The Last Week of My Grant Year: Thursday Classes | Adjectives Lesson

Caught off guard by the unexpected mini break I enjoyed this past week, I came back to school a bit dizzy over the fact that this would be the last week of my 2013-2014 teaching contract! The beginning of each week for me, lesson-wise, is Thursday so I am grateful that I at least have the opportunity to say a [temporary] goodbye to all 12 of my classes. 

ADJECTIVES LESSON

Not feeling overly sentimental over my upcoming departure, I decided to pick up on the adjectives lesson I had begun right after the students took their English Speaking Tests with me. That test brought me face-to-face with all of my students, which I enjoyed! It also showed me all kinds of glaring grammatical errors that I wanted to address in future lessons. I couldn't write side notes quickly enough! So, even though a bit boring, I continued on with this particular lesson, showing students how to properly use "-ed" and "-ing" at the end of adjectives. 

Believe me, it's necessary when students are in the habit of saying things like: 

"[This weekend, I went to Nampodong] because I was boring" 

instead of 

"...because I was bored."

I stifled a small giggle after the first few students said this (or some variation of this), but after the 84th student, I had lost all initial mirth, experiencing each subsequent "...because I was boring" statement almost as a personal attack. But, don't worry, everybody survived the English Speaking Test! 

BACK TO TODAY

Just to be merciful though, I tacked on a simple "Hot Seat" English vocab game at the latter half of class, which the students enjoyed immensely. It worked so well that, after teaching it to the first of three classes I faced today, I quickly revised my powerpoint in the teachers' office to include more words. 

CLASS PHOTO

Not that I have favorites or anything but two of my former YDAC students are in this class! There are many passionately competitive students in this class who bring incredible energy to games we play together!

I would include photos of my other two classes, but the students were so camera shy that basically everyone hid their faces using one creative method or other.

Teaching an Active Learning Exercise on Emotions (AKA the How to Keep Shining When the Bright Lights of Being a Fulbrighter Begin to Dim Lesson)

THEY ARE SO ALIVE!
The 10-minute breaks between classes are when I observe my students being most excited and energetic. They are alive! For 10 whole glorious (or terrifying - depending on your level of adjustment) minutes, students are out on the hallways making all sorts of noise - yelling [l'm sure lovingly] at each other, screaming out normal sentiments, loudly chatting, laughing in groups, seemingly sweeping through the halls with all kinds of evidence that they are, in fact, alive! Despite the chaos, I rejoice with them, especially considering the rigor of their school schedules. I wish the more, let's say, controlled version of this energy and excitement overflowed into the classroom. Or even just my classroom, a magical place where students are expected to actually practice speaking the English they learn from two other English classes they take! (Yes, my Korean students take a total of THREE English classes).

EXCEPT WHEN THEY'RE NOT...
However, their energy level usually doesn't overflow. Many an internal battle has been waged, upon the battlegrounds of which I had to convince myself - again and again - that my classes' lack of participation (especially the lower levels) is not personal. Really, it's not.

Just some of the wide variety of emoticons now at our disposal
Credit: http://in.socialdaily.com/

THE WEEKLY CHALLENGE
I take these moments as reminders that my job as an English teacher does not only entail creating lessons that dispense cold, hard knowledge of things English, but creating lessons that dispense knowledge in a fun, memorable, and, hopefully, also interactive way! Wow.

THE TIMES I FORGET WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT
Wow, because you forget. When your energy is low; when motivation is sparse; when feeling a tad bit homesick; when you're struggling with the question of, "Am I doing enough?"; when you see your graduating class move on to grad school, take permanent jobs, and even start families; when your family back home wants you, well, back home; and when even the bright lights of being a Fulbrighter begins to dim - you forget.

THE ONES WHO PAY WHEN YOU FORGET
And when you forget (why you're doing what you're doing and pursuing the things you're pursuing), every student that encounters you and sees through your facade is negatively affected. This is not what I want, so the reminders are good, pushing me to do better each week.

When I ask students slumped back on their chairs how they are, they usually respond with:

"I'm fine, thank you. And you?"

This, or some variation of: 

I'm tired. I'm sleepy 

(if they're more honest or are legitimately so tired that they can't even muster up the usual response above)

I can already tell from their faces and postures that they're tired and/or sleepy, so these responses don't do much in terms of acquainting me better with my students. I want to know how they really feel, and I want them to know that, when I ask this question, I mean it. 

