinking takes guts, but feels rewarding afterwards. 
• The mind can feel angry but the heart humble.

The following posts will describe in more detail my experience and opinion of the lectures and activities provided. All I can say for now is that I am recuperating from being around more foreigners than I have ever been since I visited America last summer.

Summer Camp Preperation: Themes

For those who work in public schools around Korea summer and winter are not only time for vacation it is also our time for camp.

Camp at Korean public schools is probably not what you have in mind when you think "camp." For example, the kids are not in tents and they don't learn outdoor type activities. It is a period of learning English inside the school and usually lasts 5 days.

Depending on the organization and communication skills of your coteacher(s) you may either plan camp well or in a rush. You might be told, "You can do anything" or "No let's not have a movie day."

I was blessed this year to have a coteacher who let us (two foreigners at my school) plan whatever we wanted. She really wanted us to make it fun. We put our minds together and came up with 5 different "day-themes" for each day of camp.

Our camp schedule will be 3 weeks.

• First week = 3rd & 4th grades together
• Second week = 5th graders
• Third week = 6th graders

We plan on using the same themes for each week, just change up some worksheets for the older kids.

Here for you in this post I will show you the themes we chose. It is my hope that these ideas might come in handy for you when you have to plan your camp. Certainly planning for camp depends on how much time you have. Remember that camp is usually just you in the classroom with 20 kids of mixed levels. Sometimes the school separates the kids by level but I actually think that is unwise. In my experience the advanced kids help the lower level ones and this is a real boost to their English confidence levels.

Overall Theme:
Let's move on to the theme of our summer camp. We are calling it:

"Passport to English."

If you are truly lucky you will get the privilege of titling your English camp. If not you could end up with "Fun Fun English" or something similarly bland. We came up with this title because I suggested the idea that since we have two Native Teachers it would be great to have the two classes move from one to the other. Meaning Class A would be with me for 1 hr and then Class B would move to the other teacher for an hour and so on. They liked this idea and so I pushed my next thought was that the kids carry passports.

Everyday there will be target sentences they will have to study. As they leave our classroom they have to speak the target sentence, which rewards them with a stamp in their passport. 

This led to more creative thinking and produced that our classrooms will be themed as a specific country. Since I am from America my class will be the American classroom. At the beginning of camp they will pretend to "enter" America with their English Passports. 

Above is an example of the passport template I made in Microsoft Word. They will end up making it on the first day. 

The idea is that as the days progress they will practice target sentences based upon the daily themes and receive stamps. By the end of the week those with the most stamps receive a prize. We also have found ways to incorporate it into a few games. 

Day 1 Theme: "Passport and Get To Know You"

The first day of camp is an important day because it will set the standard for the rest of your week. You want to make sure you lay down the rules and concepts of camp so that the students aren't lost throughout. Also they need to know what actions will get them rewards and what will get them punishments. 

This day you get down the basics, such as group formations and ice-breaker games. You want the kids to feel comfortable at camp and be friendly with their peers in their group. Grades 3 & 4 are pretty good and make a working together feeling but grades 5 & 6 will end up sticking to their own personal groups. One way to combat this is group kids randomly instead of letting them choose who they get to be with. Make sure to play games and activities that gets them up from their group and play with everyone. 

During Day 1 we plan on having ice-breaker and get-to-know-you games. Here are a few examples:

Get to know you BINGO: Using the handout Ss go around the classroom and try to find a student who can do a certain thing on the bingo. When an Ss gets a BINGO they sit down and get their prize. *Afterwards ask Ss who can do what related to the handout 

Name Game 1: Ss sit in a circle and pass a ball around. First Ss: “My name is Lisa. I like apples.” Second Ss: “My name is Tom. Lisa likes apples. I like bananas.” Third Ss: “My name is Brian. Lisa likes apples. Tom likes bananas. I like oranges.” And they keep playing this way till everyone gets a turn and they have to memorize everything.

Snowball Speaking: Ss will practice a sentence and have it gain more words as they play. They will line up in their groups. NT will write the sentence on the board. “I like to eat apples.” First Ss in each group starts out saying this sentence then the next Ss has to say the same sentence and repeat the first item and then add an item of their own. (Ex: I like to eat apples and bananas. The point is that the Ss must remember every new item and add a new one. This is a speed game so when the sentence gets to the end of the line that Ss has to run up to the board and write the sentence including all the items.

As you can see Day 1 will be a kind of relaxed day meant to get the kids into camp and in the mindset to work together. We also have peppered in learning some songs. 

Day 2: Drama and Role-Play

What camp would be without a day full of drama and role-playing? Actually, in my experience, teaching drama to students can at first be a bit challenging. Mostly because you are asking the kids to get up and act out in silly ways in front of their peers. But if you join in and act silly yourself you can get them to play along. 

