Last night, I arrived safely in America and got to help celebrate my mom's birthday. It's so nice to be surrounded by loved ones during the holiday season. I wish all my friends around the world a very 메리 크리스마스!! ^_^
Here's a video to keep you occupied, until I get settled and catch up on my blog posts. It features me, the principal, and 2 vice-principals of my school. I used my camera phone to secretly take pictures of the photos outside their offices. The next day, I used the school-wide messaging system to send this video to every faculty member in my school. It was such a hit with them. I hope you enjoy it as well!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Demise of the "Great Leader"
BREAKING NEWS: Kim Jong-Il, the North Korean dictator, is dead.
Today, my poor students had their 7th practice Suneung of the year, so I had the day off. I slept in a bit, ate breakfast, and watched a few reruns of Grey's Anatomy on the international television channel, while chatting with some friends online. As usual, I was simultaneously browsing through my online news sites when I read this monumental headline.
Within a few minutes of breaking, this story caused a palpable uproar in the media and social networking sites. I, too, posted an immediate status update on Facebook, expressing my state of disbelief. However, this sense of shock doesn't seem to be shared by native South Koreans. In fact, this news barely got a shrug, let alone a reaction. The most common response I've come across today is "진짜? (Really?)" and then they continue going about their day, as if nothing had happened.
This underwhelming reaction is in direct contrast to how Americans reacted when Osama bin Laden was shot in the CIA raid or how Libyans reacted when Muammar Gaddafi was killed by NLA fighters. In both these cases, people rushed to the streets, cheering in sheer jubilation. The deaths of these two tyrannical dictators marked significant moral and symbolic victories for the War on Terrorism and the Libyan Civil War. However, the death of North Korea's "great leader" fails to get a comparable reaction because his ultimate demise does little to impart change or instill hope in the hearts of Koreans.
In all likelihood, the death of Kim Jong-Il won't change anything. The atrocities occurring in North Korea will likely continue under the rule of the late dictator's third and beloved son, Kim Jong-Un. North Korea will still be a huge security and nuclear threat to both the U.S. and the world at large. And lastly, the hope for a reunified Korea will remain a distant dream. Given these facts, it makes complete sense as to why South Koreans aren't visibly shaken by this headlining news story.
My only gripe is when this ambivalent response is construed as "apathy" or a lack of care for the victims in North Korea. Most South Koreans that I've come across seem well-aware and concerned about the atrocities that are occurring in North, ostensibly more than us, foreigners, or folks that live elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, the South Korean government and international community have done little to uncover or rectify the brutal policies that have been imposed by the North's tyrannical regime.
But that is not to say that South Korean citizens don't care. They're not expecting change because it hasn't happened in the past 50 years. Rather than criticizing the South Korean people, we ought to direct our frustration and anger to the global community, who have a turned a blind eye to the confirmed accounts of murder, rape, slavery, forced starvation, and indefinite detention in concentration camps. Until these atrocities are acknowledged on an international level, South Koreans will remain "apathetic," and rightfully so.
Regardless of what does or does not happen next, it's surreal to be living in Korea as this story is unfolding. Right now, South Korean forces are increasing their "military capability" and "declaring emergency alert." Despite the North's close proximity, I still feel safe (Don't worry about me, Mom!). It's rather unlikely than anything drastic will occur following Kim Jong-Il's death. But let's hope that his death instills in the global community an urgency to free North Koreans from the unimaginable horrors that they have endured from this dictator's rule.
Today, my poor students had their 7th practice Suneung of the year, so I had the day off. I slept in a bit, ate breakfast, and watched a few reruns of Grey's Anatomy on the international television channel, while chatting with some friends online. As usual, I was simultaneously browsing through my online news sites when I read this monumental headline.
Within a few minutes of breaking, this story caused a palpable uproar in the media and social networking sites. I, too, posted an immediate status update on Facebook, expressing my state of disbelief. However, this sense of shock doesn't seem to be shared by native South Koreans. In fact, this news barely got a shrug, let alone a reaction. The most common response I've come across today is "진짜? (Really?)" and then they continue going about their day, as if nothing had happened.
This underwhelming reaction is in direct contrast to how Americans reacted when Osama bin Laden was shot in the CIA raid or how Libyans reacted when Muammar Gaddafi was killed by NLA fighters. In both these cases, people rushed to the streets, cheering in sheer jubilation. The deaths of these two tyrannical dictators marked significant moral and symbolic victories for the War on Terrorism and the Libyan Civil War. However, the death of North Korea's "great leader" fails to get a comparable reaction because his ultimate demise does little to impart change or instill hope in the hearts of Koreans.
In all likelihood, the death of Kim Jong-Il won't change anything. The atrocities occurring in North Korea will likely continue under the rule of the late dictator's third and beloved son, Kim Jong-Un. North Korea will still be a huge security and nuclear threat to both the U.S. and the world at large. And lastly, the hope for a reunified Korea will remain a distant dream. Given these facts, it makes complete sense as to why South Koreans aren't visibly shaken by this headlining news story.
My only gripe is when this ambivalent response is construed as "apathy" or a lack of care for the victims in North Korea. Most South Koreans that I've come across seem well-aware and concerned about the atrocities that are occurring in North, ostensibly more than us, foreigners, or folks that live elsewhere in the world. Unfortunately, the South Korean government and international community have done little to uncover or rectify the brutal policies that have been imposed by the North's tyrannical regime.
But that is not to say that South Korean citizens don't care. They're not expecting change because it hasn't happened in the past 50 years. Rather than criticizing the South Korean people, we ought to direct our frustration and anger to the global community, who have a turned a blind eye to the confirmed accounts of murder, rape, slavery, forced starvation, and indefinite detention in concentration camps. Until these atrocities are acknowledged on an international level, South Koreans will remain "apathetic," and rightfully so.
Regardless of what does or does not happen next, it's surreal to be living in Korea as this story is unfolding. Right now, South Korean forces are increasing their "military capability" and "declaring emergency alert." Despite the North's close proximity, I still feel safe (Don't worry about me, Mom!). It's rather unlikely than anything drastic will occur following Kim Jong-Il's death. But let's hope that his death instills in the global community an urgency to free North Koreans from the unimaginable horrors that they have endured from this dictator's rule.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Headin' Down to the 'Po
It's great to be a high school teacher in Korea, especially during the fall/winter semester. It seems like every other week there's some sort of cancellation or day off. Unfortunately, my free time always comes at the expense of my poor students. This week was no different. I taught Monday classes, according to schedule, but then I had the next 4 days off from school due to final exams. For my 1st grade students, all their hard work and sleepless nights come down to this dreaded week.
I recently learned that the grading system in Korean high schools is very similar to that of American universities. Midterm grades usually count for 40% of their total grade, final exams another 40%, and the remaining 20% is divided according to some algorithm of quizzes, participation, projects, and overall attitude. Mostly unsatisfied with their midterm grades, my students are taking their final exams very seriously. So as they mentally and physically set off to endure hell week, Danielle Teacher gets to sleep in and enjoy the time off. Quite cruel, isn't it? Anyway, being that we had nothing to do, JR and I headed down to Mokpo on Wednesday and Thursday to visit 6 of our close Fulbright friends.
Located on the southwestern tip, Mokpo is pretty damn far from Daejeon; quite possibly, as far away as one can get in mainland Korea. By train, it took us 3 hours to get to this small port-side town. Having grown accustomed to my city-slicker life, I, admittedly, didn't expect much from this visit. I was looking forward to seeing my friends, but I assumed that we'd be out in the boonies, far away from civilization or entertainment. Boy, was I mistaken. Mokpo proved to be a charming, adorable city with all the amenities and faculties of urban Daejeon, just on a smaller scale.
That's the thing about Korea. It's so incredibly urbanized that even this lively town with a population of 250,000 people is considered rural/borderline suburban, according to Korean standards. Coming from America where the term "rural" evokes visions of isolated farm towns with one traffic light, I was definitely taken for a loop. Once we arrived, we met up with the lovely Emily, who would be my host for the visit. She walked us around the old downtown area, and then we all sat in a coffee shop and chatted for a while. Being that she's so far away, I don't get to see her as often as I'd like. It was nice to finally catch up and hear about what she'd been up to.
After lunch, we parted ways with Emily and took a cab to a co-ed high school on the other side of town, which is where our other friend Henry works. There, we got to see Henry Teacher in action and sit in on 2 of his afternoon classes. For his lesson, he split his students up into 2 teams and launched into a game of Konglish Jeopardy, in which a Koreany-English word was presented and students had to think of the more accurate English term [e.g., 핸드폰 (hand phone) = cell phone].
Henry elected to make JR and I captains and gave each team the chance to pick their leader. I wasn't surprised when the second class's all-girls team chose me as their captain. But it was pretty hilarious when the first class's all-boys team chose me, the pretty girl, instead of their fellow bro. Haha, JR's never gonna hear the end of that one... As teachers, it can get pretty monotonous doing the same lesson 20 times in one week. Therefore, we all have ways to keep ourselves amused. Henry took this to another level by introducing JR to the first class as Rafael, and the second class as Demetrius. It was all pretty ridiculous.
After school, JR went to Henry's homestay and I headed over to Emily's apartment to drop of my bags. It's clear that Emily has a great relationship with her homestay family. I got to meet her homestay mom and sister, both of whom were so kind and welcoming. It looks like we both lucked out with our families. Emily's homestay mother runs an after-school English tutoring class from 3-8pm every weekday.
When I arrived, I was shocked to see 20 little elementary school kids sprawled all throughout the living room. Immediately they ran over to me and at the insistence of Emily's hostmom, began practicing their English. I bombarded with a chorus of "Hello, how are you? What is your name? Nice to meet you!" It was absolutely adorable. Later on, we heard them singing Christmas carols together. Soooo precious!! The picture and graphic below pretty much summarizes our relationship.
After settling in and catching up on girl talk, we met up with the entire Mokpo crew around the new downtown area. There, we walked alongside the water and ran into the Gatbawi rock figures, which are one of Mokpo's more notable tourist attractions. It was a nice, leisurely stroll and a vastly different scene than anything one can find in land-locked Daejeon.