I wanted to give them the tools to diversify their responses, so I created a lesson last week on "Emotions." Using an image-heavy PPP, I reviewed basic emotions and taught them the English words to less-common ones. I followed this up with a game at the latter half of class, where students had to act out certain emotions for their teammates to guess. 

Students reacted really well to this lesson! I was a very happy teacher meandering through the grouped desks and observing each team's "it" person do the acting. So much laughter was elicited from the students' acting performances. 

Here are some photos I took while going from desk-to-desk!

MY THURSDAY CLASSES ACT IT OUT

And have a blast!

I'm loving Sujin's laughter!

This group was SO into it! Can you tell?

This particular student was extremely competitive and expressive, which made the competition even steeper

Students deliberating how to act out certain words

More smiles :D

Jeongmin's very active group set the tone for the other groups in the class. Thank you so much, girls!

A student considering how to most effectively act out an emotion

I don't know what she's acting out, but it had all her team members laughing!

When students guess correctly, they keep the strip of paper and later count up the points

A student in the middle of acting out an emotion (I don't remember which but it was entertaining to watch!)

Desk-hopping to see students' own version of what certain emotions look like

I wish each week's lesson brought out this level of fun in my classrooms! Hearing my students laughing while deeply immersed in the activity was a huge energy deposit into my own system. These are the moments that I go to bed mentally crafting while half conscious the night before a school day. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it really, really doesn't! 

Being a Fulbrighter does not make me immune to the common challenges of teaching English as a foreign language in Korea (or anywhere, really); it does, however, give me more reason to remember everything that my single presence here serves to represent. 

Fulbright ETA Ray Sawyer Guest Teaching at Yeongdo Girls High School!

ETA FROM AN ALL-BOYS SCHOOL GUEST TEACHES AT AN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL

One of the coolest things I did during my first grant year was to coordinate with another teacher for a day school swap! I worked with Fulbright ETA Ray Sawyer from the all-boys Busan High School in finding a day where I was off and his school was in session and vice versa. The scheduling was a bit tricky to do, especially towards the end of the year when the schools are busy with all kinds of testing, but we planned it well ahead of time and added more fantastic memories to our year of teaching!

Knowing Ray's dynamic personality (he really was meant to be assigned in "Dynamic Busan"), and my students' excitement every time there is a guest teacher, especially a male guest teacher, I knew that this was about to be AMAZING. 

And it was. 

Here is a photo story of his time at YGHS as well as the email I sent him the night before! 

RAY TEACHING AT YEONGDO GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

Ray Teacher graciously handling the attention of the girls.
Anytime a male teacher comes to Yeongdo, the girls are beyond themselves with excitement!

Hello Ray!

I apologize for giving this to you so very late. Please do not be anxious about tomorrow’s classes. The best thing for everyone concerned would be if you just showed up and had fun with the students – whatever that may look like. They will be ever so excited to see you! Like I said before, my classes were recently switched up after the midterm results came in, so I will give you the observation notes I have taken on my Monday classes below, as well as other information about the day ahead!

Teaching a word association lesson that had the students very alert and engaged!

• This Monday, June 9^th, you can take either bus 71 or 508, both of which will deliver you right across from my school. You will hear, “Yeongdo Yeoja Godeung Hakgyo” over the speakers, indicating where you should get off. This will take you approximately 20 minutes from Nampo Station, so time yourself or just ask the bus driver or other passengers where you should get off for the school. The first class starts at 10:40 a.m. Please feel free to arrive about 30-40 minutes before the first class begins. This will give us time for a mini tour of the school, (which is a lot smaller than your school), meet the principal and vice principal, and head to the class and get a feel for it.

·         The principal is a woman; she is serious-looking but kind, and has expressed a desire to talk to me in Korean as she does not know how to communicate in English very well. If you can, please feel free to squeeze in as much Korean as you can when you meet. I think she will appreciate it. No pressure though (this coming from an ETA who has not really spoken much to her principal this year at all, except through my Fulbright co-teacher).

·         The vice principal is a man, who was hired this March. We have not interacted much at all. His English is also very limited, so my co-teachers do all the talking for me.  Both of these introductions will probably be very brief, so don’t worry!

