They never called me on saturday so I didn't get tested until tuesday I believe. They pissed me off because mr lee acted like it was my fault that we hadn't got this done yet. He was telling me how important it all is and that it's crunch time more or less and was basically lecturing me on all of it and that it can't be put off anymore. I was just getting pissy that he seemed to be saying I'm the one who's put it off. They would've forgotten about the testing altogether had I not brought it up. This week has actually been a good week. Work hasn't been too bad and for the most part everyone has left me alone. Except mr lee--who is still poking his head in my classrooms constantly and if I'm teaching them stuff he comes in and tells me how great and energetic I am but if they are doing a writing assignment or spelling test he tells me that I need to have more energy and do more speaking. I do about a 50-50 split between speaking and writing and refuse to change how I do it. Maybe that's silly on my part but I do plenty of both. Most of my classes are too large to really do more speaking. I talk to every student at least three times during any given class. I really like to combine writing and speaking--usually give them an assignment to do. They can start on it and actually look at everything and see if they understand it--if not they can ask for help. Then after enough time has passed I call on random people to answer the questions. Now that's not as hard as just asking them right off the bat but I don't think that's very fair to do with new material. Takes some practice before you get something and I think writing is the best way to see if they get it. To easy to get lucky with speaking. After they've had some practice with it I start throwing the new material into everyday questions. For instance we recently learned "going to" and now I ask them questions with that in it all the time.
So whatever--just venting. Yesterday I had a class that I don't really love--it's an ok class though. They just aren't super bright. But due to some rearranging and quitting and and all that the class is far improved from what it was. We've actually been able to do the book activities with some level of success and I've been able to teach them without having to take up cell phones. However I kept going on tangents the other day which is fine--never bad to teach them more new words. But I would basically keep going until I hit something that they couldn't get. I started out teaching them what a Saint is and then eventually stopped when I got to the Pope. And, good god, try to teach them what a soap opera is.
One class has never seen the Tianenmen Square video...I was in shock. How can you have lived your life and never seen that video? 
Such a famous video that is played all the time and even spoofed on occasion (family guy comes to mind). I told them I'd find the video and let them watch it. Wanted to do it during that class but time ran out. That's actually the class where Mr Lee came in. They don't understand a word he says so I never know why he bothers talking to the class. I barely understand his english so I can guarantee that most koreans won't understand his butchered version of english. Especially because he uses words they don't know. Such as: energetic, you agree?, and a few others. We had been reading a story about China--it talked about Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City and the Terra Cotta Warriors. I was teaching so many new words that I ran out of room on the board. So Mr Lee saw that and had to come in and tell me how great i was doing and that this was perfect and basically suggest that he was happy I was taking his suggestions on my teaching. When really I haven't changed a thing--he just only sees a small glimpse into my teaching through his pop ins so he either sees talking or writing and for a week or two he only happened to poke in during writing so now he thinks that's all I do. Hmm tried to find a picture that accurately shows what he does but there isn't one. Basically the classes have these rectangular opaque windows in them and in the middle of the rectangle is a square that is transparent. Now, Mr Lee isn't a tall man, only a nosy one, so he has to stand on his tip toes to look through these squares. So when he peeks through one sides of his body is always on a lean. The combination of tip toes and leaning makes it so he can get one eye to see in through the square window. So when he peeks in it's easy to notice. You see this man, barely maintaining his balance, peeking through the window like a small boy trying to see his first breast. Just sad really. Most of my students are at least aware that he's an idiot because any time he's come in to talk to us as soon as he leaves they start laughing. Might've almost gotten me in trouble because when he left yesterday their laughter followed his exit so closely that he peeked back in through the window. He's pretty full of himself though--probably just thought the american clown did something silly--like danced for his little krean masters.