Then, we all headed to dinner and gorged on delicious barbequed meat. During dinner, we had the bright idea to have a pepper-eating contest. The premise of the game is simple - choose one of the skinny green peppers, eat it, and then from everyone's reaction, judge whose pepper was the hottest. What a dumb mistake. I'm pretty sure that I tied with another friend for the hottest pepper award. Although everyone was visibly affected by their potent pepper, the two of us were crying, sweating, and panting for air. I lost feeling in my tongue and lips for nearly 20 minutes. Never again!
After dinner, we ended up at a bar and just hung out for a while. It was so nice to see everyone together. Usually, the Mokpo crew makes the trek up north to visit us; so it was only fair that we reciprocated the favor and made our way down south. I'm so glad we did. The company and atmosphere of the evening were great. Mokpo has a lot of character. I especially love the quaint, locally owned coffee shops and beautiful lit-up decorations that line the streets of the downtown shopping area (Photo Credit: the uber-talented Morrow).
The next morning, we slept in, ate breakfast, and met back up in old downtown around the train station. For the entirety of the 3-hour train ride back, I slept soundly. All in all, it was a perfect day trip. I got to see some familiar faces and cool places, but the visit left me wanting more. I've been told that Mokpo is even more charming when the whether is warm and one can spend the day soaking in the outdoors. Can't wait until springtime, so I can visit again and hang out on the pier, overlooking the water. Here are some photos of what I have to look forward to.
Mokpo was a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. It has a much more laid-back and calm feel to it. That being said, visiting this seaport town made me realize how nice I have it in Daejeon. Everything is at our fingertips, and it's so easy to travel and get around the country. One of my priorities coming to Korea was seeing as much of the country as I possibly could. I'm confident that living in Daejeon has enabled me to do just that.
As I was saying goodbye to the Mokpo crew, I realized that this would be the last time seeing them for a while. Winter Break is about to begin and we'll have 2 months, free of teaching duties, to do what we please. From heading back to America to traveling in and around Korea to taking language class, the world is our oyster. Fortunately, I have plans to meet up with 2 Mokpo-ites in the near future. In mid-January, I'll be traveling to Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia with David and then finishing out the month with Emily in Hong Kong. Can't wait to embark upon more adventures together!
I recently learned that the grading system in Korean high schools is very similar to that of American universities. Midterm grades usually count for 40% of their total grade, final exams another 40%, and the remaining 20% is divided according to some algorithm of quizzes, participation, projects, and overall attitude. Mostly unsatisfied with their midterm grades, my students are taking their final exams very seriously. So as they mentally and physically set off to endure hell week, Danielle Teacher gets to sleep in and enjoy the time off. Quite cruel, isn't it? Anyway, being that we had nothing to do, JR and I headed down to Mokpo on Wednesday and Thursday to visit 6 of our close Fulbright friends.
Located on the southwestern tip, Mokpo is pretty damn far from Daejeon; quite possibly, as far away as one can get in mainland Korea. By train, it took us 3 hours to get to this small port-side town. Having grown accustomed to my city-slicker life, I, admittedly, didn't expect much from this visit. I was looking forward to seeing my friends, but I assumed that we'd be out in the boonies, far away from civilization or entertainment. Boy, was I mistaken. Mokpo proved to be a charming, adorable city with all the amenities and faculties of urban Daejeon, just on a smaller scale.
That's the thing about Korea. It's so incredibly urbanized that even this lively town with a population of 250,000 people is considered rural/borderline suburban, according to Korean standards. Coming from America where the term "rural" evokes visions of isolated farm towns with one traffic light, I was definitely taken for a loop. Once we arrived, we met up with the lovely Emily, who would be my host for the visit. She walked us around the old downtown area, and then we all sat in a coffee shop and chatted for a while. Being that she's so far away, I don't get to see her as often as I'd like. It was nice to finally catch up and hear about what she'd been up to.
After lunch, we parted ways with Emily and took a cab to a co-ed high school on the other side of town, which is where our other friend Henry works. There, we got to see Henry Teacher in action and sit in on 2 of his afternoon classes. For his lesson, he split his students up into 2 teams and launched into a game of Konglish Jeopardy, in which a Koreany-English word was presented and students had to think of the more accurate English term [e.g., 핸드폰 (hand phone) = cell phone].
Henry elected to make JR and I captains and gave each team the chance to pick their leader. I wasn't surprised when the second class's all-girls team chose me as their captain. But it was pretty hilarious when the first class's all-boys team chose me, the pretty girl, instead of their fellow bro. Haha, JR's never gonna hear the end of that one... As teachers, it can get pretty monotonous doing the same lesson 20 times in one week. Therefore, we all have ways to keep ourselves amused. Henry took this to another level by introducing JR to the first class as Rafael, and the second class as Demetrius. It was all pretty ridiculous.
After school, JR went to Henry's homestay and I headed over to Emily's apartment to drop of my bags. It's clear that Emily has a great relationship with her homestay family. I got to meet her homestay mom and sister, both of whom were so kind and welcoming. It looks like we both lucked out with our families. Emily's homestay mother runs an after-school English tutoring class from 3-8pm every weekday.
When I arrived, I was shocked to see 20 little elementary school kids sprawled all throughout the living room. Immediately they ran over to me and at the insistence of Emily's hostmom, began practicing their English. I bombarded with a chorus of "Hello, how are you? What is your name? Nice to meet you!" It was absolutely adorable. Later on, we heard them singing Christmas carols together. Soooo precious!! The picture and graphic below pretty much summarizes our relationship.
,
After settling in and catching up on girl talk, we met up with the entire Mokpo crew around the new downtown area. There, we walked alongside the water and ran into the Gatbawi rock figures, which are one of Mokpo's more notable tourist attractions. It was a nice, leisurely stroll and a vastly different scene than anything one can find in land-locked Daejeon.
Then, we all headed to dinner and gorged on delicious barbequed meat. During dinner, we had the bright idea to have a pepper-eating contest. The premise of the game is simple - choose one of the skinny green peppers, eat it, and then from everyone's reaction, judge whose pepper was the hottest. What a dumb mistake. I'm pretty sure that I tied with another friend for the hottest pepper award. Although everyone was visibly affected by their potent pepper, the two of us were crying, sweating, and panting for air. I lost feeling in my tongue and lips for nearly 20 minutes. Never again!
After dinner, we ended up at a bar and just hung out for a while. It was so nice to see everyone together. Usually, the Mokpo crew makes the trek up north to visit us; so it was only fair that we reciprocated the favor and made our way down south. I'm so glad we did. The company and atmosphere of the evening were great. Mokpo has a lot of character. I especially love the quaint, locally owned coffee shops and beautiful lit-up decorations that line the streets of the downtown shopping area (Photo Credit: the uber-talented Morrow).
The next morning, we slept in, ate breakfast, and met back up in old downtown around the train station. For the entirety of the 3-hour train ride back, I slept soundly. All in all, it was a perfect day trip. I got to see some familiar faces and cool places, but the visit left me wanting more. I've been told that Mokpo is even more charming when the whether is warm and one can spend the day soaking in the outdoors. Can't wait until springtime, so I can visit again and hang out on the pier, overlooking the water. Here are some photos of what I have to look forward to.
Mokpo was a nice retreat from the hustle and bustle of city life. It has a much more laid-back and calm feel to it. That being said, visiting this seaport town made me realize how nice I have it in Daejeon. Everything is at our fingertips, and it's so easy to travel and get around the country. One of my priorities coming to Korea was seeing as much of the country as I possibly could. I'm confident that living in Daejeon has enabled me to do just that.
As I was saying goodbye to the Mokpo crew, I realized that this would be the last time seeing them for a while. Winter Break is about to begin and we'll have 2 months, free of teaching duties, to do what we please. From heading back to America to traveling in and around Korea to taking language class, the world is our oyster. Fortunately, I have plans to meet up with 2 Mokpo-ites in the near future. In mid-January, I'll be traveling to Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia with David and then finishing out the month with Emily in Hong Kong. Can't wait to embark upon more adventures together!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
A Week of Ups and Downs
Last week was the ultimate emotional rollercoaster. It started off with the lowest of lows, the tragic loss of one of my students. Fortunately, I have some wonderful friends in Daejeon who've been really supportive during this difficult time. After a rough day at school on Monday, I went out to dinner with Aaron, a Fulbright friend who lives in the apartment complex adjacent to mine. We went to this really quaint and rustic Italian restaurant in the new downtown area, not too far from my school. There, we gorged on creamy pasta and a giant carafe of red wine. Considering we're in Korea, I didn't expect to find such delicious and semi-authentic Italian food in Daejeon. I'll definitely be going back soon.
After hearing such shocking news, I really needed to talk it out with a friend. What better way to do it than over tasty meal and wine? Following dinner, I admittedly purchased a new sweater, 2 skirts, and a box of chocolates. Don't judge - I firmly believe in the power of retail and sugar therapy. After that, I went to the gym and spent over an hour on the treadmill, lost in thought. I'm not 100% healthy but well enough that I've been able to start going back to the gym again. The doctor at the clinic advised me not to run, as it would just re-aggravate my bronchial infection, so I've come to master the art of speed-walking. Definitely not what I'm used to, but at least I can exercise again without coughing up a lung.
The atmosphere at school on Tuesday was just terrible. There was a palpable sense of tension and sorrow in the air. I saw some students crying in the hallways and it was absolutely silent during lunch. Luckily, my friends are keeping me busy. After school, I went to Costco with another Fulbright friend, JR. Yes, you heard that right. There are Costcos in Korea, 6 to be exact and one of them just happens to be in my beloved city. In terms of its merchandise and food court, Costcos in Korea are quite comparable to their American counterparts. It's the best place to get authentic Western pizza when one considers both quantity and quality. After eating a monstrous amount of free samples, I stocked up on holiday gifts for my fellow teachers and mini candy canes for my students.
