Successes in the Classroom

I'll be on the road the next few days because we have a five-day vacation for Chuseok so I wanted to post a little something before I left. This past week at work has been the busiest yet. Both my fifth and sixth graders had tests (300 tests to grade in all) and the new English Camp began. Therefore, I've been running around like crazy at school. The hardwork paid off though, my fifth and sixth graders did much better overall on the most recent tests! Also one of the things that really bothered me last test was that we offered a retest for students who didn't perform well but the students performed just as poorly or worse on the retest. The regular tests includes spelling, reading, writing and listening. Generally the kids who do poorly bomb the spelling and then do okay on the reading, writing and listening. Last chapter my co-teacher asked me to make the retest all spelling because that's what she's always done. She also commented though that the retest was kind of silly because all the kids do just as poorly. I then requested to make a different test, that didn't focus on spelling, but she said a spelling test would be best. I then saw what she meant when she said the retest was pointless. The highest grade I saw on the previous chapter's retest was a 2/8 and many students received a zero. After witnessing that I realized how horrible the retest must be for my student's self-esteem. Many of the students clearly tried because they either wrote the words phonetically in Korean or wrote any English words they knew but my teacher and I weren't giving them the means of being successful. It really frustrated me to see that my students wanted to show me that they do understand some English and I just wasn't providing them with a way to demonstrate their learning.

This time around I vowed I would make the retest different and after a more lengthy conversation with my co-teacher I was given permission to make the retest however I wanted. Since I care much more about seeing if my students understand the meanings of the words we are studying I focused the test more on vocabulary. I provided the students with sentences or pictures and they had to connect those sentences or pictures to the key vocabulary in the chapter. Many of my students were much more successful on this test. Three students even received perfect scores! Additionally, a few of the students told my co-teacher that they liked this retest a lot more. I was really pleased and discussed the results with my co-teacher. She agreed that she noticed a big difference in the attitudes of the students as they were leaving the retest and said their smiles were reason enough to keep the new retest format. I was really glad my co-teacher agreed that it was most important to boost the confidence of our under-achievers and then use that confidence to push them to challenge themselves more in English instead of just accepting defeat.

I also have a few photos to share:

My fifth graders

My 3rd and 4th graders making their favorite meals.

Watching Movies in Paju

This weekend I headed to Seoul yet again. All of the new ETAs are assigned mentors to look after them for the first half of their grant year and this weekend my mentor, who lives in Seoul, arranged for our first mentor/mentee outing. Therefore the four Hwacheon made our way to Seoul on Friday night. Rachel and I enjoyed a really nice dinner in the Ewha University area. We were able to eat Indian food for dinner and split cheesecake for dessert. Going to Seoul is always nice because you can find any food you want. Our town only has Korean restaurants, which are good, but I do miss the variety of an American diet versus a Korean diet.

On Saturday morning we woke up early and headed to Paju for the 4th Annual International DMZ FIlm Festival. Paju is a city north of Seoul that is incredibly close to the DMZ. When we first arrived we walked through Paju Book City, which is a special part of the town that is known for the numerous publishing companies that are located there. We went into a few of the publishing factories but almost all of the publishers primarily published children's books. There were a few book stores with used books in English that we enjoyed paging through. The town was really quaint and yet there were children everywhere bringing Paju to life.

I then saw three documentaries at the two theaters. The first documentary I watched was by far my favorite and was entitled, "Call Me Kuchu". The film was about the struggle for LGBT rights in Uganda, where a law was nearly passed that called for the hanging of anyone who is LGBT. The law also mandated that anyone who knows someone who is LGBT must report them within 24 hours or they will be sentenced to 3 years in jail. The documentary specifically focused on David Kato, who was Uganda's first openly gay movie. The film was unbelievably heartbreaking and moving. You can watch a trailer for it here.

I also watched a documentary on the New York Times, which was really well made. The last documentary we watched was "If Hurt, Shout Out". This was a Korean documentary that chronicled the formation of the Youth Union. This is a group of people in their 20s and 30s who are fighting for better living conditions for unemployed and transient youth workers. The documentary definitely taught me a lot about how hard it is for many 20 and 30-somethings to find jobs and it was neat to be able to draw so many parallels with the job situation in America. I found the topic even more compelling since many of my friends are still looking for jobs and trying to get by despite the odds. The film festival was a really great time and I'm so glad my mentor arranged the trip for us.

The Hwacheon girls in Paju.

Us with our wonderful mentor!

