Keep Your Bonus Money

You all know how Tuesdays go at YCE. I was sooooo annoyed today and slightly pleased. School will be finished  so soon! Another semester will start. After all the crappy times at this school, I am ready to tell my main school, "You know what? Money isn't everything. I don't need a bonus check and YCE can do bad all by itself. I don't need to go over ever week. In the meantime, how about I just step it up at your school?"

My wallet would cry and my credit card debt would laugh, but I don't care. Happiness is so much more important than working at a place that makes you crazy. If I have the same co-teacher, I can't do it. However, if the co-teacher changes, I may be willing to test the waters. In that case, it would be the as if I went to a new school altogether.


On a positive note, in Chinese class today we were supposed to present a movie idea. I listened to my peers but honestly, they hadn't done their homework. Not much thought put in and soooo many pauses as they tried to think of stuff to say. Come on Korea! You guys are paying for this class! Anywho, I was sooooo happy for my turn. I explained the concept and everyone kept asking questions I'd yet to think about. I'm gonna take that as a sign that I need to write that book. Although, if it's anything like this blog, don't expect it for a while. :(

By the way, I really really really really (keep it going) want 소지섭 So Jisub to be the main character if the book ever becomes a movie, but that means I need to hurry before he retires. He would definitely be able to make you feel the way I, the writer, want you to feel!!!! And that would involve noooooo marital feelings. That's just for me.(How embarrassing to say that out loud write it on the world wide web but he really makes me happy!)

I am really sorry for not updating in time on time.

Golden Bell

Golden Bell is a very popular game here in Korea. It's a big quiz game with the last man standing theme. the students sit in rows with enough space on each side to curb any cheating. They all must listen to questions and quietly write the answers in short answer form. They are written in dry erase marker on mini white boards. So why do they use NETs for this? To test the students listening ability of course...in theory.

First, you are to read the entire riddle clearly.
Then read off the answers A-D.
The students usually will have 30 secs or less to answer.
After you count to three, all students must raise their boards above their heads with the answer facing you.
You (and faculty) must check that they wrote the correct answer including spelling.
Give a few seconds for them to erase the boards and continue.

Any students that write the wrong answer are automatically out. Sometimes if too many students are "out" too fast, there will be a chance round. You do the question process and if the "out" students get it right, they can come back "in".


Hilariously at YCE, the students were basically all out after five or six questions. We did a chance round and most were let back in. Luckily, they did much better after that. In that school, many students were out simply because they chose the wrong answer. I was a bit sad because the questions were all up on a powerpoint behind me. In the end, we were able to choose a top three with one of them being from the fifth grade and the other two from the sixth.

I could see my coteacher was nervous and even scared when all the kids were basically out. The principal had come by to see the show and ended up leaving soon after. I felt bad too because I didn't want our Golden Bell to be a Dusty Cracked Bronze Bell. Nevertheless, if you insist on teaching without speaking English and demanding creativity, this is the result.



At SPE, the game was fairly rigged. Everyone studied the exact questions that I was to read for a full week and a half. It was terribly boring and most kids studied so much that they knew what the answers were by the time I read the second hint. The only reason students got out was because they missed the spelling due to letters like "r" "l" "d" "b", etc. Oh well. In the end they decided to give a first through third prize to both fifth and sixth grade. Tomorrow we'll be doing third and fourth with the same riddles.

Open Classssss!! #1

So some of you have heard of the infamous Open Class in Korea. This is when a few teachers, possibly parents and the vice principal or big (wo)man themselves come in and watch you teach. (With a video camera.)

It was teacher parent conference week at my middle school and i was told that every teacher must do an open class for parents at least once a year. Then they do one catered to other teachers twice a year. (This may be a new rule.)

I had to do one at one of my elems. (The good one.) My co-teacher was convinced that our 4th grade class of only 9 students would be the best to show off so I just went with it. We'd already argued so I didn't want another one.

I have been told repeatedly since the beginning of the school year that the VP hates NSETs and he wishes Korea would get rid of all of them. I've also heard plenty on the NSET that ran before me.

He came into my open class looking utterly distasteful. He sat at the back and began to read his pamphlet. I decided not to change anything that I normally do, but my co-teacher had already warned the kids. When I asked how they were (4th grade) they didn't do the normal "I'm hungry! I'm angry! Because English!!" but they did answer so that was good.