Wednesday was kind of a frustrating day. I taught my first class, according to plan. But my second and fourth classes were canceled because the grieving homeroom teacher wanted to teach these classes herself and asked for me not to come. I suspect that she is suffering from immense guilt and can't bare to be away from her students for even just one class period. Nonetheless, I stuck around all afternoon because I expected to teach my third class, as planned. I was wary about teaching this class because I knew that it would be held in the homeroom classroom of the suicide victim. But since I didn't hear anything to the contrary, I showed up and started setting up for begin my lesson.
I was already in an emotionally vulnerable state because I saw wreath of flowers and bouquet adorning the victim's desk. Smack dab in the middle of the room, it was impossible to ignore or look away. But then, things got worse. Right before the bell rang, another English teacher rushed into the classroom and reprimanded me for showing up. She blatantly questioned my motives for coming and suggested that I was being insensitive, considering the recent tragedy. I was utterly shocked. No one had bothered to warn me that my presence might exacerbate the already grim situation.
That really rubbed me the wrong way. How was I to know that another English teacher planned to take over my class or that the school felt that the victim's friends weren't emotionally prepared to sit through my lesson. It is quite common for Korean schools to exhibit this lapse of communication. It seems that I don't find out about schedule changes or class cancellations until the last possible minute, and it isn't just because I'm a foreign teacher. This also seems true for other teachers at my school. So pretty much, my day was finished at 10:10am, but due to a miscommunication, I ended up staying until 4:10pm . Needless to say, I was pretty cranky by the end of the day.
Fortunately, I had a sweet surprise to look forward to. After school, a bunch of Fulbrights congregated in Rachael's apartment for a Christmas cookie baking party. Rachael had a huge bag of almonds and a jar of cinnamon that she was looking to get rid of. So, I found a simple recipe that would use up both ingredients. We also made basic sugar cookies with festive sprinkles, sugar cookies with a Hershey kiss pressed into the middle, and chocolate chip cookies - all from scratch. One issue we confronted was how to finely grind the almonds, without a food mixer. But with a little resourcefulness, a frying pan, and endless (wo)man power, we managed to smash up the almonds into sufficiently small pieces.
While listening to the Glee Christmas soundtrack on repeat, we sat around her little Christmas tree and mixed ingredients for the dough. Ovens are a rare commodity in Korea and those that do exist never come bigger than a standard toaster-oven size. Therefore, we could only bake a few cookies at a time. But it was totally worth the wait and extra effort. The cookies came out great!
And then, we decided to have a holiday photo-shoot. It got kinda silly and ridiculous at the end. We ate as many cookies as we could and then split the rest to take home. My host siblings were so surprised when I presented them with the bag of homemade cookies. Needless to say, they disappeared within 10 minutes of arriving home.
Teaching is always unpredictable and exciting. Thursday was no different. Last week's lesson consisted of a game that helped review vocab words for the students' upcoming exam. I was teaching one of my favorite A-level classes of the week, when something truly unexpected occurred. One question asked, "Name 2 people that you admire and why" (admire, being the target word). One student quickly raised her hand and eloquently answered, "My father because he is a doctor and I, too, hope to follow that career path someday." As she paused to think of an equally impressive second answer, all of her friends began screaming "Eminem! Eminem!"
My mind was taken for a loop. I thought to myself, "there's no way they're referring to the famous American rapper." But sure enough, the student gave in and responded, "Fine... Eminem, because he's a talented rapper and I enjoy his music." Then, like a chorus symphony in perfect unison, all of her classmates began chanting, "Rap! Rap! Rap!" The student was ostensibly embarrassed to be put on the spot. But as soon as I promised to double her team's points, she gave in and broke out into a perfect rendition of Eminem's recent hit, "Love the Way You Lie."
Immediately, my jaw dropped to the ground and all her classmates covered their ears, perhaps in fear that the rap would corrupt their innocent minds. She managed to get through the entire first verse and the chorus before both she and I broke out into laughter. In addition to being thoroughly amused, I was so impressed by her impeccable pronunciation, rhythm, and delivery. This performance spoke volumes about her high English proficiency level. I was so amazed that she could understand all the words, let alone, replicate it herself. Despite the fact that she said the "f word" in class, I stayed true to my word and doubled her team's points. My only regret is that I didn't capture this moment on video.
Recently, I've discovered a new area of Daejeon. Since I both live and work in the New Downtown, area, I rarely feel the need to leave and explore the other districts. However, while scoping out potential Christmas presents for my family and friends back home, I quickly learned that the boutiques in upscale Dunsan-dong were out of my budget. So on Thursday after school, I took the subway to Eunhaeng-dong, the lively Old Downtown area, and went exploring with friends.
This is where the local teenagers and students hang out after school, and it's easy to see why. Unlike the pristine, swanky feel of New Downtown, Eunhaeng-dong has a dynamic and youthful energy. Rows of small, colorful stores line the streets and it's a great place to just wander around, soaking in the city's excitement and culture. The highlight of Eunhaeng-dong is undoubtedly its extensive underground shopping market. There you can find everything from cheap shoes to sweaters to makeup and winter accessories. Very few things there have price tags, so it's fun to practice my Korean and try to haggle for discounts.
I managed to find nearly all my Christmas presents in the underground shopping market. I love the idea of supporting local vendors, rather than large scale department stores or international fashion corporations. After shopping for a few hours, we worked up an appetite. Fortunately, Eunhaeng-dong is known for its delicious, but dirt-cheap street food. My favorite thing to get is a waffle from the snack cart. Unlike America, where waffles are exclusively served for breakfast, Koreans love to eat waffles at all hours of the day. For just 1,000 won (or $.91), you can get a warm, buttery waffle filled with a vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate cream filling. YUM!
The week ended on a bittersweet note. My Friday classes are some of my favorites of the week so I was saddened to learn that it would be my last time teaching them forever (Next Friday, they have exams; the Friday after, I'll be leaving for America; and then they'll move up to 2nd grade, while I'll teach the new 1st graders). When I informed one class of this news, they were all visibly upset. Nonetheless, we started the lesson and, as usual, had a wonderful time together.
One of the chapters from their English textbook focuses on the classic 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, so my students know allllll about it. This film tells the story of an English teacher, played by Robin Williams, who uses unorthodox methods to teach his students to "seize the day," and be extraordinary. He tells the students to refer to him as "O Captain, My Captain," in reference to a Walt Whitman poem, if they are feeling particularly daring and creative.
Eventually this teacher is framed as the scapegoat for a horrible tragedy and is subsequently fired. But in the last scene, this teachers returns to his old classroom to collect his belongings and as he is about to exit, one students breaks his reserve for the first time, climbing on his desk and shouting "O Captain, My Captain!" Although the strict principal warns this student to sit down or face expulsion, many students follow suit. This is a highly pivotal and symbolic scene, as it shows that this teacher taught his students to literally "stand up" for themselves and their individualistic ideas.
When the final bell rang, I immediately felt emotional. I saw in my students' faces that they felt the same way. In 4 short months, I've formed a close bond with many of these students and it was rather sad to see them go. As I was packing up my bag for the last time, one student bravely shouted out "O Captain, My Captain!" Several students followed in her example and proclaimed the same meaningful words. Though they didn't stand on their desks, I nearly lost it. Through this subtle gesture, they acknowledged that I made a difference on their lives and were grateful for it.
This is precisely why I wake up in the morning and take my job so seriously. Even when I have a rough day, it's times like this that remind me why I'm in Korea. Regardless of the struggles and challenges that I face, I'm having an impact on my students. After such an emotionally draining week, this was the push that I needed to get through the final weeks of this semester. I am truly lucky to be where I am today and honored to be teaching such kind and thoughtful young women. As I look back and think about all the teachers that influenced my life, I can smile, knowing that I, too, am influencing mine.
After hearing such shocking news, I really needed to talk it out with a friend. What better way to do it than over tasty meal and wine? Following dinner, I admittedly purchased a new sweater, 2 skirts, and a box of chocolates. Don't judge - I firmly believe in the power of retail and sugar therapy. After that, I went to the gym and spent over an hour on the treadmill, lost in thought. I'm not 100% healthy but well enough that I've been able to start going back to the gym again. The doctor at the clinic advised me not to run, as it would just re-aggravate my bronchial infection, so I've come to master the art of speed-walking. Definitely not what I'm used to, but at least I can exercise again without coughing up a lung.
Wednesday was kind of a frustrating day. I taught my first class, according to plan. But my second and fourth classes were canceled because the grieving homeroom teacher wanted to teach these classes herself and asked for me not to come. I suspect that she is suffering from immense guilt and can't bare to be away from her students for even just one class period. Nonetheless, I stuck around all afternoon because I expected to teach my third class, as planned. I was wary about teaching this class because I knew that it would be held in the homeroom classroom of the suicide victim. But since I didn't hear anything to the contrary, I showed up and started setting up for begin my lesson.
I was already in an emotionally vulnerable state because I saw wreath of flowers and bouquet adorning the victim's desk. Smack dab in the middle of the room, it was impossible to ignore or look away. But then, things got worse. Right before the bell rang, another English teacher rushed into the classroom and reprimanded me for showing up. She blatantly questioned my motives for coming and suggested that I was being insensitive, considering the recent tragedy. I was utterly shocked. No one had bothered to warn me that my presence might exacerbate the already grim situation.
That really rubbed me the wrong way. How was I to know that another English teacher planned to take over my class or that the school felt that the victim's friends weren't emotionally prepared to sit through my lesson. It is quite common for Korean schools to exhibit this lapse of communication. It seems that I don't find out about schedule changes or class cancellations until the last possible minute, and it isn't just because I'm a foreign teacher. This also seems true for other teachers at my school. So pretty much, my day was finished at 10:10am, but due to a miscommunication, I ended up staying until 4:10pm . Needless to say, I was pretty cranky by the end of the day.
Fortunately, I had a sweet surprise to look forward to. After school, a bunch of Fulbrights congregated in Rachael's apartment for a Christmas cookie baking party. Rachael had a huge bag of almonds and a jar of cinnamon that she was looking to get rid of. So, I found a simple recipe that would use up both ingredients. We also made basic sugar cookies with festive sprinkles, sugar cookies with a Hershey kiss pressed into the middle, and chocolate chip cookies - all from scratch. One issue we confronted was how to finely grind the almonds, without a food mixer. But with a little resourcefulness, a frying pan, and endless (wo)man power, we managed to smash up the almonds into sufficiently small pieces.
