The honeymoon days are over now

.I have spent the majority of today at my desk , alone in my classroom. Not a great combination when you are already feeling many mixed emotions. When I arrived in Feb I was warned that we would all go through an emotional rollercoaster as well as experiencing what they call the "honeymoon phase" where everything is new and exciting. I managed to escape the emotional roller coaster in the first few months , but today it has finally caught up with me. Its amazing how much can change in 6 months .The people you met at orientation that you thought you would never speak to again are now infact your closest friends or the people that you thought you would remain closest to but are now just part of the happy orientation memories .For the first time since moving here I am starting to realise how important it is to have a support system and perhaps thats why im struggling today , because I feel that mine has shrunk rather drastically. I view myself is a pretty independent person when it comes to my emotions and dealing with them. There are very few people im willing to confide in when it comes to matterws of the heart and today I wish those people were here. So often we enter into a friendship or relationship and give it our all expecting it to be reciprocated only to discover that infact its been one way all along. This is becoming more and more evident to me in Korea. I know that how im feeling is temporary and it will pass but today more than ever I miss my family , and the people that are always there for me no matter. Today I am missing home and everything that is familiar . So today I am resorting to the person that can put a smile on my face Dr Seuss.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

x

Semester 1 done and dusted

Today officially marks the end of my first semester at Geunhwa High school with my last day of Summer camp finishing at 9 pm tonight. I am most definately ready for my 12 day break. It really has been one jam packed ,fun filled first 6 months at the convent. From fashions shows in class to running races at sports day , to awesome field trips around gyeongju, the principle forcing me to drink beer out of our trophy and getting to do my 64 minutes for Madiba with my students . These are just a few of the memories and incredible moments I have been lucky enough to experience thus far. I have been able to get to know my students on a level that I never thought would be possible. Co workers that have become more than just people that I work with . They have become my mentors and friends.I feel incredibly blessed. It seems like it was just yesterday when I was standing on stage infront of 800 students frightened as ever. Now almost 6 months later , I am only full of smiles


Summer camp has been a wonderful eye opening experience for me.Despite the strange hours , 4-9 I have really enjoyed being able to work closely with the students and doing activities with them that encourage their creativity and allow them to really express themselves in a way that is usually not allowed in an academic classroom.Its given me the chance to observe my students true talents and give them the encouragemnet that they need to continue building on those talents. Investing in some new english board games turned out to be a really good move.My students are now all hooked on Uno , monoply , guess who and pictionary! Fruit salad making and getting fed fruit by my students like a greek goddness was another winning lesson! But the lesson that I really feel had the most significant impact on my girls, Glee. Glee is known for their wonderful moral messages behind each episode and so I decided to base one of the lessons on the Glee episode " Born this way" The episode that spreads the message of loving ourselves just the way we are with flaws and all.

The objective of the lesson was for the girls to think of something that they are shy about or do not like about themselves and then had to accept it as something that makes them special and unique . They then had to make a poster with a word on it that described the aspect of themselves that they did not like. In order to get them to embrace their flaws I got them to sing along to the Queen of self love, Lady Gaga's "born this way". I hope that in some way that lesson has helped them to gain a little more self love for themselves.

I never imagined that I would settle in so well or be this happy at my school in Korea. But I am. This school has become my family . I look forward to semester 2 and all the crziness that it brings with it.

School is NOT out for Summer

It is now 10 pm and I have just finished my first  day of Summer camp and what a great success it was. Most schools in Korea run a Summer camp during vacation time . Mine no doubt falls into that catergory. My school also falls into the very academic and hard working catergory and as a result   , despite the fact it is Summer vacation which usually implies school holidays , my students are still attending classes like on any other normal school day which runs from 9am until 10 pm . However for a select few students Summer School isn't so terrible as they get to partcipate in Summer camp activities which I have to run . This is a time where the students are able to learn english in a  fun and less academic way. I feel this is a time where I can really get the girls to engage in the lessons as im doing activties that they are actuallly interested in.

What is the deelio with Summer Camp?

Each school in Korea runs their camps differently. Mine seems to be a particulary unique case and im not complaning.  First off I only have to teach 8 days of camp . Many of my friend  will be teaching 2 or 3 weeks worth of camps . I am running the camps for grade one and two. Grade three simply do not have the time to  waste doing activities  . Most of my teaching friends are doing their summer camps in the morning  but me , Im getting to sleep in until 12 pm. My school has decided to run our Summer camp from 4  in the afternoon until 9 at night. Lucky me gets everyday off until 4 pm . No desk warming for me. Thank goodness.

Summer camp program

As this is the  one of the few occasions where my students are not subjected  to academic hell I have decided to do activities that  encourage creativity and will keep the girls engaged.

Day 1

Today the students made friendship bracelets. Thanks to a very generous Summer camp budget I was able to buy beautiful assorted beads for the activity. The girls had to design a bracelet , give it a name " The bracelet of ....." and then they had to give it to someone in their group. I was highly impressed with the girls creativity and time they spent on the activity. It just proves that if you give students something that they enjoy they will be far more engaged and responsive in the lesson.

Day2

My students seem to adore Glee . Totally convenient when you are quite the fan yourself.  I have decided to show the episode where Rachel wants a nose job. Plstic surgery in Korea ranks  amongst  the highest in the world. Its all about image here and as a result the amount of pressure placed on   korean females is huge. I am hoping that the Gleeks can get through to my girls. After the episode they will be required to make a poster that illsutrates what the episode was about. I shall end the lesson with a quiz based on the Glee
episode.

Day 3

Students will make a fruit salad recipe and then each group will evaluate another groups fruit salad.

Day 4

Ive realised that the one area of english that seems rather unknown to my girls is the area of board
games. I really believe this is a fantastic\  and fun way to encourage my students to speak english. So thanks to the large budget I bought the game Twister , the classic party hit game ,  "Guess who" which is great for practicing adjectives and descriptions and lastly monopoly , a game that I feel every person should know how to play.

I am  now  exhausted , hot and ready for bed. Bring on dy two of Camp with the Gleeks
.

Friday Freedom exams are over!!!

Music videos being played at top volume from the classrooms, screaming in the hallways ,doing their makeup and straightening their hair in the classrooms .Thats when you know exams are over! Time for my students  to go have some fun in downtown.
Its been four very intense stressful days for my darling girls. Bed time averaging 3 am in the morning  and coming to school looking like a zombie. My girls are beyond exhausted. ' I HAVE FREEDOM TEACHER I HAVE FREEDOM! " this is what many of the girls have been telling me today. But , that freedom will only  last until tonight . Tomorrow morning they will once again walk through the school gates and  spend their saturday studying in their desks until 5pm. Yes exams are over but it doesn't mean that the  studying stops. Its a difficult thing to comprehend isn't it? I remember my school years. When exams were over that meant no more work for the term  Not at my convent in Korea though . It is now 3 :30 pm and I think im the only teacher left at school. Time to get outta here and enjoy my Friday Freedom!!!