Ray was confident and energetic, easily taking the students along for the ride with him

You can see our names on the board written in Hangeul

I had to fight off a twinge of jealousy seeing how incredibly attentive the students were to him in the front of the room!

                                    

Class 1-1/2 B (If you want)                                  10:40-11:30 a.m.

·         Past Topics: Learning the 50 U.S. States; answering the question: “What did you do this weekend?” using Who, What, Where, When, How, Why in complete sentences at the beginning of class. Also, covering a lesson on “First Impressions” using photos of different people who may or may not be famous or infamous (Ted Bundy, Trayvon Martin, Debra LaFave, Oscar Pistorius, Maya Angelou, a former Filipina “comfort woman” during WWII, etc.). The “First Impressions” lessons definitely reveal a lot of prejudices, which was quite interesting.

·         Class Personality: This class is generally very loud. There are mini groups of girls who are very talkative and are usually immersed in their own conversations as I teach. I have to often shush the whole class and remind them to work or keep working. I am more brusque and sharp when dealing with this 

     I will introduce you at the beginning and ask them to give you their full attention and keep the chatter to a minimum. With this in mind, I have no problem stepping in and shushing the class if they get too out of line while you’re teaching a lesson. If my doing that would be too distracting for you, then I will refrain and support you in whatever you do in the classroom! Remember, they are girls, but you can definitely be firm with them.

·         Co-teacher: Kim Eun Yeong. She is very sweet and the students adore her. She will usually do her own work in the back of the classroom, and will cheerfully help out, walk around class, or translate for you if you ask her! 

The class in session

Free period/Lunch + Free Period                       11:40-2:20 p.m.

·         We have a couple of hours of free time, during which we can eat lunch at school, outside, take a walk around the grounds, chillax at the gyomushil, or do whatever you want! I can show you a bit of the island, too, if you’d like.

Ray divided the class into two teams and had them compete!

Class 1-5/6 C                                                         2:30-3:20 p.m.

·         Past Topics: Same as above

·         Class Personality: This class is lower in their English abilities, but is a generally good class. Students in this class request for me to play the “50 Nifty United States” song I think partly because they like it and partly to try and derail my lesson plans. Haha. This group of students has a good, responsive attitude, which I love them for!

§  Sleepy students: Lee Yu Bin, Kim Yu Bin

·         Co-teacher: Yun Suk Hui, my awesome Fulbright co-teacher! She spells her name “Yoon Sookhee” but I like to stay true to the Revised Romanized Korean version. Haha!

Movement around the classroom was good

I sat in the back of the classroom with my co-teacher - both of us just absorbing another teacher's teaching style.

Class 1-5/6 B                                                         3:30-4:20 p.m.

·         Past Topics: Same as above

·         Class Personality: A very talkative class, but one where there are individually attentive students, making the class not only bearable but actually good. During brainstorming sessions we’ve done in the past, they have been enthusiastic and creative! I am easier going with this class and can often joke around with them (possible on an individual level). There are many students who if you don’t talk to individually are so shy that you will miss out that they actually know how to read, write, and speak in English!

·         Co-teacher: Kim Eun Yeong again  

Students laughing and smiling!

RAY TEACHER'S CELEBRITY STATUS

At the end of class, another group of students streamed inside the classroom and happily and immediately crowded around Ray

The girls were both super shy and super aggressive, all at once! Hahaha

Students had some time to say hello, introduce themselves, and ask Ray some important questions before the next period began

A Few More Things to Note:

• Each class will have roughly 12-25 students. This is a huge gap, but I can look up the exact number on the roster tomorrow at school!
• My co-teachers are very awesome. They will be very shy and timid, so please don’t match their shyness, and feel free to chat them up!
• The gyomushil is definitely a lot smaller than yours, made up of women teachers. They are all very friendly though so there is nothing to worry about here! 

Requesting some photos

And here we go! Celebrity status

This moment made me wonder why I hadn't done a school swap earlier AND with more teachers

Ray found one of his past colleagues working at Yeongdo! What a truly small world!

Ray perhaps a bit exhausted after teaching two classes at my school

Some shots in front of the main school building.
My school is definitely smaller than Busan High School, where he teaches!

One last pose before heading out together!