While listening to the Glee Christmas soundtrack on repeat, we sat around her little Christmas tree and mixed ingredients for the dough. Ovens are a rare commodity in Korea and those that do exist never come bigger than a standard toaster-oven size. Therefore, we could only bake a few cookies at a time. But it was totally worth the wait and extra effort. The cookies came out great!
And then, we decided to have a holiday photo-shoot. It got kinda silly and ridiculous at the end. We ate as many cookies as we could and then split the rest to take home. My host siblings were so surprised when I presented them with the bag of homemade cookies. Needless to say, they disappeared within 10 minutes of arriving home.
Teaching is always unpredictable and exciting. Thursday was no different. Last week's lesson consisted of a game that helped review vocab words for the students' upcoming exam. I was teaching one of my favorite A-level classes of the week, when something truly unexpected occurred. One question asked, "Name 2 people that you admire and why" (admire, being the target word). One student quickly raised her hand and eloquently answered, "My father because he is a doctor and I, too, hope to follow that career path someday." As she paused to think of an equally impressive second answer, all of her friends began screaming "Eminem! Eminem!"
My mind was taken for a loop. I thought to myself, "there's no way they're referring to the famous American rapper." But sure enough, the student gave in and responded, "Fine... Eminem, because he's a talented rapper and I enjoy his music." Then, like a chorus symphony in perfect unison, all of her classmates began chanting, "Rap! Rap! Rap!" The student was ostensibly embarrassed to be put on the spot. But as soon as I promised to double her team's points, she gave in and broke out into a perfect rendition of Eminem's recent hit, "Love the Way You Lie."
Immediately, my jaw dropped to the ground and all her classmates covered their ears, perhaps in fear that the rap would corrupt their innocent minds. She managed to get through the entire first verse and the chorus before both she and I broke out into laughter. In addition to being thoroughly amused, I was so impressed by her impeccable pronunciation, rhythm, and delivery. This performance spoke volumes about her high English proficiency level. I was so amazed that she could understand all the words, let alone, replicate it herself. Despite the fact that she said the "f word" in class, I stayed true to my word and doubled her team's points. My only regret is that I didn't capture this moment on video.
Recently, I've discovered a new area of Daejeon. Since I both live and work in the New Downtown, area, I rarely feel the need to leave and explore the other districts. However, while scoping out potential Christmas presents for my family and friends back home, I quickly learned that the boutiques in upscale Dunsan-dong were out of my budget. So on Thursday after school, I took the subway to Eunhaeng-dong, the lively Old Downtown area, and went exploring with friends.
This is where the local teenagers and students hang out after school, and it's easy to see why. Unlike the pristine, swanky feel of New Downtown, Eunhaeng-dong has a dynamic and youthful energy. Rows of small, colorful stores line the streets and it's a great place to just wander around, soaking in the city's excitement and culture. The highlight of Eunhaeng-dong is undoubtedly its extensive underground shopping market. There you can find everything from cheap shoes to sweaters to makeup and winter accessories. Very few things there have price tags, so it's fun to practice my Korean and try to haggle for discounts.
I managed to find nearly all my Christmas presents in the underground shopping market. I love the idea of supporting local vendors, rather than large scale department stores or international fashion corporations. After shopping for a few hours, we worked up an appetite. Fortunately, Eunhaeng-dong is known for its delicious, but dirt-cheap street food. My favorite thing to get is a waffle from the snack cart. Unlike America, where waffles are exclusively served for breakfast, Koreans love to eat waffles at all hours of the day. For just 1,000 won (or $.91), you can get a warm, buttery waffle filled with a vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate cream filling. YUM!
The week ended on a bittersweet note. My Friday classes are some of my favorites of the week so I was saddened to learn that it would be my last time teaching them forever (Next Friday, they have exams; the Friday after, I'll be leaving for America; and then they'll move up to 2nd grade, while I'll teach the new 1st graders). When I informed one class of this news, they were all visibly upset. Nonetheless, we started the lesson and, as usual, had a wonderful time together.
One of the chapters from their English textbook focuses on the classic 1989 movie, Dead Poets Society, so my students know allllll about it. This film tells the story of an English teacher, played by Robin Williams, who uses unorthodox methods to teach his students to "seize the day," and be extraordinary. He tells the students to refer to him as "O Captain, My Captain," in reference to a Walt Whitman poem, if they are feeling particularly daring and creative.
Eventually this teacher is framed as the scapegoat for a horrible tragedy and is subsequently fired. But in the last scene, this teachers returns to his old classroom to collect his belongings and as he is about to exit, one students breaks his reserve for the first time, climbing on his desk and shouting "O Captain, My Captain!" Although the strict principal warns this student to sit down or face expulsion, many students follow suit. This is a highly pivotal and symbolic scene, as it shows that this teacher taught his students to literally "stand up" for themselves and their individualistic ideas.
(Fast forward this YouTube video to the 2:40 mark)
When the final bell rang, I immediately felt emotional. I saw in my students' faces that they felt the same way. In 4 short months, I've formed a close bond with many of these students and it was rather sad to see them go. As I was packing up my bag for the last time, one student bravely shouted out "O Captain, My Captain!" Several students followed in her example and proclaimed the same meaningful words. Though they didn't stand on their desks, I nearly lost it. Through this subtle gesture, they acknowledged that I made a difference on their lives and were grateful for it.
This is precisely why I wake up in the morning and take my job so seriously. Even when I have a rough day, it's times like this that remind me why I'm in Korea. Regardless of the struggles and challenges that I face, I'm having an impact on my students. After such an emotionally draining week, this was the push that I needed to get through the final weeks of this semester. I am truly lucky to be where I am today and honored to be teaching such kind and thoughtful young women. As I look back and think about all the teachers that influenced my life, I can smile, knowing that I, too, am influencing mine.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Xmas
So yesterday, we had the first snow of the year. It was only a few flurries but my students went absolutely wild. As soon as the 5th period bell rang, one student looked outside and screamed "SNOWWW!" Immediately, all the students rushed to the windows and then bolted outside. Despite the fact that the temperature was in the mid-30s and it was bitter cold, they didn't hesitate to start dancing and cheering. Thanks to my nifty smart phone, I managed to capture this magical moment.
These were the first responders to the scene.
Look at all the students, who were willing to brave the cold and celebrate the winter season! Also, notice their not-so-brave friends peering out the windows and watching the snow from the comfort of their toasty classrooms.
"I LIKE SNOW!!!"
Students from Homeroom 6 jumped out of the window and onto the outdoor balcony to have an impromptu photo shoot.
Students from Homerooms 7 and 8 went outside and joined hands for some celebratory singing and dancing. Look how cute they are!!
And then, they rioted. Hahaha! My girls are little animals!
After a few minutes, they spotted me taping them from the second floor window. They all started waving and my heart melted a little bit, especially when one student shouted "Thank you so much!"
All of this occurred in a matter of 10 minutes, between 5th and 6th period. Soon after, they were back in their classrooms, studying diligently like nothing had happened. It's a crazy time of year for my students. They are so stressed and busy studying for final exams. It was nice to see them actually laughing and running, with huge smiles on their faces. It was an unexpected surprise and a great way to end the emotional week.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Let the Countdown Begin!
Exactly 2 weeks from today, I'll be in transit, heading back to America. After 6 months of living in Korea, I am so excited to head home for the holidays. As I write this blog post, it's currently snowing in Daejeon - the first snow of the year. I love the holiday season. There always is a little more joy and magic in the air. While Korea does a reasonable job of decorating for Christmas, it's simply not the same; America just take it to another level. I'm literally counting down the days until I get to experience all the gaudy Christmas lights, admire the ornaments on our 6 foot tall tree, take advantage of last minute shopping deals, and sip on peppermint mochas.
It will be a long, but worthwhile trek back home. My flight departs at 1:00pm on December 23rd and heads first for Shanghai, China. That 2 hour flight will feel incredibly short in comparison of what's to come. Once I arrive in Shanghai, I will have a 3 hour layover. After relaxing and stocking up on a few magazines, I will board a flight for Newark, New Jersey, which will take a whopping 14 hours. During that time, I will probably pop a couple sleeping pills, watch a few movies, and maybe even study a chapter or two from my Korean textbook. I can't wait until I land and dramatically jump into the arms of my adoring family. ^^
I will arrive home just in time to celebrate my mom's birthday. At first, I toyed with the idea of finishing out the school week and waiting until Saturday to leave, so that I could give a proper goodbye to my beloved Friday classes. However, after being abroad so long, I didn't want to miss out on my mom's birthday celebration. I plan on showing up at Newark airport with a bow on my head. What's a better birthday slash early Christmas gift than having your long-lost daughter come home?!
I'll be in America for almost 2 weeks. I'm mentally trying to plan everything that I want to do while I'm there. Here are the top 10 things that I'm most looking forward to.
10) Speaking obscenely fast in English, without being stared at or worrying that my ideas won't be communicated.
9) Raiding Victoria's Secret and stocking up on bras and panties that are made for real-sized people, not frail Korean women with stick figures.
8) Having my laundry done for me. Thanks Mom! ;) Also, having access to a dryer so that I can shrink my stretched out clothes (It's very rare for Korean families to have a dryer; most just air-dry their laundry).
7) Sleeping in my incredibly comfy bed.
6) Navigating around town without feeling like an idiot and being able to understand every street sign, advertisement, and food label.
5) Going to a Jersey diner and gorging myself on greasy breakfast food. Two eggs scrambled, home fries, and french toast, please!
4) Bumming it out on the couch and catching up on trashy reality television.
3) Spending an afternoon in a book store, and browsing around the whole store; rather than just the small "English section."
2) Homemade baked goods, bruschetta, cheap wine, hummus and pita bread, chicken parm, Ben & Jerry's half baked frozen yogurt.
6) Navigating around town without feeling like an idiot and being able to understand every street sign, advertisement, and food label.
5) Going to a Jersey diner and gorging myself on greasy breakfast food. Two eggs scrambled, home fries, and french toast, please!
