Classroom Logistics & Working with the High School English Textbook

The textbook I am not required to follow

I have a lot of freedom as far as the content of my lessons! There is a textbook that Sookhee, my co-teacher, uses and which she says I could also teach from - especially in the areas of Speaking, Listening, and Writing.

Seeing me casually flip through the book in front of her, she quickly added that I was, by no means, beholden to tying my lessons to this book. 

NOT THE MOST INTERESTING TEXTBOOK EVER

Sookhee: It is...hmmm...kind of boring! [smiles] It's okay if you don't

Me: Oh? It looks....interesting!
Sookhee: Haha!...No, not really. Students are not very interested. I have trouble making them interested.
Me: Ah, okay. I understand. 

With this established, I have decided to loosely follow the units in the book, starting with one on Personalities. I have a lot of ideas, and I am so excited to follow up my introduction from last week! Because I started my "first" day of school on a Thursday, I won't actually get to implement my next lesson plan until this Thursday. Until then, I will still be doing my self-introductions.

The fragmented nature of my workweeks already feels strange, but I am sure I will become accustomed to it.

CLASSROOM LOGISTICS 

I only have two co-teachers: Top: Sookhee Teacher
Bottom: Yeonghee Teacher

Number of classes taught per week: 8 
Number of English workshops for teachers: 2
Number of extracurricular classes taught: 3
Number of classes taught per day: ~2-4
Number of students per class: 27-35
Total number of students: ~ 300
Number of co-teachers: 2
Technology (computer/projector): Yes

Number of sleepy students per class: ~5
Number of loud students per class: ~3
Number of times I have my students sing: Every class

Total hours I am at work each day: 8

Having eight classes a week is on the low-end of teaching. It definitely ranges, but I hear from my fellow ETAs that they are teaching 15-23 classes per week! 

Since my assignment to Busan, the second largest metropolis in Korea, I expected many classes, with many students. As it is, being assigned to Yeong Island actually creates a different reality for me. The island is small, and my school is also quite small with only about 900 students from the first to third grade. 

As you can see on the right collage, I have two co-teachers, who help me with tech set-up, as well as minor disciplinary issues. They are both very gentle and sweet women, and I have not witnessed any corporal punishment in the classroom by their hand (or any other teachers' hand, for that matter). 

QUALITY TIME AT HOME WITH HOST FAMILY

This evening, I was in my room working with the door closed. Hearing my family members stirring outside, I opened the door remembering what the OCs had told us about the more communal style of Korean living. 

A sweet night of fellowship, complete with midnight fruit snacks, singing in the living room, counting games, and tucking flowers behind our ears

My family was seated in the living room, talking and laughing together. Once in a while, I would look up from my work and take a peek at what they were up to. Their laughter, freely mingling with the others, was quite inviting. I half-hoped that they would notice I wasn't actually working anymore and invite me. 

And they did! 

Opening a letter from Mama - almost a ceremonial process

Juhyeon looked at me, quickly ducked out of the photo I was taking, and invited me to join them in their singing and hand-clapping. They taught me many games involving counting numbers and making facial expressions, and - at the end - they taught me two songs that were meant to bless me.

The gesture was so sweet. I was so moved. Even without the Google translation, I could tell that they were giving me something very special. Later, Juhyeon translated the lyrics for me and sent it via Kakao Talk (KaTalk).

One is called: God Bless You, and the other: You Planted the Trees at the Creek (again, this is Google translate, so I don't know if these titles are accurate).

I smiled and laughed so much tonight that I felt like a different person when I returned to my room, and resumed my work. In the midst of this joy, I felt like there was something missing.

I opened a letter from Mama (one of the precious ones that I keep close at hand, but try not to open until either very special occasions or very lonesome moments).

Ma, I can hear your voice, and I savor the strength you give me from afar!