During the chant I didn't use the CD and just made up actions for them to do and they did it, slightly less enthusiastically, but they laughed.

Then I showed the crappy Story Time once and asked, "What happened? What did you hear?" The VP gave his disapproving look because he's told me before that the kids are low level and need to stick to the book. (He should have watched that class before that lecture. ugh) Anywho, to his surprise, all but one hand went up desperately wanting me to call them. They explained what they saw and heard beautifully. They also knew the moral of the story. He smiled in my class and was impressed by my students.

Then I teamed them up and had them present it. They were a little more comfy and acted with enthusiasm. Even my girl without her friend.

I apparently changed the mind of this school's VP. I tell you this because I just got a text saying he thinks I'm the best NSET ever~~!

I like kids. I feel like I have more energy than them, so that's probably why. MY kids are NOT low level. They are learning.

Make It Stop. Please. Seriously.

This morning:

 My non-English speaking co-T said, "Jam Asian. Talk about me." I didn't correct her, just smiled and followed. In my mind I was thinking, 'Do you want me to leave the school? Am I fired? Please be fired.'

WHAT? How can I think that, you ask? Simple.

That lady has such a low English level that all four classes at that school are suffering and really becoming a pain to teach. At the end of the 5th month of the year I just want them to shut the door and nicely or rudely ask me not to return.

Anywho, we went into the teacher's office and sat down. She started off with, "Jam Asian..... you class....  uhhhh one two three four, class English. You game......me...... So you 10 minute...... oh......never mind. Ok. Class 40 minutes, you 10 minutes, me 30 minutes. You ....... ok? Oh....key points! Yes. 10 minutes key points."

Did you get that? Let me break it down.

"Jam Asian..... you class....  uhhhh one two three four, class English."

--Teacher, you only teach 3rd through 4th grade here. You teach on Tuesdays.

"You game......me...... So you 10 minute...... oh......never mind."

--You always plan a game, so I have to re-do the pages you miss in the book. Therefore you should just do a review of the key points in the class for the last 10min. What's 'key points' again? oh fricken.(She didn't cuss.) I don't do English. Never mind.

 "Ok. Class 40 minutes, you 10 minutes, me 30 minutes. You ....... ok? Oh....key points! Yes. 10 minutes key points."

--Ok. The class is only 40minutes and I want you to teach for 10 and I'll do 30. You can just play your games or whatever and do phonics and speaking, ok? Oh, Phonics, speaking and it's called key points! Yes. Go over the key points for the last 10minutes.

To which I replied, "Oh ok. You want to teach for 30min and you want me to do 10 right? Ok. Everyday?"

Blank stare...."what?"

"Every class?" Blank stare. "10 minutes every Tuesday?" 

chuckle, "It's ok." Goes back to the computer.

I was happy inside. Yes, I pretended not to understand her because she only speaks Korean to me. You may think this is rude, but to work here we are not required and NOT encouraged to learn Korean.They expect us to expose as much English as possible. So I just agreed and went on with life...for the next 3min anyway.

Turning point

It was at that point that she told the secretary in the room. "I just don't get English I don't know why I need a foreigner in my class." To which the sec responded with, "Yea, you just gotta tell her. That's your class." Then another teacher walks in with slightly better English skills and is introduced to the situation to which she inputs, "Tell her you're the main teacher! She's not the teacher. I know they are supposed to run the middle school classes, but this is elementary. No, I'll tell her."

At this point my co-teacher jumps up saying, "It's ok, I talked to her." but the other lady persisted and said (in English), "Katie right? (to my co-t even though that's not my name) Katie she is main teacher. You middle school is main teacher. Here is main teacher she. Ok? At (my other elementary) school, who main teacher?"

I told her I am...because I am. My other co-teacher speaks great English and we are able to balance out that she does review and we use the book's videos to preview and then I teach a lesson. We even tag team so that we don't have set times to be the focus of the class.

She says (in Korean) " well we are not those schools." then in English, "She is main teacher."

After again confirming that I would only teach for 10min of classes I was mad. How dare these people say and firmly believe that I'm not a teacher? Their kids are of the lower level out of the two elems and it's greatly due to her that the kids are depreciating. That's right I said depreciating.