4) Bumming it out on the couch and catching up on trashy reality television.
3) Spending an afternoon in a book store, and browsing around the whole store; rather than just the small "English section."
2) Homemade baked goods, bruschetta, cheap wine, hummus and pita bread, chicken parm, Ben & Jerry's half baked frozen yogurt.
1) Spending quality time with my family and friends! :)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
A Tragedy
I've struggled with the decision to blog about the following story. I'm not thrilled with the idea of writing two negative posts a row. However, excluding this story from my blog would be an injustice, as it would fail to accurately portray my life in Korea. From the moment that I decided to start a blog, I committed myself to telling the whole story, not just the good parts; but also, the struggles and challenges along the way. Frankly, with my optimistic personality, I didn't expect that I'd have a lot of negative stuff to talk about. But today's story has no positive spin or happy ending. It's a true tragedy that speaks volumes about Korea's broken educational system.
Monday morning started like any other. I sent a couple emails, edited my PowerPoint, and mentally rehearsed my new lesson. After the second period bell rang, I made my way to the classroom and helped students review vocabulary words for next week's final exam. Midway through the lesson, I noticed my co-teacher slip out of the room to take a phone call. After the class ended, she approached me and with a somber tone, stated, "Danielle, I have some terrible news." The rest of the conversation was a blur. The only thing I remember was the takeaway message: one of our students committed suicide over the weekend.
No amount of training or teaching experience can prepare you for this moment. Although I've had 3 days for the news to sink in, I am still in a state of utter shock and disbelief. Everyone grapples with grief and turmoil, but when does it get to a point, in which one doesn't want to live any longer. How does one lose all hope and motivation to continue living? At what point, is death the only remaining solution? This is something that I cannot make sense of or try to interpret in a rational way. But there is much to learn from this tragic tale.
Suicide is no longer just a worrisome issue in Korea, it has become a national epidemic. The suicide rate in Korea has doubled in the past 10 years and it's over five times greater than it was 20 years ago. Korea has recently surpassed Japan as having the highest suicide rate of all 30 OECD countries. Statistics show that, on average, 40 people in Korea take their lives every day. To read more about this issue, please check out this BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15331921.
Before starting my grant year, I did a lot of research on Korean culture and demographics. The high suicide rate was something that I definitely picked up on but didn't really think much about. I assumed, and perhaps naively so, that it would never personally affect me. A month ago, my host mother mentioned how someone in my host brother's middle school committed suicide after he received his midterm grades. That was definitely startling. But this is an entirely different ballpark. Someone that I taught every week and passed in the hallways on a regular basis ended her life. This is a reality that I still cannot fully accept or understand.
Admittedly, when my co-teacher told me the name of the victim, I didn't know which student it was. With nearly 700 students, there's simply no way for me to have a close, personal relationship with all of them. However, when I walked into her class, there was a visibly empty seat off to the side of the room. Immediately, I could recall a face that used to sit there, a face that will never be seen again. In the middle of teaching, I almost broke down in tears. How could someone so young take matters into her own hands and choose such a devastating fate?
The alleged reason for her suicide are two-fold. First, she was overwhelmed by the intense pressure to succeed in school. Final exams are next week and it's likely that she just felt so behind that she couldn't take it anymore. Perhaps she felt like a complete failure because she couldn't meet her personal expectations and that of her parents. Being that it's so demanding, Korea's education system fosters these feelings of inadequacy and incompetence. Even my near fluent students regularly apologize for their "terrible" English and never feel satisfied with their "poor, disappointing" grades. Everything is riding on their test scores. For high school students, there's no alternative measure to gauge one's merit and worth.
Second, this student was the victim of vicious bullying. From what I can tell, she was a quiet, introverted girl who always did what she was told and never drew much attention to herself. Yet behind closed doors, she was constantly teased and picked on by her peers. Bullying is becoming a huge problem in Korean schools. Unfortunately, it's not being given the attention and media coverage that it deserves. In America, bullying is recognized as a serious issue and there's a lot of publicity and work being done to pass anti-bullying legislation at both the state and federal level. However, that is certainly not the case in Korea.
Similar to suicide and mental illnesses, bullying is a taboo issue that isn't talked about because it would cause people to "lose face" within this highly collectivist culture. Rather than addressing this issue head-on with workshops and open forums, it remains in the private sphere, seemingly ignored and overlooked. Knowing that Korea is such a strongly collectivist nation, I imagined that people would come together as a community and acknowledge this tragic loss. However, there's was no school-wide announcement, no candlelight vigil, not even a moment of silence to honor the life of this student. Instead, her death leaves behind many unanswered questions and an eerie sense of tension in the air.
From my observations, it seems that Korean schools aren't equipped with the faculty and resources to handle these sort of problems. In America, guidance counselors play a significant role in every high school student's life. They are the ones a student goes to when they have personal problems, difficulties at home, or just need someone to vent to. While counselors exist in Korean high schools, their sole job is to assist with the college application process. Therefore, the responsibility of dealing with personal issues inevitably falls to homeroom teachers, many of whom haven't had the training to deal with such urgent matters.
The victim's homeroom teacher just happens to be a fellow 1st grade English teacher, with whom I am very close with. She is undoubtedly taking this tragedy the hardest out of anyone. She is suffering from immense guilt and remorse because in her eyes, she is responsible for the well-being of all her students. All the teachers at my school seem aware that bullying occurs on some level. Yet, I doubt she knew how bad this situation actually was. If she had known how much the victim was suffering, I'm confident that she would've intervened and actively worked towards a solution. Unfortunately, this case flew under the radar and went undetected.
This situation is difficult to deal with on many levels. For me, it is most shocking that this tragedy isn't being discussed on a school-wide basis. If this occurred in America, there's likely be an assembly, where students could gather together to honor the victim's life and make peace with the situation. But at the same time, I understand the school's decision not to publicly acknowledge this tragedy. Doing so would just glamorize the situation and draw undue attention. In addition, it may encourage other students to follow in her example. Copycat suicides are a common phenomenon and being that it's exam season, the school certainly doesn't want to take that risk.
Coming from a country where we are constantly told to "talk out" our problems, I am unsure of how best to cope with this devastating reality. If I were in America, I wouldn't hesitate to send flowers and express my condolences to the victim's family. However, in this situation, doing so may be more destructive than sentimental. In Korea, the concept of "saving face" is so important and intervening in the grieving process may only bring shame to her loved ones. It's times like this when I am most unsure of how to navigate Korea's cultural differences.
There are many lessons that we can extrapolate from this tragic story. First, there needs to be a fundamental reevaluation of Korea's education system. While its unmatched rigor and academic standards have catapulted Korea to the top of world education rankings, it has come at a great cost. Students are under an exorbitant amount of stress and this unhealthy amount of pressure is, at least in part, to blame for Korea's high teenage suicide rate. In addition, the media and those in power must start to acknowledge bullying as a systemic problem. What happened in this case was an utter tragedy and no other student should have to endure such brutal victimization.
Over the past couple days, I've learned that job here is much more far-reaching than I ever imagined. Even on days when I question my role in Korea, I need to remember that I'm a part of my students lives and, no matter how small it may be, I'm influencing them on some level. At this point, the most important thing I can do is stay strong and support my students, especially the victim's friends. For me, that means being extra cheery in the classroom, cracking jokes to make them smile, and making an effort to give individual attention to each student.
Between this tragedy and final exams around the corner, the morale at my school is definitely at an all-time low. Nonetheless, I hope that things start to normalize soon. Until then, I'll just be taking it one day at a time...
Monday morning started like any other. I sent a couple emails, edited my PowerPoint, and mentally rehearsed my new lesson. After the second period bell rang, I made my way to the classroom and helped students review vocabulary words for next week's final exam. Midway through the lesson, I noticed my co-teacher slip out of the room to take a phone call. After the class ended, she approached me and with a somber tone, stated, "Danielle, I have some terrible news." The rest of the conversation was a blur. The only thing I remember was the takeaway message: one of our students committed suicide over the weekend.
No amount of training or teaching experience can prepare you for this moment. Although I've had 3 days for the news to sink in, I am still in a state of utter shock and disbelief. Everyone grapples with grief and turmoil, but when does it get to a point, in which one doesn't want to live any longer. How does one lose all hope and motivation to continue living? At what point, is death the only remaining solution? This is something that I cannot make sense of or try to interpret in a rational way. But there is much to learn from this tragic tale.
Suicide is no longer just a worrisome issue in Korea, it has become a national epidemic. The suicide rate in Korea has doubled in the past 10 years and it's over five times greater than it was 20 years ago. Korea has recently surpassed Japan as having the highest suicide rate of all 30 OECD countries. Statistics show that, on average, 40 people in Korea take their lives every day. To read more about this issue, please check out this BBC article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15331921.
Before starting my grant year, I did a lot of research on Korean culture and demographics. The high suicide rate was something that I definitely picked up on but didn't really think much about. I assumed, and perhaps naively so, that it would never personally affect me. A month ago, my host mother mentioned how someone in my host brother's middle school committed suicide after he received his midterm grades. That was definitely startling. But this is an entirely different ballpark. Someone that I taught every week and passed in the hallways on a regular basis ended her life. This is a reality that I still cannot fully accept or understand.
Admittedly, when my co-teacher told me the name of the victim, I didn't know which student it was. With nearly 700 students, there's simply no way for me to have a close, personal relationship with all of them. However, when I walked into her class, there was a visibly empty seat off to the side of the room. Immediately, I could recall a face that used to sit there, a face that will never be seen again. In the middle of teaching, I almost broke down in tears. How could someone so young take matters into her own hands and choose such a devastating fate?
The alleged reason for her suicide are two-fold. First, she was overwhelmed by the intense pressure to succeed in school. Final exams are next week and it's likely that she just felt so behind that she couldn't take it anymore. Perhaps she felt like a complete failure because she couldn't meet her personal expectations and that of her parents. Being that it's so demanding, Korea's education system fosters these feelings of inadequacy and incompetence. Even my near fluent students regularly apologize for their "terrible" English and never feel satisfied with their "poor, disappointing" grades. Everything is riding on their test scores. For high school students, there's no alternative measure to gauge one's merit and worth.
