Mikuk Salam

So, the funny thing about being hired straight out of college as a teacher is that I, in fact, have no idea how to teach. One might think that, having spent the entirety of my life thus far in school, I would have picked up some tips from the many, many teachers I have had the chance to observe. One would be wrong.

It is comical how little training I have received. Actually, the training I have received is approximately equal to ZERO. I was told I would have, at the very least, three days of training. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. My first day at the school was spent observing the other teachers, especially the native English speakers (most of the teachers are Korean). When I arrived on the second day, my first conversation with someone went something like this:

-Could you take this class at three?

-Sure. Wait, what? 

-Here's the book, teach them these pages, and at the end write the homework on the board.

-Um, okay...Wait, where is the classroom? What level are these students? Do they have this book? How long is the class period? How am I supposed to know what homework to assign? What am I dooiiinnng?!?!?!??

Suffice it to say, the school is much more casual than I thought it would be. Casual to a fault, really. I suppose I expected a lot of rigor and discipline since I've heard so much about how seriously Koreans take education. At the same time, this is a private language school, not the regular school that children attend, so it seems to follow its own set of rules. Or is devoid of them. One or the other. 

Every day I'm handed a new book and told to teach a new class. I don't know where the syllabus comes from, don't know if there even IS a syllabus, or if the other teachers just magically know which pages of the book they are teaching next. It is all very mysterious. I'm slowly picking up on things, but only because I will suddenly realize at the last second that I am missing some very important piece of information, at which point I will grab the nearest teacher, who may or may not be able to explain it to me. 

It's frustrating, but at least the disorganization of everything means pretty low expectations of me. Everyone seems pleased as peaches as long as I go into a classroom at one point and come out again 50 minutes later. It's just assumed that I have taught the students something. 

The director of the school tells me over and over again that I am here because I have a very special skill, and that I will be able to lead the other teachers. This would be flattering if my "very special skill" was something OTHER than my native language. It feels strange to be hired on the basis of knowing something that you didn't even have to try to learn.  

Despite the strange mechanics by which the school is run, I am actually enjoying my job quite a bit. The students are especially great, for the most part. They are divided according to level more than age, though they try to match up the ages as best they can. I had to figure out the hard way that just because some of my classes are older doesn't necessarily mean they speak better English than some of the younger classes. 

In the mornings I teach three classes of kindergarten, and they are all SO cute, and very smart. Some of them are as young as three, though it's sort of hard to tell, because in Korea you are considered one year old when you are born. Confusing. They will all run up and jump on me while shouting "Erin teacha! Erin teacha!" (their previous teacher has usually been British, so they all sort of speak English with a British accent). They also have a LOT of trouble saying my name, which is hilarious, because I'll get a lot of, "Eleeen?" They pick up the language so quickly, though. There is one adorable little boy who cries every time Angela and I come into the room because we are foreign, though I think he's starting to warm up to us. 

The afternoon classes vary a lot in age and level. The oldest kids I teach are probably about 12, and some of them speak very, very well already. A few of my classes are a bit older, but hardly speak ANY English because they got started with the language later than some. The first time I was up in front of one of those classes I was terrified, because they stared at me blankly and wouldn't respond to any of my questions, which I later learned was because I was speaking too quickly for any of them to understand. You never realize how quickly you speak until you're trying to communicate with a non-native speaker. Even the Korean teachers who teach English don't understand me half of the time. I am learning to speak slower and simplify my language, but I have to constantly think about it. I worry that I sound condescending when I speak so slowly. 

Do...you...like...to...play...sports? Me...too! Hooray...for...sports! 

As my dear friend Sarah McCarthy pointed out, I am surprised every time I stand in front of a classroom of students and they actually expect me to SAY something to them. They expect me to teach them something! I can only hope that I actually am. 

There's a lot of "Lost in Translation"-like things going on. Too bad Bill Murray isn't here for me to have a pseudo-romance with. 

The students who don't know as much English will sometimes point at me and say, "Mikuk salam?"

Yes, I am an American. I wish I knew more Korean so we could actually communicate. Until then, I'll just stand up here and speak at you in English, hoping you understand.