The last co-teacher was so amazing that I wanted to only input once in a while, because I needed to learn from her tactics. She moved to another job trying to fulfill her dream of teaching high school students and getting them to learn so much that it moves her to tears. I believe she can do it.

The New Style of Class

I decided to just sit in the back of the room and do some lesson planning from their books. It's possible that I could change schools next year and get a new school that uses that book. Well 3rd grade took it pretty well. They thought it was funny that I was sitting there, but didn't say question her. The class was all in Korean except the repeating of the dialogues. The 4th grade looked back and a few students gasped and made remarks under their breath about it. She told them they could have time with me at the end of class. Some kids said it was boring and she just replied that they needed to stick to the book and play later. 5th grade expressed complete discontent to the point that she got upset and told them that since they only play games with me life was hard for her. (I'm trying to be as close to her words as possible and she did say, 힘드로.) I found it funny that she had the nerve to yell. Then she put a smile back on her face as she had them repeat the dialogue a few times. 6th grade doodled in their books and looked back at me. They tried to talk to me while she looked for the next step of her lesson.

That really moved me. I'm so glad to know that they do like me. Although (6th grade especially) they don't understand everything they like to have my class. I will stay this way until next semester for sure because I really need the extra time for my other two schools. They appreciate my classes, talk with me often and 95% of the time in English. My students are building their amounts of English every week. I feel that the other elem is at 60% and the middle is at 75%. The only problem I have with them is they try to jump the gun and use unknown words :/

Serious Gap From Elementary to Middle School

I came into this job working only at the middle school for one month straight. I had sensed that my 3rd graders (9th grade) were ok, but should have been better. 2nd graders (8th grade) were totally slackin' but possibly just shy. My 1st graders (7th grade) were on the ball. Not necessarily in knowing more vocab, but definitely in listening and trying to formulate sentences.

Fast forward. I finally have started my real schedule of going to the 2 elementary schools in the week. These kids are pretty much rockin' it. They have more enthusiasm too. They stick to simple sentences, but they are making sure to get them down packed! 

Of course since it's technically the new school year now, everyone's moved up a grade. I'll never see those wavering 9th graders again, but the 8th graders still suck and have kids in the class that totally disrupt anyone trying to learn. I will be making a seating chart for use starting next class. The 7th graders are just improving their butts off! lol We even joke in their class. Not all are good enough to understand the jokes, but I can feel it coming in due time.

So why did I make this post?

Because it seems to me like (at least in this area) Korea has lost a generation. Why are their 8th and 9th graders even moving up in the world? How? They don't know any of their subject well!! This was confirmed by my co-teacher today when I told her I was worried for the kids' futures. She just reluctantly replied that all of the teachers are! They have been doing poorly in ALL SUBJECTS! I don't understand.


Apparently no one showed those kids how hard life will be without wisdom and knowledge. No one has mentioned the differences between them and their juniors. The juniors will definitely be the ones to carry Korea on in the future, but first Korea will suffer the consequences of the mistakes made by the current 15-18yr olds. Now luckily for us in America seniority is not everything. Age is but a number in the case of choosing the better person for the job. Hence I feel like our students at least try their best and don't completely hold back other students from doing well. They accept that the better people will end up as their bosses.


Korea on the other hand seems to accept the even if the older person is wrong, they are still older and should have first pick. 0.0 I'm hoping I'm wrong, but this is what I've learned from word of mouth and books. Of course since times change, it's possible that they are working on a plan right now to try and circumvent that Confucian philosophy.

NETs of the Past

What is an NET? Native English Teacher. When you sign up to be one and you set your sites on a country, what are you really signing up for? 

• A way to make bank!
• An easier place to live that allows for great travel and stories!!
• Just a good kick back so I don't have to pay rent.
• A chance to marry a submissive Asian wife.
• A chance to marry a way more family oriented and caring Asian husband.
• I don't know yet...

Ummm wrong! You are signing up to be a TEACHER you punk! That means helping in some way to brighten the long hallway leading to many children's future. Do you disagree? Then you suck. Seriously. I love all of the benefits that come with being an overseas teacher. Those should be a plus for a job that you know you can do. If you were money hungry or lost in life and just up and decided to come to these countries to "figure out who you are", then don't bother.