Second, this student was the victim of vicious bullying. From what I can tell, she was a quiet, introverted girl who always did what she was told and never drew much attention to herself. Yet behind closed doors, she was constantly teased and picked on by her peers. Bullying is becoming a huge problem in Korean schools. Unfortunately, it's not being given the attention and media coverage that it deserves. In America, bullying is recognized as a serious issue and there's a lot of publicity and work being done to pass anti-bullying legislation at both the state and federal level. However, that is certainly not the case in Korea.
Similar to suicide and mental illnesses, bullying is a taboo issue that isn't talked about because it would cause people to "lose face" within this highly collectivist culture. Rather than addressing this issue head-on with workshops and open forums, it remains in the private sphere, seemingly ignored and overlooked. Knowing that Korea is such a strongly collectivist nation, I imagined that people would come together as a community and acknowledge this tragic loss. However, there's was no school-wide announcement, no candlelight vigil, not even a moment of silence to honor the life of this student. Instead, her death leaves behind many unanswered questions and an eerie sense of tension in the air.
From my observations, it seems that Korean schools aren't equipped with the faculty and resources to handle these sort of problems. In America, guidance counselors play a significant role in every high school student's life. They are the ones a student goes to when they have personal problems, difficulties at home, or just need someone to vent to. While counselors exist in Korean high schools, their sole job is to assist with the college application process. Therefore, the responsibility of dealing with personal issues inevitably falls to homeroom teachers, many of whom haven't had the training to deal with such urgent matters.
The victim's homeroom teacher just happens to be a fellow 1st grade English teacher, with whom I am very close with. She is undoubtedly taking this tragedy the hardest out of anyone. She is suffering from immense guilt and remorse because in her eyes, she is responsible for the well-being of all her students. All the teachers at my school seem aware that bullying occurs on some level. Yet, I doubt she knew how bad this situation actually was. If she had known how much the victim was suffering, I'm confident that she would've intervened and actively worked towards a solution. Unfortunately, this case flew under the radar and went undetected.
This situation is difficult to deal with on many levels. For me, it is most shocking that this tragedy isn't being discussed on a school-wide basis. If this occurred in America, there's likely be an assembly, where students could gather together to honor the victim's life and make peace with the situation. But at the same time, I understand the school's decision not to publicly acknowledge this tragedy. Doing so would just glamorize the situation and draw undue attention. In addition, it may encourage other students to follow in her example. Copycat suicides are a common phenomenon and being that it's exam season, the school certainly doesn't want to take that risk.
Coming from a country where we are constantly told to "talk out" our problems, I am unsure of how best to cope with this devastating reality. If I were in America, I wouldn't hesitate to send flowers and express my condolences to the victim's family. However, in this situation, doing so may be more destructive than sentimental. In Korea, the concept of "saving face" is so important and intervening in the grieving process may only bring shame to her loved ones. It's times like this when I am most unsure of how to navigate Korea's cultural differences.
There are many lessons that we can extrapolate from this tragic story. First, there needs to be a fundamental reevaluation of Korea's education system. While its unmatched rigor and academic standards have catapulted Korea to the top of world education rankings, it has come at a great cost. Students are under an exorbitant amount of stress and this unhealthy amount of pressure is, at least in part, to blame for Korea's high teenage suicide rate. In addition, the media and those in power must start to acknowledge bullying as a systemic problem. What happened in this case was an utter tragedy and no other student should have to endure such brutal victimization.
Over the past couple days, I've learned that job here is much more far-reaching than I ever imagined. Even on days when I question my role in Korea, I need to remember that I'm a part of my students lives and, no matter how small it may be, I'm influencing them on some level. At this point, the most important thing I can do is stay strong and support my students, especially the victim's friends. For me, that means being extra cheery in the classroom, cracking jokes to make them smile, and making an effort to give individual attention to each student.
Between this tragedy and final exams around the corner, the morale at my school is definitely at an all-time low. Nonetheless, I hope that things start to normalize soon. Until then, I'll just be taking it one day at a time...
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Mean Teacher
So this was a rough week for me, both in my occupational and personal life. It was the first time that I disciplined a whole class, confiscated items, and even make a student cry. I hate being a mean teacher and laying down the law. But sometimes, given the circumstances, it's absolutely necessary and deserved. But let me start off by saying that in terms of behavioral problems, I am extremely lucky. Over 90% of the time, my students are attentive, motivated, and respectful little angels. In comparison to many of my Fulbright peers, I have it easy.
During my first week of teaching, I laid down my five non-negotiable classroom rules, along with a system of rewards and punishments. However, I haven't had to reinforce these rules or punishments because, up until this point, I've literally had no incidents in my classes. I suppose that in some ways, I'm to blame because I didn't take an authoritative stance from the beginning and chose to adopt more of a "big sister" teaching persona. But following the old proverb "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," I frankly didn't see the point of hammering down on discipline if there were no behavioral issues to speak of.
In nearly every aspect of school life, this has been a positive decision on my part. Students feel very comfortable asking questions if they need clarification, sharing snacks with me in between classes, and striking conversation with me if they see me around town. However, this was the first week, in which it was painfully difficult to be a foreign teacher. It all came to a head this past Tuesday when I experienced blatant disrespect and apathy in the classroom. After over 3 months of near perfect behavior, I suppose this dreaded day was overdue.
To be fair, it's getting into final exam season and my students' fascination with the new foreign teacher has worn off. Students are visibly stressed and sleep-deprived. The smiles that once shined brightly on their faces have been replaced by dark under-eye circles. Now that students feel the pressure of exams, it seems that some of them no longer care about my class, and understandably so. My class doesn't count toward their overall English grade so there's no tangible repercussion if they don't pay attention to the lesson or doze off.
Now, of course, that doesn't give students the green light to just do whatever they want. I still expect that they will participate in class and treat me with respect. Tuesdays are usually a good day because I only teach 3 classes and finish early. Although they are all lower-level classes, my Tuesday kids are usually some of my sweetest students. I honestly don't know what happened this past week. Some students refused to take part in the lesson's activity and talked back when I insisted otherwise. In addition, many students shamelessly fell asleep. When I tried to wake them, they gave me a dirty look and proceeded to resume their peaceful slumber.
After this happened 3 classes in a row, I felt like I either wanted to cry or break something. It was so frustrating, especially since I spent way too many hours preparing the exciting survival scenario lesson for this week. Furthermore, I caught several students using their cell phones in class. In my school, this is an absolute no-no. Just one offense will result in confiscation for a full week - this is my school's rule, not mine. When I saw this happening, I had no choice but to take away their cell phones. Some tried to protest but I immediately responded with my "No, I am not kidding, you better hand it over right now Death Stare."
After class, some of the cell phone perpetrators came to my office and tried to plead with me for an early release. I asked the other teachers in my office for advice, and they assured me that they never make exceptions to the rule so I shouldn't either. Nonetheless, the students handed me apology letters, which may, on rare occasion, win sympathy points for their case. It was blatantly obvious that these C and D-level students didn't write the letters, as they were written in perfect English, using advanced vocabulary. They must've convinced their A-level friends to write it for them: a fact, that I found wholly unacceptable.
I needed to do something to show that I still had the upper hand and wouldn't stand for any kind of short-cuts. Therefore, I forced each student to read her letter out-loud to me and all the other teachers in my office. Due to the advanced vocabulary, the students struggled with the pronunciation of many words, like apologetic. I forced them to read each sentence again and again until they got the pronunciation correct. The students were dreadfully embarrassed the whole time. But after they finished reading, they had the nerve to hold their hand out and demand their phone back.
When I informed them that I could not make exceptions to the rule, they burst out crying. I had to turn away. Otherwise, I knew that I'd give in. Finally, I agreed that I'd give it back on Friday, so that they'd have it for the weekend. Ugh, it was a terrible experience. Unfortunately, it did not get much better after that. Every day at lunch time, I eat with the teachers. It's mostly quiet when while we eat, but I try to initiate brief conversations in a mix of Korean and English. Usually, my efforts are well received but on that day, some teachers made a point to test my knowledge of Korean.
They began asking me questions at a rapid speed, purposefully using very difficult vocabulary. When I asked them to slow down and repeat, they snickered at me and just shrugged it off as, "Oh duh, of course she doesn't understand. She's a foreigner." It was humiliating, especially since I could understand them, poking fun at me after I seemingly failed their impromptu test. None of this was meant to be spiteful or hurtful in anyway. But after a miserable day of teaching, the last thing I wanted to do was perform tricks like some circus animal.
After all of this, I walked into the parking lot, sat down behind a row of cars, and broke down. It was the first moment, in which I truly felt homesick. I began to question what I was doing in Korea, so far away from my loved ones back home. It was probably one of the lowest points I've had since arriving in Korea five months ago. My emotional response was undoubtedly magnified by the fact that 1) I'm STILL suffering from this coughing plague and the medications I'm on don't seem to be doing anything, except making me drowsy; and 2) I'll be home in 3 weeks and it's so close, I can almost taste it.
Nearly all of my experiences in Korea, thus far, have been overwhelming positive. This moment of vulnerability was just a strong dose of reality, in an otherwise perfect fairytale. Please don't get me wrong. I love what I'm doing and I'm so thankful for this opportunity. But some days are extremely challenging and emotionally exhausting. It's amazing how much my overall mood can be affected by the success of my lessons. Over 90% of the time, my classes go without a hitch and students respond with motivation and excitement. On these days, I feel like I can conquer the world. But on the rare occasion that my lesson tanks and students grossly misbehave, I feel demoralized and question my worth, as a teacher, foreigner, and cultural ambassador.
The reason I write this post is not to elicit pity nor dissuade anyone from applying to this or any similar program. My experiences in Korea have been life-changing and more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. Yet that's not to say that these five months have, in any way, been easy. Every day is a challenge: a challenge to knock down the language barrier and communicate effectively, a challenge to have an impact in the lives of my students, and a challenge to find my place in this foreign country. It's still too early to determine what my legacy in Korea will be. But I know that with each bump in the road, I'm becoming a stronger person and inching closer to finding my true purpose here.
