Students - Enough Said

This post is about several unrelated topics.  Well, I guess the one thing they have in common is school.

The first topic is about speaking tests.  Each semester, I spend a week giving my students speaking tests.  They individually meet me in the hallway and I ask them 2 questions in English.  I then grade them on the following: propriety, contents, fluency, and behavior for a possible total of 100 points.  Last semester, I created the questions based on the material we covered in class leading up to the speaking tests.  This semester, the Korean teachers created the questions.  A week before the speaking tests, I spent a week reviewing the questions.  Each grade was given a paper with 5 possible questions and example answers.  My favorite answer came from a grade 2 student.  Here is the question and the answer (according to my Korean co-teachers):

5.  Look at the three pictures of a Ramyun (라면) recipe.  Tell me how you can make Ramyun.  You should use one sentence for each picture.

Answer: First, boil water in a pot.  Next, put the ramyun noodles and seasoning powder into the boiling water.  Finally, add an egg and boil it with the ramyun for a few minutes.

While we were practicing last week, this is an answer I got from one of the students:

First, boil water in a pot.  Next, put the ramyun noodles and MSG powder into the boiling water.  Finally, add an egg and boil it with the ramyun for a few minutes.

I died laughing.  He didn't know why I was laughing so hard but he was pretty proud of himself.  The same kid said the same answer for his actual speaking test.  I couldn't help but give him a few extra points for the clever answer.

The second topic is about students being punished.  During lunch, I go up to the English room on the 5th floor and sit there while students are supposed to come up and do homework or read books in English.  This rarely happens.  Anyway, I am usually up there by myself without the Korean teachers monitoring the 5th floor.  For the last week and a half, I noticed more and more kids going into the computer room during lunch.  As the week wore on, I noticed that many were playing games - something I didn't think was allowed, but whatever!  I never said anything.  Two days ago, the computer/technology teacher came upstairs and lost his shit!  Apparently, they actually weren't allowed, but were sneaking in.  Boy did they get in trouble.  The teacher took all of their names down and made them get into the punishment stance.

Sorry for the poor quality

This stance is pretty common at my school when the students get in trouble.  Since then, no one has been going into the computer room.  It's back to being quiet on the 5th floor during lunch.  Haha!

The third topic is about one of my second grade students.  He has a mental disability but I don't know exactly what it is.  Every time I see him in the hallway, I am sure to say "hello."  He usually replies, but sometimes he is in his own little world and won't reply until I'm halfway down the hallway, "Sam-man-da, hello.  Hello Sam-man-da!!!"  I don't know if him spacing out has something to do with his disability or not.....  Anyway, he is in the low-level English class even though he can speak way better than some of my mid-level students.  He brightens my day every time I see him.  I just love having conversations with him.  Yesterday, as we were leaving school, one of his classmates hid around the corner and jumped out just as he was was rounding the corner.  He screamed and they both laughed, so I did too.  That's when he jokingly told me that I was not allowed to smile.  But, we continued to smile anyway.  When we got down the stairs, I asked him if I was allowed to laugh.  He said, "No, you cannot laugh."  So, I just puffed up my cheeks and crossed my eyes.  That made him laugh even harder.  As I was changing shoes, he came over and said that he was sorry and that I was allowed to smile and laugh.  I just love this kid and I'm sad that my time with him is coming to an end very soon!

Fourth and finally topic.  Today I wore a skirt to work.  I NEVER wear skirts - ever!  I am usually in jeans and since it's been hot, capri pants.  Two of my co-teachers have come up to me and asked, "Are you wearing a skirt today?"  Duh!

Summertime in Busan

I was recently asked a great question from my friend, Jessica.  She wanted to know what we did in the summer when there was no school.

There is one thing that you need to realize about the school year here in Korea.  The school year starts in March and ends in January.  The first semester ends in mid-July and the second semester starts just a few short weeks later in mid-August.  That means that I still have another 4 1/2 weeks of school left.