THE AFTERMATH: TOUR & COFFEE

Before he left, I took Ray up to Kosin University so he could see just one of the awesome views of the island. As we went, people looked at us out of curiosity. We ducked into a coffee shop and grabbed something to drink and something to snack on before he left to go home for the day. My island pride was definitely on full display. It was just a shame that the day was cloudy/foggy so we couldn't see very far out. However, we did have time to briefly reflect about our grant year and share future plans. He is going back to the U.S., while I am set to renew for a second year in Korea. 

TIPS FOR ETAS PLANNING TO SCHOOL SWAP/GUEST TEACH

• Ask your Fulbright co-teachers for your semester schedule, including holidays, testing days (when you might be off), etc. WAY AHEAD OF TIME
• Think of a few ETAs who you'd like to swap with and exchange semester schedules with them also way ahead of time!
• Plan at least one swap, but the more, the better! 
• Notify your co-teacher/administrators of your plan in advance so they can prepare whatever paperwork (if any) for the other ETA's visit
• Send out an email chock-full of information (class levels, class times, lunch/break times, co-teachers' names, previous topics you've already covered, class personalities, etc.) at least 1-2 weeks in advance (not the night before like I did - sorry Ray!)
• You don't necessarily have to bring your most involved lesson plan the day you guest teach. Something simple, interactive, and fun will be perfect for a 50-minute lesson! 
• Expect and be prepared for students to swarm you. Welcome their curiosity about how old you are, where you are from, and, most importantly, if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend
• Arrange your schedule so that there is time for you and the guest ETA to debrief over coffee or lunch before or after the actual teaching!
• Take lots of pictures, and blog about it! I'd love to see how other ETAs' experiences go with their school swaps!  

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

If you have done a school swap before (or something similar), what worked and didn't work for you and your guest teacher? What were the highs and lows of your experience? Share your ideas and experiences in the comment box below!

Establishing Classroom Rules and Getting a Virtual Tour of Dynamic Busan

Every Friday, I teach two English classes, and serve as a co-teacher at an English club class. 

This week, I am covering classroom rules, of which I have four: 1) Speak in English (loudly and confidently!) 2) Show Respect (no cat-fights) 3) Listen While Others Speak (part of showing respect) 4) Stay Awake (don't sleep!) 

ONE METHOD VS. MULTIPLE METHODS OF TEACHING

The redundancy of the parenthetical statements is a natural byproduct of my effort to word and explain things in as many different ways as possible. This effort goes against the advice of other ETAs who say stick to one way of wording greetings and instructions in class. Don't confuse students. Establish a routine.

So far, things are going well. Students seem to understand what I am saying in front of the class. If I perceive that this approach is not working, then I will pause and re-consider taking the advice. I definitely see the merit in the advice, but I am going against it because, once again, I am extrapolating from personal experience - one that has taught me that I learn best when ideas are explained to me using different wordings/phrasings/imagery, and shown me using different teaching techniques. 

EXTRAPOLATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS, & EXPECTATIONS

My assumption is clearly that my students operate the same way. My hope is that they will latch on to at least one explanation if they fail to access another. 

Though I have never been a thespian, I take pains to act out each classroom rule I am asking my students to abide by. When this doesn't work, I enlist the translation services of my co-teachers, who are often just sitting/standing ready to provide me with assistance in the back of the room. 

The following is a photo story of the rest of my day. 

TESTING MY STUDENTS' MEMORY

Students randomly chosen to write out the four Classroom Rules. Each one represents a row in the class, from which they can receive assistance.

INTRODUCING A UNIT ON U.S. GEOGRAPHY THROUGH SONG

Today, I began teaching my students the names of the 50 U.S. states, introducing them to the "50 Nifty United States" song, and assigning each one a state (for individual rewards), as well as a region (for group work/competition/rewards).

FUELED BY STUDENTS' EXCITEMENT
I am so excited to start this! My vision is for this to be a semester-long unit, tacked on at the end of each class to help diversify my lessons' content, provide them with fun U.S. trivia, and have an excuse to end class with my students singing on their way out the door and down the hall. They were very excited to adopt a U.S. state, and were quick to ask each other and my co-teacher how to pronounce their state names.

COVERING 5 OUT OF THE 50 STATES
Today, we covered the first five of the 50 states. Like in the classroom rules activity, I picked students to go up to the board and write out the first five states in alphabetical order: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California!