During my first week of teaching, I laid down my five non-negotiable classroom rules, along with a system of rewards and punishments. However, I haven't had to reinforce these rules or punishments because, up until this point, I've literally had no incidents in my classes. I suppose that in some ways, I'm to blame because I didn't take an authoritative stance from the beginning and chose to adopt more of a "big sister" teaching persona. But following the old proverb "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," I frankly didn't see the point of hammering down on discipline if there were no behavioral issues to speak of.
In nearly every aspect of school life, this has been a positive decision on my part. Students feel very comfortable asking questions if they need clarification, sharing snacks with me in between classes, and striking conversation with me if they see me around town. However, this was the first week, in which it was painfully difficult to be a foreign teacher. It all came to a head this past Tuesday when I experienced blatant disrespect and apathy in the classroom. After over 3 months of near perfect behavior, I suppose this dreaded day was overdue.
To be fair, it's getting into final exam season and my students' fascination with the new foreign teacher has worn off. Students are visibly stressed and sleep-deprived. The smiles that once shined brightly on their faces have been replaced by dark under-eye circles. Now that students feel the pressure of exams, it seems that some of them no longer care about my class, and understandably so. My class doesn't count toward their overall English grade so there's no tangible repercussion if they don't pay attention to the lesson or doze off.
Now, of course, that doesn't give students the green light to just do whatever they want. I still expect that they will participate in class and treat me with respect. Tuesdays are usually a good day because I only teach 3 classes and finish early. Although they are all lower-level classes, my Tuesday kids are usually some of my sweetest students. I honestly don't know what happened this past week. Some students refused to take part in the lesson's activity and talked back when I insisted otherwise. In addition, many students shamelessly fell asleep. When I tried to wake them, they gave me a dirty look and proceeded to resume their peaceful slumber.
After this happened 3 classes in a row, I felt like I either wanted to cry or break something. It was so frustrating, especially since I spent way too many hours preparing the exciting survival scenario lesson for this week. Furthermore, I caught several students using their cell phones in class. In my school, this is an absolute no-no. Just one offense will result in confiscation for a full week - this is my school's rule, not mine. When I saw this happening, I had no choice but to take away their cell phones. Some tried to protest but I immediately responded with my "No, I am not kidding, you better hand it over right now Death Stare."
After class, some of the cell phone perpetrators came to my office and tried to plead with me for an early release. I asked the other teachers in my office for advice, and they assured me that they never make exceptions to the rule so I shouldn't either. Nonetheless, the students handed me apology letters, which may, on rare occasion, win sympathy points for their case. It was blatantly obvious that these C and D-level students didn't write the letters, as they were written in perfect English, using advanced vocabulary. They must've convinced their A-level friends to write it for them: a fact, that I found wholly unacceptable.
I needed to do something to show that I still had the upper hand and wouldn't stand for any kind of short-cuts. Therefore, I forced each student to read her letter out-loud to me and all the other teachers in my office. Due to the advanced vocabulary, the students struggled with the pronunciation of many words, like apologetic. I forced them to read each sentence again and again until they got the pronunciation correct. The students were dreadfully embarrassed the whole time. But after they finished reading, they had the nerve to hold their hand out and demand their phone back.
When I informed them that I could not make exceptions to the rule, they burst out crying. I had to turn away. Otherwise, I knew that I'd give in. Finally, I agreed that I'd give it back on Friday, so that they'd have it for the weekend. Ugh, it was a terrible experience. Unfortunately, it did not get much better after that. Every day at lunch time, I eat with the teachers. It's mostly quiet when while we eat, but I try to initiate brief conversations in a mix of Korean and English. Usually, my efforts are well received but on that day, some teachers made a point to test my knowledge of Korean.
They began asking me questions at a rapid speed, purposefully using very difficult vocabulary. When I asked them to slow down and repeat, they snickered at me and just shrugged it off as, "Oh duh, of course she doesn't understand. She's a foreigner." It was humiliating, especially since I could understand them, poking fun at me after I seemingly failed their impromptu test. None of this was meant to be spiteful or hurtful in anyway. But after a miserable day of teaching, the last thing I wanted to do was perform tricks like some circus animal.
After all of this, I walked into the parking lot, sat down behind a row of cars, and broke down. It was the first moment, in which I truly felt homesick. I began to question what I was doing in Korea, so far away from my loved ones back home. It was probably one of the lowest points I've had since arriving in Korea five months ago. My emotional response was undoubtedly magnified by the fact that 1) I'm STILL suffering from this coughing plague and the medications I'm on don't seem to be doing anything, except making me drowsy; and 2) I'll be home in 3 weeks and it's so close, I can almost taste it.
Nearly all of my experiences in Korea, thus far, have been overwhelming positive. This moment of vulnerability was just a strong dose of reality, in an otherwise perfect fairytale. Please don't get me wrong. I love what I'm doing and I'm so thankful for this opportunity. But some days are extremely challenging and emotionally exhausting. It's amazing how much my overall mood can be affected by the success of my lessons. Over 90% of the time, my classes go without a hitch and students respond with motivation and excitement. On these days, I feel like I can conquer the world. But on the rare occasion that my lesson tanks and students grossly misbehave, I feel demoralized and question my worth, as a teacher, foreigner, and cultural ambassador.
The reason I write this post is not to elicit pity nor dissuade anyone from applying to this or any similar program. My experiences in Korea have been life-changing and more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. Yet that's not to say that these five months have, in any way, been easy. Every day is a challenge: a challenge to knock down the language barrier and communicate effectively, a challenge to have an impact in the lives of my students, and a challenge to find my place in this foreign country. It's still too early to determine what my legacy in Korea will be. But I know that with each bump in the road, I'm becoming a stronger person and inching closer to finding my true purpose here.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
What Are You Thankful For?
Last week, I taught a really fun Thanksgiving lesson to my students. First, I gave them the rundown of pilgrims seeking religious freedom, migrating to America on the Mayflower, and nearly dying out from starvation and disease. Fortunately, the Native Americans came to their rescue, teaching them how to farm and survive in the new land. To celebrate their new friendship and bountiful harvest, they ate a big feast, which was the first Thanksgiving. While we like to ignore the bloody history that follows, I felt like I had a moral obligation to at least mention the despicable murder of indigenous peoples and theft of their land. Fortunately, most of my students have seen the movie Pocahontas and immediately understood what I was trying to explain.
Next, I described three Thanksgiving traditions: Macy's Parade, American football, and Black Friday. My students were so entranced by the sheer concept of Black Friday. No better way to promote America's love of capitalism and materialism. For the last 20 minutes of class, we played a football themed game to review Thanksgiving culture points. First, I drew an football field on the chalkboard, with 10 yard increments and end-zones. I split the class into teams and assigned each team to a different colored Post-it note, which I placed at the 50 yard line.
Then, I asked the class a Thanksgiving question and the first team to respond with the correct answer would be given an option: 1) move ahead 5 yards, or 2) take a mystery card, which will move you forward or backwards to some random point. The students really got into the game and found it absolutely hilarious whenever a team drew an unlucky card and were pushed backwards. I'm proud to say that 700 Korean high school girls now know the fundamentals of American football.
In between the culture lesson and football review game, I had students make hand turkeys. Due to a shortage of time and resources, I provided a silhouette of a hand turkey and asked students to fill-in it with things that they are thankful for. Each finger corresponded with a different category of thankfulness. On the pointer finger, students were asked to write things that they currently own or have that they are thankful for. On the middle finger, they had to write things that are only found in Korea. On the ring finger, they had to write people who they are thankful for and last, on the pinky, write things that they can't touch (intangible or abstract things). By in large, my students did a great job on them. Here are some samples for your enjoyment.
My students are fascinated by the elusive turkey because most of them have never seen, let alone, eaten one. For my lower level classes, I described turkeys as a "bigger, fatter chickens." That made my students very excited. Some even proclaimed "Ohhh teacher, more delicious than chicken?! Ahhh, give me turkey!!" My students surely don't lack enthusiasm or personality.
My girls love to draw and color. They put my artistic ability to shame. Given the chance, they'd probably decorate their hand turkey for hours on end. But since I only see them once a week for 50 minutes, we do not have the luxury of time. Still, they made some pretty, colorful turkeys that I can now hang up around my desk.
Some students were really captivated by this assignment; others, not so much. In the first example, Student A made it a point to fill in all the empty space. She even included "Denille?" in the bottom right corner. Spelling is for losers; it's the thought that counts! ^_^ On the other hand, we have Student B who owns "nothing" that she's thankful for and writes that "there's no people that I am thankful :(" That is definitely worthy of a sad face. Call me an optimist but I firmly believe that everyone has something in their lives that's worthy of appreciation and thanks. At the very least, we all have "vision" - both literally and metaphorically speaking.
Next on display, we have some lovely color-coordinated turkeys and some with fun, whimsical patterns. Yay for fun, creative projects that can be adapted for any age and ability level!
Being that it is Korea, you can imagine that many students wrote academically inspired things on their hand turkeys. What would the life of a Korean high school student be without an overworked brain and excellent exam results?!
The best way to describe Koreans is with the all-encompassing word "extreme." This word can be used to describe all aspects of life in Korea. If you plan to study, damn right you'll sacrifice your family, sleep, social life, and mental well-being to pass Suneung. If you plan to go hiking, you'll don hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessarily high-tech hiking gear and trek up steep mountains without stopping for breaks. If you plan to be religious, then this, too, will be taken to an extreme level.
Half of all Koreans consider themselves religious and half of these spiritual folks identify as Christian (the other half practice Buddhism). Although they comprise only 25% of the population, Christians are very visible and active in Korea. On the walk home from school, I am constantly bombarded by religious pamphlets and advertisements to join some nearby church. Many of my students proudly identify as Christian and will not hesitate to tell me all about their professed beliefs.
I also used this activity as an excuse to review the names of fingers. Even some of my most advanced students who know complex words like "discrimination" and "evasion" were unaware that fingers have special names other than "second finger" and "third finger." They found it so amusing that the fourth finger is called the ring finger. Many students capitalized on this new found knowledge and decorated this finger with sparkly gems.