On Sunday, before I headed back home to Hwacheon I was able to see one of my Korean teachers. She is moving to Germany for a year to teach Korean so it was probably the last time I would be able to see her. I was really glad she was able to meet me and the few other ETAs before we all left Seoul for the weekend.

This week is going to be a long once because my fifth and sixth graders both have exams. I am hoping the results are a little less spread than last time. One of the biggest challenges I am facing is the incredible gap between my students. One the last test 75% of the class got a 10 or better out of 12 but the remaining 25% received less than a 4. This showed me that the test was way too easy for most of the class but was way too hard for the other students. I am still trying to decide what the best way to tackle this problem is since the difference is primarily caused by some students attending hagwon after school and some not. 5th and 6th grade is when parents really start pushing their students and the gap between the top students and the bottom of the class becomes an abyss in all subjects, not just English.

Exercising with 아줌마

Nearly everyday after work I've been able to enjoy really scenic runs along the river here in Hwacheon. I know this tradition will not last much longer though because the sun is already beginning to set earlier and the temperature drops dramatically once the sun sets. Therefore, these past few days I've been exploring other after school exercise possibilities and I thought I'd write about my experiences. 

Yesterday I decided to try out the swimming pool since it is immediately adjacent to the school. I entered the building, paid my fee, changed and walked out onto the pool deck. I immediately felt a little silly because I brought my towel with me but there was nowhere to put it and all of the Korean swimmers had left their towels in the locker room. I then placed my towel nicely on the floor in a spot where I hoped it wouldn't get too, too wet and then scanned the lanes trying to determine where I could fit in. There were five lanes in the swimming pool and the two end lanes where extra wide. I was liking my odds of not having to share a lane until I realized that three of the lanes were being used for lessons. That left me the choice between one narrow lane with a really intense lap swimmer or an extra wide lane that just had one very, overweight Korean man floating in it. I decided on the extra wide lane and entered the water. Upon entering though I realized that half of the lane had a platform on the bottom of it and the platform made the lane to shallow to even swim freestyle. I then began to swim in the only swimmable part of the lane and prayed the Korean man would float over the platform as I approached. Luckily, he did move over every time I swam past him but he always moved right back in my way. He remained in my lane for a half an hour and only floated or sat on the bottom of the pool. It was very odd but I'm not sure if that's common in Korea- maybe that's why there is a platform. In the end I really enjoyed my swim and plan on frequenting the pool even if I do always have to share a lane with the floating Korean man.

Today, I ventured to one of the two free gyms in Hwacheon. One of the free gyms is across the street from my building but it is pretty dilapidated because no one maintains it. Also, one time when I was there I saw four different people spit on the floor even though the floors are never cleaned. One man even formed a spit pool next to his treadmill. Due to this experience I decided to test my luck at the hospital gym. I entered and was immediately surprised how clean the small room was. There was very little in terms of equipment- a few bikes and treadmills- but it was well-maintained. There was also a nice space to do crunches and stretch. I did find it funny though that within such a small space there were two massaging beds, two massaging chairs, four vibrating platforms and four vibrating bands. The vibrating platforms are a very common Korean 'work-out' machine where you just stand for an extended period of time on a machine that shakes slightly. The vibrating bands are also extremely common in Korean gyms and you basically step inside this band and it just vibrates causing all your stomach or leg flab to jiggle. I have not discovered the true health benefits of either of these machines yet and find them to be pretty humorous. 

Anyways, I was pleased with the gym and ran on a treadmill before doing some crunches. After finishing my crunches I was about to get up to leave when a Korean ajumma came up to me talking emphatically in Korean. I wasn't sure what she was saying and thought I was getting yelled at for doing something wrong so I just tried to apologized. She kept gesturing to where I was doing crunches though and I quickly realized that she wanted me to help her do crunches. I then began showing her how to do crunches. Her friend then came over and told me that she saw me run and thought I had a great body. She then started pointing to various body parts while saying exercise, which I then realized meant that she wanted me to show her exercises for whatever muscle she gestured to. I quickly realized there was no getting out of this situation (ajummas are none for being very pushy and outspoken) so I gave in and spent the next twenty minutes walking the two older woman through various body weight exercises. It was surprisingly fun and many of the Korean gym-goers found it very amusing. I was also impressed by how well the three of us communicated despite the language barrier. They spoke no English and I speak very little Korean. The women occasionally over-estimated my Korean abilities and asked me things I could not even begin to understand but we eventually found a nice balance of hand gestures and basic Korean words. When I said I had to go home for dinner they were a little disappointed, especially since I told them I wouldn't be at the gym tomorrow since I am going to Seoul. I hope I can see my two ajummas again though. Exercising with the ajummas was the most fun I've had at a gym in a long time.