Such a famous video that is played all the time and even spoofed on occasion (family guy comes to mind). I told them I'd find the video and let them watch it. Wanted to do it during that class but time ran out. That's actually the class where Mr Lee came in. They don't understand a word he says so I never know why he bothers talking to the class. I barely understand his english so I can guarantee that most koreans won't understand his butchered version of english. Especially because he uses words they don't know. Such as: energetic, you agree?, and a few others. We had been reading a story about China--it talked about Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City and the Terra Cotta Warriors. I was teaching so many new words that I ran out of room on the board. So Mr Lee saw that and had to come in and tell me how great i was doing and that this was perfect and basically suggest that he was happy I was taking his suggestions on my teaching. When really I haven't changed a thing--he just only sees a small glimpse into my teaching through his pop ins so he either sees talking or writing and for a week or two he only happened to poke in during writing so now he thinks that's all I do. Hmm tried to find a picture that accurately shows what he does but there isn't one. Basically the classes have these rectangular opaque windows in them and in the middle of the rectangle is a square that is transparent. Now, Mr Lee isn't a tall man, only a nosy one, so he has to stand on his tip toes to look through these squares. So when he peeks through one sides of his body is always on a lean. The combination of tip toes and leaning makes it so he can get one eye to see in through the square window. So when he peeks in it's easy to notice. You see this man, barely maintaining his balance, peeking through the window like a small boy trying to see his first breast. Just sad really. Most of my students are at least aware that he's an idiot because any time he's come in to talk to us as soon as he leaves they start laughing. Might've almost gotten me in trouble because when he left yesterday their laughter followed his exit so closely that he peeked back in through the window. He's pretty full of himself though--probably just thought the american clown did something silly--like danced for his little krean masters.Well I've written for far too long--I've gotta get to work. First class--I love. The students are all so sweet and actually seem to enjoy themselves and the work. The second class I loathe--one of the worst and stupidest students in the school is there. Granted he's very young but he's been there for a year and, while the rest of the class is reading, he's busy saying every word is socks. On top of that he likes to goof around and play with any little thing he finds. Kid has ADD mixed with stupidity. He's gonna have a rough life. I don't even ask if he has homework anymore, but he's always sure to tell me everyday that he doesn't have it. As if I might expect him to. I tried punishing them for not doing homework, but they aren't so stupid that they don't know the "I didn't understand" card. I've gotten them started on the homework in class once and when they didn't do it I got the manager to tell them they had to stay after class to do it and they just said they didn't get it and he let them off. I can see that they don't understand every now and then but there have been a few times where I know they're full of shit. Anyways--third class is also the devil. Just too many kids in one class. Some of them have already done the book I'm teaching--so why are they in my class you might ask? Because Kreans are very big on age rather than actual talent/skill/knowledge. So all these kids are in the same age group and therefore belong in the same class. Class after that will be fun. I have a few students in there who are interested in english and really work hard. Also have a few boys in there I don't love but they behave well enough now--just had to lay down the law early on. After that I have dinner. Then I have my next class which is quickly becoming a favorite. All the students I didn't like have quit. Don't get all huffy--I didn't like one girl b/c she was stupid and never did her work. So I started to pick on her a little--nothing bad. For instance, I knew she was getting answers from other people so I had everyone finish the exercise then I took up their books and asked them to come to the board to write in answers to questions I gave them. she still managed to cheat. Anyways--I started putting pressure on her to actually do her own work ( put them in a seating chart so she wasn't near her sources) and I think that's part of why she quit. I wasn't letting her talk or just fly by in class so she was done with it. The other kid I think couldn't afford it anymore. His name was jack and I lovingly called him jack off in my head. He was smart but just jacked off during class. Ie didn't do anything. Joked around the whole time. I liked him ok but he was going to take a while to break into the classroom style I like. I don't mind some joking but if it gets distracting then it's time to tone it down. Although my favorite student in that class quit too--his mom wanted him to try a new school in the new year. I heard that he hates the new one and wants to come back but his mom won't let him. Anyways--after that I have a forever long class--two hours. I have no idea why. No one else has a two hour long class. I'm pretty sure that someone fucked up somewhere in scheduling. I'd bet that all the english teachers are supposed to have these kids--because Curtis has them M-Th and then I have them for two hours on friday. I'd bet that taylor is supposed to have them one hour and me the next hour but they had an extra hour where I was doing nothing and taylor teaching a class during my extra. So just give me the class. 2 hours, however, is a long time. So we usually just do book work and talk during that class. Nothing too intensive. Then after that I have a class full of great kids. They're english is really good and I have fun with them. So I end on a high note--sort of. I'm usually just exhausted by the end of a friday. I won't get off till about 9:50. 3-10 doesn't sound like much, I know, but trust me when I say that these kids keep you moving. Friday is just my longest day--I'm used to getting off an hour earlier so it's always the hardest. Oh well--luckily my last class is good so it doesn't really bother me. If they were bad I'd hate it.
Try to think of how to explain what immediately means to a basic class. Or forbidden. They sound easy but keep in mind they don't know "right away" or "allowed". Those were my first two instincts. They never got immediately and someone looked it up on a dictionary while I was trying. Forbidden I got though--no smoking sign = smoking isn't allowed. Not allowed = forbidden. forbidden city--a city that most people were not allowed in for a long time. BAM
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