Training Day

So, Monday was my only training day...and man was it overwhelming!!! I just wasn't getting it at all, but I think it was because I was so very tired. As it turns out, it wasn't that confusing. Yes, there are many things I still have to learn, but the main thing at this school is to get the kids to talk in English. The lessons are guidelines to that communication. The books give you words and themes and I have to get them to talk. Like I said before, it's not necessary that they don't know English, it's that they are not comfortable speaking in English. That makes sense to me. I remember learning Spanish. Reading and writing was the easy part, but the speaking wasn't. I dreaded to speaking tests, and sadly my classes didn't do enough of those. Maybe that's what public school is like here. These kids go to other schools, sometimes it's the same one as other students, sometimes it's differnt. One of my students in a higher level explained it to me: They are go to some form of public school, than they go to private, hagwons, for more education on different subjects. Each hagwon is for something different. Mine is English. There are other hagwons for math,science, etc. So some of these kids go to school all day and into the night. I already feel bad assigning homework. But that is the culture here and they are used to it. The kids seems happy. I am still learning, so I may not be explaining this correctly, but that is what I know thus far.


There is a video on facebook if you want to check it out!! Again, I apologize...it's just not working on here! :)

Now, excuse the way I look...I was still oh, so very tired. But it was crazy how the second day went! I did great! And the kids told the school manager they really liked me! I think they like my energy. It's funny because I was over energetic simply to try to keep myself awake and to cover up my mistakes. The kids are really good kids, but they are also kids. They have been in school all day, and now they are with me. I really got to be as eneregetic as I possibly can!

I start work at 1:30, then usually will be having classes from 2:30-8:30. As far as I can tell, I will have about 6 classes everyday. I am the only foreign teacher now, so I get all of the conversation classes and I think some of the reading classes. Toward the end of the week, I did begin to get a little lonely. There are people everywhere and really sweet kids, but there is a distinct language barrier. Even between me and the school manager, Liz. I can talk to her pretty well, but still there is a line. I think with time, I will find other ways to communicate, but for now, it's weird.

But over all, I adjusted so well!! I'm still surprised by it. I mean, I made mistakes in assigning homework. And believe me, the kids quickly corrected me. They know when their schedule or homework is different. They also corrected me when I did the class differently than the way they are used to. Haha. They better get used to that, I've never been one to stick to a schedule...

After the second day, I finally could breathe, and sleep, and smile...

YAY!!!