Their teams/U.S. regions could help them out only by singing the song. Of course they didn't follow this direction. Apparently, some had smartly written down the five states and were dispensing cheat sheets to their student rep. Other reps were quite open about peeking at their competitors' answers on the board.

STUDENTS CHEATING IN FRONT OF ME
Me: No cheating! No, that's cheating. Yes, it is! Uh-uh. Okay, give it to me. Just try your best! You can do it! 

SNACKING BETWEEN TEACHING

Today, Sookhee gave me these Binch chocolate crackers - my favorite!

I'm pretty sure I've become a part of my co-teacher's dieting plan. She will be eating some delicious snack one moment, and then the next she will be sliding half the portion over to me. So sweet! Some days, she even gives me an accompanying drink (coffee, juice, shake, tea, etc.). 

I'm spoiled at home, and I'm spoiled at work. 

CO-TEACHING AN ENGLISH CLUB CLASS

The project she assigned our class today asked students to give me suggestions on where to go to experience the beauty of Busan. It is a mix of first- and second-graders, who are interested in combining English and art in class projects. I was impressed by the quality of their work, given they only have two hours dedicated to this class every other week. 

I don't have my own club class at my high school. I was looking forward to designing and facilitating my own, and was a bit bummed when I heard I would only be co-teaching with another teacher. However, after today's class, I allowed myself to just enjoy the arrangement. I'm actually liking not being the one in charge - for once.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that my co-teacher is an extremely sweet lady!

STUDENT JOURNALISTS MEASURING THE LENGTH OF MY HAIR 

 This is a student with said ruler.

A group of students interrupted me during club class to interview me for the Blue Wave, or the school's English newspaper. The interviewers asked about my weight (which I couldn't give in kilograms), my height (nor this in centimeters), my shoe size (Uhhh?), and my hair length (...not even gonna ask).

The students gasped at the sight of the length of my hair, and quickly called on others to produce a ruler.

After this group of student journalists left, another group came in asking me to dress up the next day for a photo shoot. Apparently, they will also be producing something on teachers' fashion styles.

Well, teacher dress up it is! This should be very interesting. Let's see how the Blue Wave represents me in the coming days.

College Prep: The Only Class I Teach With Third Graders in High School

How adorable are my students?! Very - the answer is very.

THE PROPOSITION
Yesterday, another teacher approached me to ask if I would be willing to teach a type of college entrance exam prep class. In the coming month, high school seniors will be applying to colleges all over Korea, and there were about a dozen students at our school who would be applying to Busan National University, where the application process involves some level of English mastery. They were very interested in working with an English teacher who could provide them extra support in the areas of writing (for their personal statements) and speaking (for their university interviews). Korean students - whether first, second, or third graders - struggle in these two areas the most, and I can personally relate.

Being the only "native English speaker" in the school, the teacher thought I was the most qualified candidate for the job.

THE RESERVATIONS
I agreed, but not without many unvoiced, internal reservations. I was fully aware of how unqualified I was to shepherd a dozen Korean high school seniors to their dream universities. However, I also happened to be quite familiar with this sense of being eternally unqualified and inadequate (even in areas that those around me would say I am most definitely capable of executing), so I stamped out the reservations and, in resolving to accept her proposition, kicked feelings of inadequacy in the face.

Actually, to be honest, I don't think I had a choice in the matter, but the teacher was awfully nice about it (making me feel like I had a choice and all :D))

THE HOOK
After my first class with these girls, I am absolutely at peace with my decision! They are sponges, and are extremely eager to learn, not to mention appreciative of my teaching techniques.

We had a meeting before this first class, and I was able to gauge then that, while very eager to learn, their confidence in their ability to communicate in English is kind of...non-existent.

THE LESSON 
This is why I decided our first class would revolve around two things: 1) Speaking Loudly, and 2) Speaking Confidently.

That's it.

THE BACK STORY OF THE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER, WHO WAS ONCE NOT ONE
Although I am now considered a native English-speaker, I was not always one.

At the age of 11, right after immigrating to the U.S., I sat in a U.S. classroom resolutely quiet, and seriously shy - so much so that some of my schoolmates thought I was mute for the better part of the year. I could smile at my teachers and muster up a "yes" and "no" when I understood what they asked of me, but basically nothing else.