This day we plan on switching the kids from class to class. My class will be learning the parts of a story and character types. This will be achieved with a PPT and a worksheet activity (or group activity). 

Then the kids will have a chance to create their own story and practice acting it out for a performance. In this case I made a handout where the parts of their story are determined by rolling the dice.

Since they need an ample amount of time to practice and perform their role-play this consumes most of Day 2. There are few drama games thrown in for fun, too. Examples:

Sculpting Figures: Using the same cards Ss will try to shape their group members to make other teams guess what it is they are doing. Example: Team gets the card “playing baseball” So they will position their team members in a way that makes them look like they are playing baseball. 

Story in a Bag: NT prepares different object cards in envelopes for each group. Groups will take out their cards and try to make a story.

Day 3: Nutrition, Shopping and Cooking

One of the basic necessities of camp seems to be a role-play shopping and cooking day. Don't let your coteacher fool you into making sandwiches. Have you ever made a sandwich before with pre-sliced ham and cheese? It takes all of 5 minutes and doesn't really present much creativity. Instead search online for fun kids cooking recipes. There are whole lot to make that are out there. Do you remember Ants on a Log? Putting peanut butter on top of celery or apples? That is really fun.

Well for our camp we tried to break out of the "sandwiches" mode by coming up with two recipes to make. Backing up this day are lessons about nutrition which will lead into the cooking part where kids choose either "healthy" or "unhealthy" toppings. 

Our recipes: 

•   Funny Face Sandwiches: Here the kids will toast bread and cut out shapes in the bread, cheese and ham with cookie cutters. They will try to make a funny looking sandwich in this way. They will have a choice of candies too. 
• Yogurt Parfait: This will be my part. Just your basic recipe of building up layers with yogurt, cereal and fruit toppings. Of course they will have a choice of candies.

 The other activities on this day include a shopping role-play where they compete with each other to shop the fastest. One group will get a shopping list while the other groups pretend to be different types of shops. I have already played similar games in class and so know how much fun it is. Since cooking, eating and cleaning up takes up some time this day is pretty much wrapped up.  

Day 4: Science  

I love Science! And this subject is so much more fun with kids. When doing a science day try not to get too technical with the kids. One theme I did before was learning the different types of senses (their language) and then have a taste-testing session with mystery foods. 

This time for camp we decided to do the famous Egg Drop!

 If you have never done this as a kid than I truly feel sorry for you. But definitely try this out with your students. At the mountain camp I went to last year the science class did this and from what I heard it was a real hoot. 

The basics are that you get the kids to design the egg basket in their group. Have them make it together. Then the teacher climbs up to the roof and drops their eggs. Afterward a discussion is held to talk about what happened. 


Here is a look at the handout I made for the pre-drop time.

 I am really looking forward to this day, because out of all the things I have done with children in Korea this looks to be the most creative. I hope it will be a surprise for the students as well.  

Day 5: Sports and Outdoor Fun
The last day of camp is one of tired students who wish they could be at home. That is why it is a great day to hold outdoor sports and mini-competitions. 

We split up the day in this way:

1. Sports Language & Rules: Korean kids can't help but shout Korean when playing games. So before we start playing we plan on teaching them phrases to say in English while playing. Also we will add in general sportsmanship rules for them to remember.
2. Relay Sports on the field: Your basic games. For example putting a balloon between the knees and racing this way. Classic run backwards race and so on.
3. Water Balloon Challenge: Just what it sounds like. Hopefully we can get our hands on lots of water balloons.
4. Mission Impossible Game: This is a bit of a slower activity. Kids will work in groups and get a handout listing missions they must complete. On the paper are clues about certain places around the school. They have to figure out the clue and then make their way to the location. At the location will be a stamp where the kids stamp their paper. Below is an example of the mission handout.

 My coteacher was kind enough to add Korean to the paper so that the kids had a better chance of figuring the stuff out. 

After the games the kids will come back to the classroom to eat a snack and sing a song. Then it will be the closing ceremony. For some reason at my school the Principals like to have an opening and closing ceremony where they speak Korean to the kids and everyone bows. We usually give out the prizes at the end of this. 


I am really looking forward to summer camp this year. Mostly because we are getting to do stuff we really want to do and also because last camp's coteacher no longer works with us. (The old lady). She disagreed with every idea we had and thought the students levels were that of super-beginners. 

Anyway, I hope this synopsis of the themes of our camp will give you some ideas for your camp. If you are going to teach your first camp this summer then I wish you the best of luck and just have fun with your kids.

:)