Elise vs Little Julie

My first week of teaching went well. At ICEV, the 300 or so kids that come every week are broken into six different job experience classes- Mozart, Picasso, Shakespeare, Gaudi, Einstein, and Gates. Each job experience class teaches English within the context of music, art, theater, architecture, science, or computers. I am (surprise, surprise) a Shakespeare teacher. I had two different Shakespeare classes, each consisting of 11 students. Three days a week, I have just one class at a time. Twice a week, I have 22 students at once. This week, I had them all to myself, although the curriculum is being revised soon and there will be 22 students in every class and much more co-teaching...which I am not at all excited about. To me, co-teaching is more of an obstacle than it is helpful. There are a lot of changes happening at ICEV that make very little sense, this being one of them. But I don't want to get started on that topic. Not now. Anywho, while my Shakespeare class takes up the bulk of my day, I also taught everyday experience classes, which are classes about the airport, bank, hotel, hospital, sports, nature, automobiles, cooking, library, etc. I taught hospital, library, and writing.

I grew very fond of my Shakespeare students. They were a little older, perhaps around age 11 (although Koreans count age differently so I'm always a little confused on just exactly how old anyone is...I think that I'm actually 24 in Korean age..YUCK). For the most part, their participation was very good and they seemed to be enjoying the lessons and having fun. Of course, between my two classes, there was one group whose enthusiasm and participation was better. Still, I loved teaching both classes. By the end of the week, they grew very comfortable with me and there were lots of hugs...and also lots of abuse from three of my girls. I felt like I was back in Wisconsin with my little cousins, who like to call me the “beat up” cousin. It seems that wherever I go, children feel the urge to abuse me. Oh well, I have it coming. However, I have seen other ICEV teachers get this type of attention from the students...male teachers. No matter where I am, it seems that people never want to believe that I am indeed female and perhaps fragile. Luckily, fragile I am not, otherwise I would never have lasted this long. No, sir.

A few more little notes about Korean students. Number one, they are very good at drawing. In some classes, they make comic books and the sketching abilities far exceed those of American students. Sorry, little Americans. One of my students was so kind as to give me a picture that she drew of me. It was much better than the one produced by the creepy Korean man at the local bar a couple weeks ago. It also didn't have a phone number scribbled on the back. Number two, they want to call you once the week is over. I learned an important lesson this week. That lesson is to never leave my phone (which I use to keep time) within reach of the children. During my students' break, when I wasn't paying attention, a couple of the girls grabbed my phone, found my number, and wrote it down. I discovered this later in the week when these girls wanted me to sign their notebooks at the spot where they had written “E teacher” (which is what the students call me) and my phone number. In a state of alarm, I pointed to the phone number and asked, “What is this?!”. “Ah, teacher's phone number. Yes?”, they replied. I lied and told them that they had the wrong number but they insisted that it was correct. I have been afraid to answer my phone ever since. Number three, my students think I'm fat. “Teacher, fat!”, said little Julie on Tuesday. This didn't bother me too much. I had been warned against Korean students making comments like this to foreign teachers, so I was not shocked. Then, at the end of Friday performance, little Julie got little Cindy and little Jenny in on the joke and proceeded to grab my belly, pinpointing the precise location of the said “fat”. I have been talking the stairs rather than the elevator ever since. I live on the twelfth floor.

Ultimately, it was a great week! It was a very, very tiring week but also fun and rewarding. And the wonderful thing is that every week I get to meet a new group of students and make new connections all over again! As of now, I have come to the decision that this job was a good choice. I hope that my opinion of ICEV stays positive. We shall see after the new changes are implemented. Still, whatever changes happen at the school, what remains the same is the kids and the fun that I have teaching them. Therefore, everything will be fine. And things will get even better when little Julie comes back and goes for the belly only to find a set of rock hard abs. Abs that she drove me to acquire. Eat that, little Julie.