Because I didn't dare speak (and dreaded making mistakes, and being corrected, and possibly being ridiculed - you know, minor things to a young adolescent), I was unused to hearing my own voice [in English].

THEN: SPEAKING VISAYA FLUENTLY, AND ENGLISH STUMBLINGLY 
I know I was quick, loud, and commanding when using my native tongue, so there was nothing physically preventing me from speaking in English, except a serious lack of confidence. When I did finally muster up the courage to speak up it was to mask how badly my voice was cracking and how visibly my hands were shaking. I was surprised, then enlivened and encouraged by my new-found volume, so I spoke louder, and felt more and more confident. Over the years, of course.

NOW: RELATING TO MY STUDENTS' WOES LEARNING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
So, yes, I remember what it's like to be a student, and especially a student of the English language. I believe this same confidence issue has most of my Korean students in a choke-hold, and, at a critical moment like this (when their futures are about to be decided by one English-dominated test), it is critical that I do everything I know to do to help free them from that crippling hold.

I hear them scream over EXO music videos, and exclaim over photos of Super Junior, and yell at the top of their lungs at each other while running down the hall. Some of them wail and screech for no apparent reason in class. I know they have the voice box to produce sound, words, language!

If my students could only exercise the same boldness when it comes to my class.
If they could strategically suspend their own reservations and come to terms with the fact that their tongues are, in fact, traversing through an unfamiliar linguistic terrain, and know that it's perfectly okay to be lost.

WORKING TO BOOST MY STUDENTS' CONFIDENCE LEVEL IN ENGLISH CLASS
Speak Loudly. Speak Confidently. Really, it's a beautiful cycle. And I experienced its effectivenes not for the first time today, when I gave them an impromptu speech assignment for one minute each.

Encountering Biblical Stories in the Korean High School English Textbook

FUTURE LESSON IDEAS, COME AT ME
I was flipping through the English textbook this morning - soaking up and sifting through the content for ideas on how to integrate the material with my style of teaching -  when I came across this reading section. Go on, read it.

A snapshot of the page. I would include publication information here, but it's all in Korean. 

TRIPPING OVER A BIBLICAL STORY
From the very first sentence, I recognized it as the story of King Solomon in the Bible and of how he demonstrated his great God-given wisdom in the case of two women fighting over one baby (Click here for the fascinating story in I Kings 3:16-28).

ALL SORTS OF RESPONSES
At first, I was shocked to see a biblical story (notwithstanding its very watered-down quality) included in a school curriculum. I re-read it again, and scrutinized the page it was on to see if there was anything identifying it to the Bible or to Christianity. (I know some people who would be immediately outraged to discover the same, so my first reaction was defense: NOBODY IS DOING NOTHING TO NO ONE, and I can prove it (and, yes, I'm aware of the multiple negation here - *ahem* it's just for effect ;)).

ALL SORTS OF QUESTIONS

A closer but still low-quality shot of the image on the textbook

Is this particular unit on "World Religions," for instance? Hmm, no, not really. Well, then, is the theme about generally-awesome rulers throughout time? No? What about women's rights? Social justice?

There was nothing about the passage that identified it to its original source - (the picture depicting, well, "two women...[and] a wise king" does not count).

I experienced a moment of confused curiosity - wondering about all sorts of things, including but not limited to: Is the publisher Christian? Or was this passage snuck in or fought for by a contributor? Is the textbook industry just generally apathetic? How many Korean students recognize this reading exercise as originating from a holy text? What do Korean parents think about it? Has any parent or other "concerned individuals" sued any company or school district for this (like some adults very likely might in the U.S. public schools)? Can the Bible be approached as literature? What does paraphrasing a Biblical account like the one of Solomon's "court ruling" do to both the source and the receiver? Why is this so important to me?!...Also, can I teach on this?

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT STANDS 
Or, perhaps a better question might be: How can I incorporate my spiritual ambassadorship with my cultural ambassadorship while teaching English in a public high school in Korea? The two don't have to be mutually exclusive.

The aforementioned discovery took me off guard, thus the shock and the confused curiosities, but then - with all of those initial feelings going still unresolved - this discovery slowly gave way to excitement. Ideas for future lessons and, perhaps even units, exploded all over the mental landscape of my brain.

CHALLENGING MYSELF AS A TEACHER
I glanced at the passage again. I could do that. I could (re)tell a story, and create a lesson based on it. And I could do it in a way that is fun, engaging, and educational!