To better aide your understanding of what exactly an ajumma (아줌마) is feel free to read my basic description based mainly off of my own personal observations:

Ajummas are generally women over 35 who are married with children. They are known for having the same short, curly, perm haircut and are always wearing visors. Ajummas also frequently wear arm sleeves when wearing short sleeve shirts so that their arms do not see any sunlight. They are known for pushing people out of their way frequently and are not even really viewed as women anymore. They can have jobs cleaning the male restrooms and will enter the restroom while it's being used and no one cares. They also tend to be outspoken and ignore everyone around them when completing any task. The term is considered offensive when spoken to younger, unmarried women or women who are racking in the years but have yet to settle down.

     

The Key to My Success

There are many challenges that I am facing this year in the classroom, in my community and at my home stay. Adjusting to life in a new country simply isn't an easy task even though it is a rewarding, enjoyable and gratifying experience. Therefore I think it is time I thank all of the people who are helping me survive and flourish in South Korea.

This weekend I traveled to Seoul with a few other ETAs and it was the first time many of us were seeing each other since we had moved into our home stays. Seeing many of my close friends again reminded me just how critical a role they play in my life here. My friends have been a source of support throughout my time here and it was so obvious when we all chatted about the different challenges we have been facing, exchanged humorous 'only in Korea' stories  and offered words of encouragement. As nice as it is to talk to friends and family at home about my experiences there is something really rewarding about discussing things with someone else who is going through a similar experience.

One of the traditions we have established in Hwacheon is a Sunday get together. Every Sunday while my family is at church I meet up with Maggie, Rachel and sometimes Amy, who are the other ETAs in the Hwacheon area. We then gossip, complain and generally support each other while eating delicious food. These meetings have been such a great way to recharge for my upcoming week and I am so fortunate to live so close to such wonderful friends. Last weekend, we were sitting in Dunkin' Donuts just catching up and our conversation gradually drifted to our family's drinking habits. Rachel and Maggie both frequently have makoli, soju or beer with their host families but my family does not drink at all because they are very religious. As soon as we all realized that I had not had a beer since coming to Hwacheon despite the frequent need to relax (communication difficulties can be stressful) we decided to buy some American-style fast food and a few beers. We then went to Lotteria and bought chicken nuggets before going to a grocery store to buy a few beers. The three of us then sat on the stage  in the town center enjoying the warm sun, a cold beer and chicken nuggets at 1PM on a Sunday afternoon. It's the small things like this that really make the year special and manageable. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by such an amazing group of friends.

I am also trying to strengthen the relationships I am forming with my home stay family so that they can be a source of support for me this year. Tonight I made my family tacos, but they were definitely Koreanized due to shopping constraints. The first big difference was that I had to use grape tomatoes and the second devastating difference is that I had to use individually packaged sliced 'cheddar' cheese, which was really American Kraft Singles in a different package. Although, I wish I had all the standard ingredients from home my family still seemed to enjoy the meal. They did invent some interesting tacos though as they took out several sauces, including Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, and added it to their tacos. My mom also ate just slices of the cheddar cheese dipped in the sweet chili sauce. I also bought a brownie mix because I knew my host sister liked brownies. I was shocked to find that they microwave the brownies to cook them! It was very interesting. My dad also ate the brownies with lettuce. Koreans have very different taste preferences than Americans. 

My sister and I with our Mexican and brownies. 

The Limits of Language

A major component of adjusting to my new life in Hwacheon and South Korea more generally is learning how to communicate with my limited Korean. The intensive Korean classes I took at Jungwon during Orientation were equivalent to three semesters of college Korean classes and were taught by the best language professors in South Korea. Yet, Korean is a very difficult language for native English speakers so my Korean is still very limited and really mainly allows me to do everyday tasks and make some small talk. Since Korea is going to be my home for a year and the parents I am living with speak limited English I have had to devise new ways to communicate and form stronger bonds with the people around me.


During my time here I have learned how far a simple smile can take you in forming a good relationship with someone or smoothing over a cultural faux pas. I have also learned that the use of gestures and a google translate app can greatly enhance any conversation. A simple insa can inspire a shop owner to say hello to you everyday when you walk by. My time spent with my family, particularly my parents, has also demonstrated how much can be communicated with limited language. I truly feel at home and comfortable in my house despite the language barrier between my parents and I. I also feel like I have an understanding of who they are as individuals and a family and I believe they have come to understand my values and priorities. Overall, I have been amazed at how much I have been able to form relationships and find a sense of home despite not speaking the language.

