Update
The blog is not dead... I have just been unbelievably busy with this Session. In addition to teaching, I am taking Korean Level 1 and Taekwondo. My classes are going smoothly and I am using a lot of the knowledge I gained during the Summer Session to improve my methods and topics. I am also trying to give the students more one-on-one time. (Something I learned is important from my Teaching Evaluations).
Korea has started to seem a little less foreign, especially now that I am learning the language! My Korean class is a challenge but I am a star-reader! I have employed a tutor to increase my confidence and opportunity for role play. The Korean educational philosophy is very different from the American one--I can see now why students really enjoy my classes! The Korean teachers are very focused on spelling and grammar, whereas I am interested in learning practical language skills... stuff I can use in everyday life. As long as I can say the word I don't really care if I can spell it :)
I am also making friends! I have joined an English-language book club and have met several cool foreigners through my Korean class. In fact, I went to the Seoul Drum Festival last night with one of them! I still enjoy some cinematic escapism and went to see "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" recently. I have happily discovered that not just action movies come to Asia as I had feared! "Mamma Mia" is a total hit here and I am trying to convince some of my Korean friends to go to the newly added "Sing Along" version! The lyrics are provided in English and audience participation is encouraged.
I still have my days but most of the time I am ecstatic that I have such a wonderful life here. I love working with college students and Korea provides me with plenty of food-for-thought. I love looking at America through other eyes. I love my home country. I can see all the positives and recognize more things that I would change if I could. I miss the energy and creativity and independent spirit! But I love the freedom of existing outside the dominant culture. Korea at large attributes anything I do to the fact that I am a foreigner--not to my personal entity. I am free to act & wear & do so many things without the cultural judgement at home and I am fully taking advantage of it!
Korea has started to seem a little less foreign, especially now that I am learning the language! My Korean class is a challenge but I am a star-reader! I have employed a tutor to increase my confidence and opportunity for role play. The Korean educational philosophy is very different from the American one--I can see now why students really enjoy my classes! The Korean teachers are very focused on spelling and grammar, whereas I am interested in learning practical language skills... stuff I can use in everyday life. As long as I can say the word I don't really care if I can spell it :)
I am also making friends! I have joined an English-language book club and have met several cool foreigners through my Korean class. In fact, I went to the Seoul Drum Festival last night with one of them! I still enjoy some cinematic escapism and went to see "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" recently. I have happily discovered that not just action movies come to Asia as I had feared! "Mamma Mia" is a total hit here and I am trying to convince some of my Korean friends to go to the newly added "Sing Along" version! The lyrics are provided in English and audience participation is encouraged.
I still have my days but most of the time I am ecstatic that I have such a wonderful life here. I love working with college students and Korea provides me with plenty of food-for-thought. I love looking at America through other eyes. I love my home country. I can see all the positives and recognize more things that I would change if I could. I miss the energy and creativity and independent spirit! But I love the freedom of existing outside the dominant culture. Korea at large attributes anything I do to the fact that I am a foreigner--not to my personal entity. I am free to act & wear & do so many things without the cultural judgement at home and I am fully taking advantage of it!