Once school lets out, summer camps begin.  It's different for every school, but I have summer camp for 10 days, 3 hours each day.  But, that doesn't mean that I go into school for 3 hours then leave.  Nope!  I have to do a little thing called desk-warming.  Last year, I didn't have to desk-warm because my co-teacher was awesome!  However, this summer, I will spend the remaining 5 hours at my desk doing who-knows-what!  We don't get "summers off" like teachers do back home.

But, don't you get vacation?!?!?!  Yes!  According to our contracts, we get 8 days of vacation during the summer break and 10 days of vacation during the much longer winter break.  So yes, I will be taking my 8 vacation days this summer.  However, Zach has no more vacation days left.  We actually have 13-month contracts which is a little unusual.  That means that our contracts covered 2 summer breaks and 1 winter break with the same amount of vacation time as the people with 1 summer break and 1 winter break.  (A little confusing?  I agree!)  Anyway, remember how I said my co-teacher was awesome?  Well, she didn't require me to take my vacation.  She just let me leave.  Zach's co-teacher wasn't quite as awesome.  So, long story short, we will not be going anywhere for vacation.  :(

However, there are plenty of things to do around Busan.  We are a coastal city, so we can always go to the beach!  My favorite beach to go to is Gwangalli.

Cafes, restaurants, convenience stores, and bars line the beach.  It is not illegal to drink/be drunk on the beach.  It's even quite acceptable to launch (small) fireworks towards the water.

There are all kinds of outdoor markets to explore.  There are tons of temples.  Hiking is a huge deal here and there are plenty of mountains to hike.  There also plenty of festivals to attend.

However, rainy season starts at the end of June and usually lasts until mid- to late-July.

So, there you have it - summertime for a public school teacher in Busan!

Lotte Giants Baseball Game

This Friday, we went to a Lotte Giants baseball game with a few friends.

We went to a few games last year but this was our first game of the 2013 season.  I almost forgot how much fun they were.  Baseball games in Korea are a little different than games in the States.  One of the big differences is that you can bring food and drinks into the stadium (just no glass bottles).

This group of middle school boys brought their meals in giant boxes.

Food and drinks are much cheaper at a Korean baseball game.  The thing to eat at a Lotte Giants game is fried chicken.  Fried chicken is sold by the box at the games  Beer and friend chicken - doesn't get any better than that!

The cheering is way more organized at a Lotte Giants baseball game.

They even have cheerleaders.

The middle school boys were really enjoying the cheerleaders!  Haha!

We had so much fun and the best part is that the Giants won the game!!!!  If you ever have a chance to go to a Lotte Giants baseball game, I suggest you do it.  Besides, it's super cheap.  Tickets run from 7,000 Won (~$6.20) to about 25,000 Won (~$22.00).  You can't beat that!

Renewal

"CONGRATULATIONS!  We welcome you all for a second (or another) year of teaching in Busan!!"

That's right.  You've read it correctly.  We have renewed for another year of teaching English in Busan, South Korea.  The quote above is from an e-mail we got from the Office of Education saying that our applications for renewal have been approved.  So, our current contracts will end on August 25, 2013 and the new contracts will begin on August 26, 2013.  The new contracts will then end on August 25, 2014.  At that time, we will immediately catch a plane to the States to start the celebration of my sister, Rachel's, wedding on August 30, 2014.

Though we are renewing with the Office of Education, there will be some changes when we sign our contracts.  The first change will be with our schools.  There will no longer be foreign English teachers in middle schools so we will be transferring to elementary schools.  We are both excited about the change but also a little nervous.

The second change is really exciting for us.  Instead of being provided with housing, we have chosen to get a housing stipend.  That means that we are going to be looking for an apartment on our own.  We will choose the location and amenities that we want.  We will be moving sometime later this summer.  Once we know our address, we will send out e-mails.  Once we get started on the apartment hunting process, I will write a post about it.  (I can't wait!)

So, we will be in Korea for another 14 months.  If anyone is interested in coming to visit, we would be happy to house you and show you around Busan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Just let us know!  :)