I’ve never really posted that many photos of my students, and I figure that since they were a major part of my life in Korea, I should probably show you guys a few. These are my first graders (6th graders) from Gunnae:


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A Korea blog I read has a great example up of what happens in Korea to cause over half of foreign teachers to not renew their contracts.  Sure, it’s not the only reason, but in my opinion, problems like this woman experienced are the major contributing factor and are virtually universal.  Not every school is like that, but from talking to other ( Read more... )

Things like this are why I can’t in good conscience recommend Korea as a place to teach: Take One, Take Two

I have to agree with Roboseyo:  Korean journalists, you are accomplishing nothing more than making your country look like a racist backwater.  Then again, if your goal is to keep us AIDS-ridden, drunk, student-raping foreign teachers from ( Read more... )

Well, today is probably my last day on Jindo.  I have some stuff to finish today and errands to run, but I have no work, so I have all day to get stuff done.  If I’m not quite finished by like 7pm, then I’ll stick around one extra day and leave for Seoul tomorrow.  I may do that anyway since I’ve heard talk that there might be a picnic of some sort ( Read more... )

Well folks, I’m done!

(I think my icon has never been more appropriate.)

I’m convinced that my school either has the biggest pair of cojones ever, or is completely idiotic.

So, I have been struggling with my school this entire year about my 20,000won/day travel allowance that is standard for this island.  They have fussed and fussed, and finally a couple months ago, they agreed to pay it as part of my final pay, despite ( Read more... )

So, I only got one gift from my students for teachers day last week at Uisin, but it was a cute and well-thought-out one.

A month or two ago, I did a lesson involving the asian zodiac, and in it I mentioned that I was born in the year of the pig, which some of the kids apparently found funny, because according to them, I am very atypical for a pig.

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1.  Apparently my principal thinks I ask to go home early too often.  I’ve asked to leave early FOUR TIMES this year, always with a legit excuse like needing to go to the post office, bank, or other stores that close before I normally get home, or to deal with paperwork at the education office.  I have gone home early more than those four times, ( Read more... )

Well, Jindo has now had its first “runner”.  It was bound to happen eventually, but it was not who I expected.

For those unaware, “pulling a runner” is the term for when someone packs up their stuff and high-tails it out of Korea before their boss gets word they’re leaving and informs immigration to detain them.  It’s frustratingly common, and while ( Read more... )

I just received a mixed blessing. Apparently my contract ends on the 22nd, not the 25th as I have believed all year. You see, I arrived in Korea on the 22nd, but I didn’t start working until the 25th. So I, and everyone else, was under the impression that my contract ended on the 25th. I never actually looked at the damn thing, because Koreans ( Read more... )