1. I came to Korea because the benefit package matched just what I needed. BUT! 
2. I knew that I like working around children. Preferably ages 3-14. 
3. I knew that I like helping others. I've tutored in school since middle school. I used to play "School" as a game when I was babysitting my younger siblings and other rugrats. 
4. I knew that I prefer to control what I'm doing in MY job. I liked working in the service industry but if I'm not a manager then I'm left thinking of what I would have invoked, done differently or what is better for the company as a whole. So being an underling just doesn't fit with me.

Okay... -_- Why did you write about this?


Well, my co-teacher at elem2 and I were talking and she had told the students that we would be giving out a lot of homework. Korean students do NOT get homework (most commonly). When it is assigned they DON'T do it (commonly) and the baffled Korean teacher accepts that...(commonly). I tell you public school is very peculiar. Anywho the kids were like 0.0 "We don't get homework!" to which she responded "You do now. No crying about it either." I stifled a laugh each period.


Now about the accusations. As she was telling me the above she mentioned how great she thought I was. I was confused (momentarily) because I'm just doing what teachers do. Lesson planning, assignment making, home work/ project brainstorming, etc. I know of some slackish NETs and I wish they'd get replaced already. I told her that and she said, "Yeah, it's too bad. The principal, vice principal and a few teachers here hate NETs. The guy before you just left after 9mos. Disappeared. They called his home country one day and he answered the phone saying yes he was home."
The former Korean co-teacher that I met also had stories on him. "He came in and would sit down at the desk for each class...for the whole class. He didn't do any planning really. He usually didn't want to talk. He didn't even want to give out candy. I made him repeat after the recordings a lot because of that."


Moving on to a different teacher from the year before, my co-teacher says,"The principal had to ask him countless times not to smoke in the classroom! He looooved smoking so much and just smoked anywhere."


Another guy from a previous year, "He didn't want to eat anything at lunch. He just came in and had a coke...he was fat too." -__-


I don't think the fat part bothered them so much as the NOT socializing at all part. Possibly the not eating and yet staying fat part too.

A Few Rules for Korean Schools

I work in the public school system. Since a lot of people here are really causing me to doubt their judgments I will just post my own personal thoughts :p

Afterall, this is my blog about my experience. So lets get started.

1.  You should have a co-teacher. This is the person that is dedicated to your well-being (provided you are on good terms). They will be helping you settle into your new home and getting properly documented. Sometimes you teach classes with them, sometimes you don't. This person is usually in charge of the English department of school so they will have a lot on their plate in the case of students. Sometimes they will have to prepare all of the exams, grade them, stay afterschool for homework help until..., etc. Please bear with them.

2.  You probably will start class late because time is not as big an issue as in the states (American here so just ignore this if you're from somewhere else). This does not, however, mean to make your own time schedule. In my personal experience classes are started only 3-5min late.

3.  There are a lot of last minute changes, but so far changes are being done by the time I get to school. So you should check the school's message board (board in the front of the teacher's office) as soon as you get in to make sure your first class is still your first class.

4.  Your school's books are pretty much the same across the country. Whether you will only be allowed to rely on that or not is totally up to your co-workers and how your relationship and understanding is.

5.  You will probably have at least one more Korean English teacher that you will do classes with. You will be the only foreign teacher though.

6.  It is possible that you will have a desk right with everyone else in the teacher's office. I have heard of some people that have their own "office" but I definitely like being around everyone else better.

7.  It is expected that you will eat the school lunch in the cafeteria with everyone else. I eat there with the other teachers and have been informed that it will come out of my paycheck each month. If you bring your lunch you will have to use a "common room". There is also probably a bed in there for when you need a nap lol  Anywho, please use the common room when eating something not provided by the school. They are not trying to alienate you because every teacher has to do it. Some people think this is stupid, but I don't really see a problem with it. Rather than letting everyone see me and start rumors that I think I'm too good for the school's ____, I would just eat in that room.

8.  Some ridiculous bums have decided to just give out prizes like crazy in their classes so the children are expecting it from you. I personally don't give prizes. I might if a holiday is coming or if it's the end of a section and certain kids were on the ball the whole time, but I'm not a sweet teacher. Sorry.