Being Ms. Alyssa

I have just finished my first two weeks teaching English at Beomeo Public High School in Yangsan City, South Korea.  Unfortunately, my coworkers’ warnings about the school have proved quite appropriate.  The students are unbelievably unruly.  They yell and sleep in class, talk to each other, play StarCraft on their huge smartphones, carry little handheld mirrors and apply copious amounts of makeup during lessons, and constantly kick or hit or touch each other….  That being said, they are also curious, energetic, very endearing, and often have big, wonderful personalities.  If they aren’t frustrating me, they are definitely making me laugh.  I am not shy, nor am I timid, both qualities that I think will help me fare much better in my position.

Each class is 50 minutes long and comprised of 20-35 students, and I teach 23 classes per week.  The students range in age from 15-17 years old, and classes are separated by gender.  All Korean students attend public schools during the day, and then attend additional lessons at private academies during the evening and sometimes Saturdays.  My average student begins school at 8:30 AM, finishes normal classes at 4:40 PM, then stays at the school for supplemental lessons.  The student eats dinner at the high school before leaving to attend private lessons, and probably returns home somewhere between 10 and 11 PM.  So when a student doesn’t seem to care about my once-a-week 50 minute English lesson, or falls asleep in my class, I can’t really say I blame him.

Students’ English levels are generally very low, much lower than I expected.  Though classes are organized according to some kind of skill assessment system, ability levels within each class vary widely.  My co-teachers tell me that much of the students’ schooling prior to high school has been poor or undisciplined.  Some students are able to string together full, meaningful sentences, and others don’t yet know the Roman alphabet.  One student was skilled enough to write “FUCK U J” in thick black marker on the back wall of the classroom.

During my first week of teaching I prepared an introductory PowerPoint for the students about my life in America, the importance of English, classroom rules and expectations (ha, right…) and a short quiz on that material.  Then I invited the students to ask any questions they may have about me, English, or America.  The questions I was asked every class without fail were these:

Married?

How old?

You have boyfriend?

Oooooh, boyfriend, he Korean?

You like kimchi?

Your hairstyle, real?

In Yangsan, where you live?

America, guns?

Do you have gun?

Eyes, what color?

Do you know Psy? Gangnam Style?

Some more original questions included these:

Have you seen Backstreet Boys? (Incidentally, I HAVE been to a Backstreet Boys concert!)

Do you like Soju? How much you can drink?

You like Obama? True he did the drugs? (Korea is a conservative culture, so I responded that it was an unconfirmed rumor, only to find out that the kid had read his autobiography. What??)

During the second week of classes I prepared lessons and activities related to American markets, food and culture.  The students and teachers found the food both intriguing and grotesque.  Things like tomato soup, gravy, and root beer floats were especially perplexing, while apple pie was a huge hit (perhaps in part because a container of 3 apples may cost the equivalent of 9 or 10 American dollars here).

My lessons went over quite well with both co-teachers and students, but perhaps my smartest teaching decision was showing this video in every class. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSE11BaI7uM

My audiences were mesmerized.

Teaching is challenging, but also entertaining and rewarding, and I am lucky to be working with very competent, helpful co-teachers.  I look forward to getting more comfortable in my position and getting to know my students and co-workers better.

XOXO

Ms. A