THE BIBLE & ITS VERY REAL LITERARY IMPACT
As an English major, I have studied the Bible as Literature, and, now as an English teacher, I can see myself teaching English to non-native speakers using the Bible as Literature. After all, apart from those who believe it to be the "inspired Word of God," the Bible is, undeniably, a masterpiece of storytelling that has affected billions of life throughout history.

I have absolutely no idea how to go about this, or how this will pan out, but I am an educator - have long known I am - and will do my best not to shortchange my students' education in the name of political correctness.

DON'T MISREAD MY INTENTIONS
...nor my considerations. I am not confusing my role as a teacher with that of a pastor. I am not going to use my authority as a teacher to convert anyone at school, etc., etc.

THE BIBLE & ITS VERY REAL HISTORICAL IMPACT
I am merely considering the various roles I now find myself juggling, and thinking through my next steps. In light of this, I must necessarily acknowledge that no other book has influenced Western literature and history like the Bible has - and I want to consider this little detail as I think about how to teach my students most honestly and most fruitfully about the West in general and the U.S. in particular.

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU
I just shared my own reactions to encountering a biblical story in a public school textbook. What are your thoughts, (if any)? If you had come across it, would you have recognized the story in the reading exercise as one originating from a religious text? Should it or should it not matter?

What do you think of my main question, as far as how to marry my dual ambassadorship as a Christian and as a U.S. citizen? How could I fine-tune this question to better serve my students and my assignment here in Korea while also representing my faith with confidence? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Day #1 of Teaching: Mimi Teacher's Self-Introduction & Relationship Status

No class cancellations today! I was so excited, but thankfully reigned in my nerves as I entered each of my classes. I only taught two morning classes (that means I still had six hours of desk warming for the rest of the day). 

This is Class 1-8. My host sister noticed the camera in my hand and quickly ducked behind the podium before I took this shot.

The first class I had was at 8:40 a.m (basically first period) with Class 1-7 (translation: 1 = first-grade high school students; 7 = seventh class out of 8 different classes of first-grade high school students). Sookhee was my co-teacher, helping me set up the technology, which was very essential for my first week's lesson plan on Self-Introductions. I had the students create name tags for themselves as Sookhee and I both struggled to get the projector and computer to communicate with each other. 

She had told me the previous day that my students were mostly low-level, so I modified what now looks like an extremely ambitious first week lesson plan (for, in my hopes and dreams, a high-level, or at least high-intermediate class) to suit this new piece of information. 

In keeping with this, I had a two-part lesson. I will share the first part because, being a PPP, it lends itself quite easily to this task.

I created a power point presentation made up largely of photos and simple captions about my life before coming to Korea. This worked wonderfully, based on student reactions. 

WEEK 1 LESSON PLAN: MIMI TEACHER SELF-INTRODUCTION

Here's a little something of how this went down: 

Students: [expectant silence]

Me: I will tell you a little bit about me. After, you will tell me a little bit about you, okay?

Students: [Nods] Yes, Teacher

Me: You can ask me questions at the end, okay?

Students: [Nods] Yes, yes, Teacher!

Me: What are these?

Students: Places!

Me: Correct! Which country is the blue one? 

Students: ...United States! Latin America! Malaysia! Hong Kong!

Me: Um...no. That is THE PHILIPPINES.

Students: Oh!

Me: I was born in the Philippines!

Students: Ohhhhhhh!

Yours truly is Filipino-American, and all too proud to represent these two aspects of my identity while abroad! :D

Me: This is my family.
Students: Wah...
Me: One of them is my mother.
Students: WAHHHHHH! [insert 30 Korean girls screaming here] Which???
Me: Which one do you think?...That's correct! The second one from the left.
Students: WAHHHHHHHH! Beautiful!

Me: [Smiling] I know...  

Me: I am the oldest of four daughters. This is my family in the Philippines with the second oldest sister!
Students: Wahhhh [they are basically impressed with everything they see on the slides]. Teacher, what is name of mom and seesters?
Me: Ah! Let me introduce you to them :D
Students: Okay, Okay.

