Rugrats

So, yesterday was my first day of teaching at the hagwon. My contract says to be there from 2 - 10 pm.  However, I was able to leave early yesterday (around 9) after some prodding by Chong-wha. I felt bad not staying the entire time, but I only taught 3 classes yesterday.  Each of my classes are speaking classes while the other teachers instruct the students in grammar, reading, etc. It's definitely awkward though, because the other teachers speak to the students in Korean, not in English - which defeats the purpose of an English learning institution if you ask me.

My first class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is Adam (a second grader).  He is very vivacious and didn't seem to care about what I was there to do.  It was hard to keep his attention on the subject and he kept wanting to leave the classroom.  Being one-on-one could be a great benefit, if only he wanted to be there and learn.  The other students would come by the classroom and peek in the window in the door.  It seems that the students just run wild and the director and teachers don't really instill discipline. My second class is three students - Rina, Louie, and Jackson.  Rina is very quiet.  I don't think she understands as much English as Jackson or Louie because she just gives me a blank stare when I ask something (in the most elementary way I can) until one of the others tells her what I said in Korean.  Louie is very smart and seems passionate about learning.  Jackson is quite the ham! He knows a good bit of English, but he makes jokes about everything (he makes me laugh).  My third class is the largest one - 4 students.  There are three girls - Jasmine, Ella, and Karen, and one boy, Leo. Leo and Jasmine are very smart and talkative.  They participate in class while Karen and Ella sit in the back very quietly.  Karen doesn't seem to do her work and won't speak at all.  She was throwing paper around yesterday and not paying any attention.  I think Ella is smart, she is just shy/timid.  There is one thing I know - these kids love playing Hangman.  Maybe I'll come up with other games they can play so it's not so boring (if not for them, for me).  I finish "teaching" at 5.50...so then there is 4 more hours until my contract says I can go home.  But, Chong-wha told me yesterday that I could leave after I stayed for about an hour to prepare materials.  I decided that was wrong and ended up staying until 9 when she left as well.

I met another teacher that speaks even better English than Chong-wha.  Her name is Trisha.  She understands more about the area where I live and teach because she also lives in the area where as Chong-wha lives in Suwon (about 10 minute drive away). Trisha gave me her phone number to contact her and said we would go out to eat sometime soon.  I don't have a cell phone yet, but will get one as soon as I get my alien registration.  I don't think I am able to leave South Korea because my visa is not a multiple entry visa...unfortunately.  But, with all the trouble/anxiety I am having about being in Korea, I don't know how much I would leave anyways.  I think Trisha would be a bigger help than Chong-wha, but I appreciate all of her efforts, too.

I put an ad on Craigslist about being new to Korea and wanting to meet friends and such.  I've had a great response.  I am supposed to meet up with a guy Saturday and we're going to go into Seoul to some microbreweries.  I'm really looking forward to that. So, I definitely need to figure out the bus system pronto!

This is my hagwon.

Apparently there was a concert for some event near the school.