And yet there are still moments when I realize that without fluency some things are simply unable to be related. The other morning I was eating breakfast with my mom, dad and younger brother as always when my dad asked me something in Korean. My brother turned to me to ask my father’s question. He then asked me “Did you see terror on 9/11?” I was a little taken aback by the question giving the nature of the question and the timing, 9/11 was still a week away. As I tried to formulate an answer I was awoken to the futility of the conversation. The correct answer to his question was “Yes, I saw terror” and yet I wasn’t quite satisfied to describe what had happened to me, my family, and so many countless other people as ‘seeing terror’. That phrase seemed to dramatically reduce the complexity and magnitude of the events of 9/11 and yet due to my brothers limited English it was the only way he could phrase the question. I was frustrated that I felt like I had to reduce such a pivotal and monumental event in my life to a simple yes or no and that any details I offered would not express my true feelings. My brother’s English simply isn’t strong enough to understand the nuances that are involved in expressing my emotions, thoughts, and feelings about the events. Additionally, I realized his cultural knowledge and age also would have prevented him from understanding my true thoughts and feelings even if his English was more fluent. Even language isn’t sufficient. I’m not really sure what to make of my realization or how it really impacts my time here. I think one of the most frustrating aspects of this awakening to the limits of my language was my own reaction to it. I was upset that I felt like I had to simplify my thoughts and feelings. I felt like I was betraying many people I cared for by diminishing the significance of the events of 9/11. Yet, I had no reason to feel that way since my brother phrased his question in the only way his knowledge of English allowed him to. To a certain extent I feel like it is close-minded to be upset by a well-intentioned question and yet I was. 

I feel like this post is a little disjointed but I think it’s the best I can do for the moment because I am still making sense of my own beliefs about the relationships between language, culture, and communication.

My First Korean Wedding

This past Sunday my Vice-Principal's youngest son got married and Amy and I were fortunate to be able to attend the wedding with our fantastic co-teacher Soo-Jin. Throughout the entire wedding experience I was completely in awe of the numerous differences between Korean and American weddings. Firstly, you do not need to be invited to a Korean wedding. Soo-Jin, our co-teacher, was never invited by our Vice-Principal. Rather, she simply knew the wedding was happening and wanted to attend. Most of the people who were in attendance heard of the wedding in this manner and had never even met the bride or groom (including myself). 

When we first arrived the three of us went to a table and received three envelopes to place our money in. Most guests place 50,000 or 75,000 won in the envelope and then write their name vertically down the backside of the envelope. We then returned the envelope to the men at the table and were handed three green tickets. I had no idea what they were for so I just tucked my ticket somewhere safe before heading to see the bride. The bride sits in a little room next to the entranceway and people are able to enter and look at her in her dress and take pictures. This is very different than in America where no one is supposed to see the bride before the wedding. The bride looked radiant and was unbelievably nice. She let Amy and I take pictures with her and the professional photographer even snapped a few. 

The bride and I

After we took pictures with the bride Soo Jin informed us that we could watch the ceremony if we really wanted to but most Koreans don't. Instead they just go downstairs to eat. I was a little confused by this and thought something was lost in translation but in fact, most wedding guests simply pay the 50,000 won and then go downstairs to the reception, which is just a big meal. Amy and I wanted to see the ceremony so we asked Soo-Jin if she wouldn't mind. She then informed us the ceremony would only be about twenty minutes so she was fine with watching although she thought we were funny for wanting to watch.

The ceremony itself was really interesting and a complete blend of traditional Korean culture and modern customs. The officiator was a former female teacher of the bride and traditionally is a very important role model in either the bride or groom's life. It was unique that the officiator was a female though since most are males. The parents of the bride and groom also wore hanbok, which is traditional Korean clothing and is worn on special occasions. Other guests though, including the brides brother, simply wore jeans, shorts, t-shirts, etc. Another more modern element was the wedding party's entrance. They recreated the Chris Brown 'Forever' wedding entrance that was a YouTube sensation. I had no idea the video had spread internationally! The ceremony also involved singing by the bride's brother and the bride and groom's friends, which is typical of Korean weddings. In many traditional weddings the groom even sings to the bride. At the very end of the ceremony, which did in fact last less than a half an hour, the bride and groom bowed to both sets of parents, which was really moving. It was hard to really get sucked into the ceremony though because there were many people standing in the back talking. It is perfectly acceptable to chat with friends as loudly as you please during the entire ceremony. This was also something I was not expecting. 