Me: Who is this?
Students: MOTHER!
Me: What is her name?
Students: Mer...cedddess
Me: Mercedes, that's right! This picture was taken one month ago at my college graduation. My mother raised me and my younger sisters by herself in the U.S.
Students: OHHH

Me: This is my grandmother. Halmoni. She helped raise me and my younger sisters in the Philippines. She still lives in the Philippines. I want to visit her during winter vacation!
Students: Ahhh...Philippines...

Me: These are my three younger sisters!
Students: WAHHHH! Beautiful!
Me: Jessel is the second oldest. She lives in the Philippines with her husband.
Students: [Screams of incredulity] But Teacher, she younger than you...?
Me: Yes...and she also has a baby girl!
Students: [More screams]
Me: And this is Merry Chris. She is a student at the University of Washington (same university as Teacher), and she is majoring in Spanish and International Relations.
Students: Ahh...
Me: Merry Chris is the one who made me watch Boys Before Flowers with Lee Min Ho...
Students: Ahhhh!!! Teacher, you know Lee Min Ho?!
Me: And this is Emily. She is in high school and loves to draw, paint, and run and jump! Emily is the youngest, so she is especially close to my heart :D

Me: These are my friends in America. I have known them for many, many years.
Students: [More screams of "Beautiful!" "So, so beautiful!"]
Me: Shhhh...Shhhh...The next slide is very important.

Me: These are my favorite food. Raise your hand if you like mangoes.
Students: [Some raise their hands]
Me: Raise your hand if you like chicken
Students: [Goes wild, screaming their love for all things chicken].

I think we're going to get along very well here...

Me: This is my university!

They have no conception of what a "minor" is, so my co-teacher translated it for them in Korean.

My students also had no idea what "Diversity Studies" or "Women Studies" mean. I gave explanation a shot...

Students: Ohhh...!!!
Me: Before, I was in America. Now, I'm here in Yeongdo with you! We will have a great year together :D
Students: Yes, Teacher

ASKING THE PERTINENT QUESTIONS
Me: Alright, that is the end of my introduction! Do you have any questions for Mimi Teacher?

[Silence...then, a student tentatively raises her hand]

Me: Yes?
Student: Teacher, do you have a boyfriend?
Whole Class: [Excited giggles]
Me: Ah...Do I have a boyfriend?
Student: Yes
Me: What do you think?
Student: Yes! Very, very have a boyfriend!

Students all raise their hands, saying they think I have a boyfriend

Me: Wow. Okay...Raise your hand if you think I have a boyfriend.
Class: [Every student raises their hand]/ [Good, they're all awake]
Me: Huh!...Why do you all think I have a boyfriend??
Another Student: Ring! Teacher has a ring on finger!
Me: [Dang, they're good] Ah...Okay. Let's see if you all are right [flips to next slide]

*Picture has been changed and blocked out here to protect the innocent (or guilty, depending on who you are). 

Students: [MASSIVE ERUPTION OF TRIUMPHANT SCREAMING, presumably in the name of love] SO HANDSOME! Teacher boyfriend, so handsome! WAHHHH...HHHHH!

I give them 30 long seconds to get the excitement out of their systems, and then - a brief lesson on verb tenses:

Me: This was my boyfriend. Was.
Students: [Deep, quiet groans of immense disappointment] was...? :/
Me: When I came to Korea...no more.
Students: Ohhh...Sorry, Teacher. Sorry, sorry...
Me: It's okay. It's okay.

Me: It's okay, because I have a new boyfriend now!
Students: OH?!
Me: Much more handsome [flips to next slide containing picture of me and one of the heartthrobs in Korea from the boy group EXO]
Students: WAHHHH! No Teacher. No!
Me: Hahaha. Why no?
Students: He is mine! He is my husband! He is not! No Teacher!

My all-girls class was very upset with me...haha!








I had gathered from previous conversations with the OC Team, my host family, and co-teachers that this would be one of the first questions my students would ask me. Instead of lying to my students about it (which I was tempted to do), or flailing my way through it (which I was bound to do), I decided to tackle the question head-on.

It wasn't easy, but adding humor helped. Vocalizing this recent break-up to 300 female students was difficult, but it became easier over the course of giving the same powerpoint presentation eight different times. This is as far as I have gotten in terms of processing all this, so I don't have much else to offer.

Three years of my heart all boiling down to these two powerpoint slides. I guess that happens sometimes. Someday, I will have a much more grand story to tell - not just to my students, but to myself.