So I was slightly misinformed. It's not the math teacher that all my students swoon over; it's the chemistry teacher named Kang Dongwon. Now that I've learned his name, I hear students gossiping about him all the time in the hallways and between classes. Students love to brag that "Ohh Kang Dongwon Teachaaaa loves me best!!!" So it was no surprise when I discovered that he was the most frequently listed thing/person that students were thankful for.
Being that studying consumes their life, my students have nearly no time to socialize outside of school or meet boys - an unfortunate reality that they constantly complain about. That being said, they are still teenagers so they're always dreaming about boys and handsome male celebrities. There seems to be an inverse correlation between academic achievement and relationship status. None (as far as I know) of my A-level students have boyfriends because they cannot afford to be distracted from their studies. However, many of my D-level students like to remind me and their friends about their active dating life.
The two turkeys below exemplify this correlation. The first was written by an A-level student. Notice that she's thankful for her "future boyfriend," as in she hasn't even met him yet. The second was written by a D-level student. In the people category, the second student unsurprisingly wrote her boyfriend. But more interesting is the fact that in the Korean things category, she wrote "sojoo," a.k.a. the Korean equivalent of vodka. Oh dear...
There are some things that qualify under several categories of thankfulness. The first and most obvious choice was Kang Dongwon Teacher. The K-pop sensation Super Junior and actor Daniel Choi also made the cut. Obviously these three qualify for the categories of Korean things and people. However, I found it awfully amusing that they also included them for "things that you own" and "things you cannot touch." Yes, I suppose you won't be touching Daniel Choi or Kang Dongwon in the near future. Maybe only in your dreams. ^_~
It was nice to see that some students even included me in category of people that they're thankful for. Little things like this always put a smile on my face. The most creative response for this category was "every author of books I read." I completely share your sentiment.
Here are some examples of turkeys in costume. First, we have a turkey that is not a chicken, but rather, a cow. Next, we have an M.C. Escher-inspired hand turkey. After that we have two lovely examples of Gay Pride turkeys!
I was most impressed by what my students wrote for the last category: things you cannot touch. I am always amazed by their vast English vocabulary. Just take a look at some of the abstract ideas and concepts that they are thankful for. I am especially fond of the last one, which includes things like gravity, electricity, light, and sound. My best bet is that a science genius is responsible for this hand turkey.
Of course, my students used this opportunity to draw adorable little pictures. I shall never grow tired of "Kute Korea." Literally, everything is so painfully cute and precious. Personally, I am a fan of the drawing that accompanies the word "soul" in the last example. It reminds me of Casper the Friendly Ghost!
Last, but not least, I leave you with a true artistic masterpiece. Seriously, check out the incredible shading work. And mind you, all of this was done with colored pencils. She even made the turkey's wing into a paintbrush! I spoke with this student after class and learned that she's hoping to attend an art institute after she graduates high school. Just based on this one 10-minute assignment, I'm sure that she'll have no trouble getting in. Today, I laminated this hand turkey so that I can keep it forever. These are the things that I will keep and treasure for years to come.
Next, I described three Thanksgiving traditions: Macy's Parade, American football, and Black Friday. My students were so entranced by the sheer concept of Black Friday. No better way to promote America's love of capitalism and materialism. For the last 20 minutes of class, we played a football themed game to review Thanksgiving culture points. First, I drew an football field on the chalkboard, with 10 yard increments and end-zones. I split the class into teams and assigned each team to a different colored Post-it note, which I placed at the 50 yard line.
Then, I asked the class a Thanksgiving question and the first team to respond with the correct answer would be given an option: 1) move ahead 5 yards, or 2) take a mystery card, which will move you forward or backwards to some random point. The students really got into the game and found it absolutely hilarious whenever a team drew an unlucky card and were pushed backwards. I'm proud to say that 700 Korean high school girls now know the fundamentals of American football.
In between the culture lesson and football review game, I had students make hand turkeys. Due to a shortage of time and resources, I provided a silhouette of a hand turkey and asked students to fill-in it with things that they are thankful for. Each finger corresponded with a different category of thankfulness. On the pointer finger, students were asked to write things that they currently own or have that they are thankful for. On the middle finger, they had to write things that are only found in Korea. On the ring finger, they had to write people who they are thankful for and last, on the pinky, write things that they can't touch (intangible or abstract things). By in large, my students did a great job on them. Here are some samples for your enjoyment.
My students are fascinated by the elusive turkey because most of them have never seen, let alone, eaten one. For my lower level classes, I described turkeys as a "bigger, fatter chickens." That made my students very excited. Some even proclaimed "Ohhh teacher, more delicious than chicken?! Ahhh, give me turkey!!" My students surely don't lack enthusiasm or personality.
My girls love to draw and color. They put my artistic ability to shame. Given the chance, they'd probably decorate their hand turkey for hours on end. But since I only see them once a week for 50 minutes, we do not have the luxury of time. Still, they made some pretty, colorful turkeys that I can now hang up around my desk.
Some students were really captivated by this assignment; others, not so much. In the first example, Student A made it a point to fill in all the empty space. She even included "Denille?" in the bottom right corner. Spelling is for losers; it's the thought that counts! ^_^ On the other hand, we have Student B who owns "nothing" that she's thankful for and writes that "there's no people that I am thankful :(" That is definitely worthy of a sad face. Call me an optimist but I firmly believe that everyone has something in their lives that's worthy of appreciation and thanks. At the very least, we all have "vision" - both literally and metaphorically speaking.
Next on display, we have some lovely color-coordinated turkeys and some with fun, whimsical patterns. Yay for fun, creative projects that can be adapted for any age and ability level!
Being that it is Korea, you can imagine that many students wrote academically inspired things on their hand turkeys. What would the life of a Korean high school student be without an overworked brain and excellent exam results?!
The best way to describe Koreans is with the all-encompassing word "extreme." This word can be used to describe all aspects of life in Korea. If you plan to study, damn right you'll sacrifice your family, sleep, social life, and mental well-being to pass Suneung. If you plan to go hiking, you'll don hundreds of dollars worth of unnecessarily high-tech hiking gear and trek up steep mountains without stopping for breaks. If you plan to be religious, then this, too, will be taken to an extreme level.
Half of all Koreans consider themselves religious and half of these spiritual folks identify as Christian (the other half practice Buddhism). Although they comprise only 25% of the population, Christians are very visible and active in Korea. On the walk home from school, I am constantly bombarded by religious pamphlets and advertisements to join some nearby church. Many of my students proudly identify as Christian and will not hesitate to tell me all about their professed beliefs.
I also used this activity as an excuse to review the names of fingers. Even some of my most advanced students who know complex words like "discrimination" and "evasion" were unaware that fingers have special names other than "second finger" and "third finger." They found it so amusing that the fourth finger is called the ring finger. Many students capitalized on this new found knowledge and decorated this finger with sparkly gems.
So I was slightly misinformed. It's not the math teacher that all my students swoon over; it's the chemistry teacher named Kang Dongwon. Now that I've learned his name, I hear students gossiping about him all the time in the hallways and between classes. Students love to brag that "Ohh Kang Dongwon Teachaaaa loves me best!!!" So it was no surprise when I discovered that he was the most frequently listed thing/person that students were thankful for.
Being that studying consumes their life, my students have nearly no time to socialize outside of school or meet boys - an unfortunate reality that they constantly complain about. That being said, they are still teenagers so they're always dreaming about boys and handsome male celebrities. There seems to be an inverse correlation between academic achievement and relationship status. None (as far as I know) of my A-level students have boyfriends because they cannot afford to be distracted from their studies. However, many of my D-level students like to remind me and their friends about their active dating life.
The two turkeys below exemplify this correlation. The first was written by an A-level student. Notice that she's thankful for her "future boyfriend," as in she hasn't even met him yet. The second was written by a D-level student. In the people category, the second student unsurprisingly wrote her boyfriend. But more interesting is the fact that in the Korean things category, she wrote "sojoo," a.k.a. the Korean equivalent of vodka. Oh dear...
There are some things that qualify under several categories of thankfulness. The first and most obvious choice was Kang Dongwon Teacher. The K-pop sensation Super Junior and actor Daniel Choi also made the cut. Obviously these three qualify for the categories of Korean things and people. However, I found it awfully amusing that they also included them for "things that you own" and "things you cannot touch." Yes, I suppose you won't be touching Daniel Choi or Kang Dongwon in the near future. Maybe only in your dreams. ^_~
Some students did some really creative things with the fingers on their hand turkey. The first is a tribute to the popular video game Angry Birds and the second is a depiction of a student's mother. Actually, it kinda looks like my mother, too! ;)
 |
| Hi mom! *^^* |
It was nice to see that some students even included me in category of people that they're thankful for. Little things like this always put a smile on my face. The most creative response for this category was "every author of books I read." I completely share your sentiment.
Here are some examples of turkeys in costume. First, we have a turkey that is not a chicken, but rather, a cow. Next, we have an M.C. Escher-inspired hand turkey. After that we have two lovely examples of Gay Pride turkeys!
I was most impressed by what my students wrote for the last category: things you cannot touch. I am always amazed by their vast English vocabulary. Just take a look at some of the abstract ideas and concepts that they are thankful for. I am especially fond of the last one, which includes things like gravity, electricity, light, and sound. My best bet is that a science genius is responsible for this hand turkey.
Of course, my students used this opportunity to draw adorable little pictures. I shall never grow tired of "Kute Korea." Literally, everything is so painfully cute and precious. Personally, I am a fan of the drawing that accompanies the word "soul" in the last example. It reminds me of Casper the Friendly Ghost!
Last, but not least, I leave you with a true artistic masterpiece. Seriously, check out the incredible shading work. And mind you, all of this was done with colored pencils. She even made the turkey's wing into a paintbrush! I spoke with this student after class and learned that she's hoping to attend an art institute after she graduates high school. Just based on this one 10-minute assignment, I'm sure that she'll have no trouble getting in. Today, I laminated this hand turkey so that I can keep it forever. These are the things that I will keep and treasure for years to come.
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