Hanbok

The Wedding Hall

After the ceremony some people stayed outside in the main hall to take pictures. It is customary for the bride and groom to take pictures with their friends, family, and parent's co-workers. Soo-Jin did not want to be in the pictures and was wearing shorts so she took us downstairs to eat. It was then that I discovered the green ticket I received earlier was in fact a ticket to eat. We had to hand our ticket to a waiter who then sat the three of us and one of Soo-Jin's friends at a table. The room was full of tables covered in side dishes including fruit, sushi, dok, jellyfish and raw beef. The table also offered beer, soju and soda. Once we sat waiters brought over four bowls of noodles, which is the traditional wedding food. The four of us then ate and talked before leaving to let other people have our seats because a line was forming outside the door to the eating area. I was stunned when I realized that the money I gave to the bride and groom was actually just paying for my meal!

Our side dishes

I am so glad I was able to attend this wedding and experience all of the differences in person. I was also pleased that my Vice- Principal was so happy that Amy and I attended. Even though he doesn't speak English it is very apparent that he really cares about mine and Amy's well-being and wants us to have a wonderful experience at his school. This support makes a tremendous difference on days when the cultural differences and communication difficulties are particularly trying.

The Perks of Teaching in South Korea

So I recently realized that I have written a lot about different things I have done, places I've seen and challenges I've faced but I haven't really written about my day to day life and why being a foreigner, especially an American with blonde hair and blue eyes, in South Korea can be AWESOME! So I decided to make a list of some frequent day to day occurrences that absolutely rock.

1. My students bow to me.  If you've never been bowed to repeatedly and by large numbers of kids you really don't know how awesome it really is. Bowing is a very large part of Korean culture and you are constantly bowing to say good morning, good-bye, or even just to say hi to nearly everyone you see. Therefore, I do my fair share of bowing but generally speaking I only have to 'drop a 90' or do a full bow to teachers who are much older than me, my principal and my vice-principal. A 45 degree bow suffices for most other teachers and people I interact with and if I have already seen them and greeted them that day a head nod bow will suffice. Since the bowing ritual is determined by the social hierarchy my students are expected to do a full bow to me all the time. Granted some of the wiser kids know I'm American and skate around it but still a large portion of my kids constantly bow to me in class, in the hallways, in the lunchroom and even in town and I must say it makes you feel like a rockstar.

2. Constant Compliments. Since Koreans do not have a lot of diversity in their gene pool they are fascinated by foreigners looks. I do have some qualms about the compliments I receive because most of them are rooted in many Koreans desire to appear Western, which is a very unattainable beauty ideal. The rates of plastic surgery in South Korea are astronomical and the most common surgery is a double eyelid surgery that aims to make your eyes look more Western. These statistics upset and frustrate me because I would love for my female Korean students to feel beautiful and understand that different cultures have different perceptions of beauty. Yet, on a day to day basis receiving compliments all the time is rather nice. I am constantly told I look like a doll, have a beautiful, small head, am really tall, etc. by my students, co-teachers or just people I run into in town. I was even once asked by a student if this was my real face. There also is a downside to the constant attention though because Koreans are also very critical and open about their criticisms regarding one's appearance. Therefore, I also have to suffer through entire breakfast conversations about how tired I look or how red my face gets when I exercise.

3. Everyone wants to talk to you. Since there are not a lot of foreigners outside of the major cities in South Korea I am sometimes one of the first foreigners people have ever had a chance to talk to. Therefore everyone is very eager to find out more about me. Koreans are also extremely eager to practice speaking English, even if they only know the word hi, so they are always going out of their way to say hello and make me feel welcomed. Teachers in my school have been so welcoming and eager to spend time with me, which makes the adjustment to Hwacheon much smoother. Additionally, people on the street frequently stop me to ask me about myself, particularly if I am with a Korean because many times these people have more limited English and need a third party to translate. Suprisingly, this has even occurred in Seoul, which is a very international city.

4. You get free things or special privileges. Korean culture is a gift-giving culture in which you express love for the people around you by offering them gifts. This in turn makes Korean a very welcoming and hospitable country full of generous people. Since most Koreans are extremely proud of their country and culture they are eager to give foreigners the five star treatment and expose the foreigners to new aspects of Korea. This frequently results in being offered free dishes at restaurants, free snacks from convenience stores, and other signs of affection. It also once resulted in me being escorted three stores down the street to a fancy Western Style toilet because the owner of the restaurant I was in didn't want me to use a squatty potty. Although I sometimes feel guilty accepting all of these perks they also do make me feel much more supported, cared for and welcomed in the country where I will be living and working in for a year, which is a pretty invaluable perk.

I'm sure there are other perks I could think of but I believe this list will suffice for now.