There are a lot of great things to love about teaching at my schools, but one of my very favorites is lunch. For just under $3 per plate school lunches on Jeju Island all made from 100% organic products. Most of the produce is farmed on Jeju, and some of it is even grown at school.
The lunches always have three staples; rice, soup, and kimchi. Typically there is some kind of meat either to the side or in the soup, but it is never much and it's always easy to pick the meat out. One day, the wonderful lunch ladies at Kama even went to the extra effort to set aside a portion of rice for me before they added the meat to it. It made my day that they thought of me.
Every Wednesday is special lunch day. These lunches are more food, use more expensive ingredients, and harder to prepare. Special main dishes may include Bibim Bap, chicken noodle soup, stew, or fancy rice. The special side dishes could be fruit, juice, or homemade vegetable doughnut. Radish kimchi is always served on special lunch day.
School lunches in Jeju feature a lot of delicious fresh fish products. Fish is only served in the United States schools in the form of reheated fish sticks which were previously fried and frozen. I was so surprised the first time I recieved crab in my soup. It wasn't even a special lunch day, but there it was, big pieces of crab still in the shell. I had no idea how to eat it without tools. My kids showed me that I should just bite into it, suck out what I can, and discard the rest. The waste still has plenty of meat in it, and all I could think was "Crab is so expensive!".
The only complaint I have about school lunch, and Korean food in general, is that it’s really salty. I’m always thirsty despite drinking several liters of water. Korean food is probabyl doing bad things to my blood pressure. In the summer the extra salt may be helpful since you lose so much sodium on hot, humid days. Although, between the salt and the sweat, I’m just not sure how to stay hydrated when summer comes.
Historically the Korean diet is really healthy, but it has taken a turn toward the processed in the last several years. Everything is sweet here, including chips. Many things are fried as well. Obesity is definitely on the rise in Korea, just as it is in every developing country.
The most surprising recent change in the Korean diet is the inclusion of milk. Nobody my age and older drinks milk, but somehow special interests have convinced the government to give milk to all the school children every morning. Both of my schools were confused that I don’t like milk, and don’t consider it healthy. Many colleagues and students thought that everyone from the United States drinks several cups of milk a day.
(Please click on The Cancer Project to learn briefly about why dairy should be consumed with moderation. Click here for the long version. Try here to search brief articles on your favorite topics.)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Marathon Stuyding
Several people have asked how long kids stay in school, so I thought I would write a blog about it. :)
The Korean government and most Korean people value education very highly. Normal school hours are M-F 9am until about 3pm depending on the grade. Saturday class was standard, but it is ending with the start of the 2012 school year. Nobody goes home at 3pm when normal class ends. There are after school classes, and studying every day. Gama offers flute, English, reading/writing, and computer science. Tosan offers martial arts, flute, piano, and I’m not sure what else. Part-time, specially contracted teachers instruct the extracurricular classes. If it isn’t a testing time, then everyone usually leaves my elementary schools by 5pm.
Middle school and high school are notoriously stressful in Korea. Testing is the driving force behind the stress. The average test score determines the school ranking so there is a lot of pressure from the administration for students to score well. Additionally test scores determine what school a student will attend after elementary. At the higher levels testing seems to be endless. One teacher joked that testing was the students’ hobby. Classes get canceled, and kids stay at school late to prepare for tests.
Even the elementary students study much harder than we are used to in the United States. The sixth grade students at my schools were studying for a regional exam until 10pm under the guidance of their homeroom teacher. One of my fourth grade students told me that she was up until 11pm studying with her mom.
A high school student expecting to go to university arrives at school around 7:30am and leaves around 11 or 12pm. A high school student at our kook sul gym told me that she studies at school with other students until 11pm every night. She said teachers are sometimes at school helping them study. The same student also told me that she lives at school and sleeps at home. She is only able to practice kook sul during school breaks, because she spends so much time studying.
There are exceptions though. Three high school boys at our kook sul gym arrive to train at 4pm, and leave at 10pm. These boys don’t want to go to university though. One of them is going to a culinary college after high school. I’m not sure about the other two. They are shy around me, and they don’t seem to speak much English.
Additionally there is a huge market for private schools in Korea. Kids, and sometimes adults join these institutions after normal school or work hours. There are private schools for English, science, music, visual arts, sports, martial arts, traditional arts, and more. The Korean government has chosen to spend money on extracurricular classes in the public schools because not everyone can afford to attend a private school after normal classes. The Korean government makes a valiant attempt at creating equal opportunity for low income kids, and students in rural areas. Unfortunately kids with higher socioeconomic status still have a significant edge over their low income counterparts.
We knew coming to Korea that education was extremely valued. We assumed that our students would be enthusiastic little angels eagerly soaking up every nougat we shared with them. This was the height of naivety on our part. Kids are kids, no matter where in the world you are. Yes Korean kids are trained, and expected to study harder than in the United States, but they are still chatty, show up late, get bored, mouth off, and fall asleep. Everyone gets bored with the same old routine even in a culture that cherishes education.
The Korean government and most Korean people value education very highly. Normal school hours are M-F 9am until about 3pm depending on the grade. Saturday class was standard, but it is ending with the start of the 2012 school year. Nobody goes home at 3pm when normal class ends. There are after school classes, and studying every day. Gama offers flute, English, reading/writing, and computer science. Tosan offers martial arts, flute, piano, and I’m not sure what else. Part-time, specially contracted teachers instruct the extracurricular classes. If it isn’t a testing time, then everyone usually leaves my elementary schools by 5pm.
Middle school and high school are notoriously stressful in Korea. Testing is the driving force behind the stress. The average test score determines the school ranking so there is a lot of pressure from the administration for students to score well. Additionally test scores determine what school a student will attend after elementary. At the higher levels testing seems to be endless. One teacher joked that testing was the students’ hobby. Classes get canceled, and kids stay at school late to prepare for tests.
Even the elementary students study much harder than we are used to in the United States. The sixth grade students at my schools were studying for a regional exam until 10pm under the guidance of their homeroom teacher. One of my fourth grade students told me that she was up until 11pm studying with her mom.
A high school student expecting to go to university arrives at school around 7:30am and leaves around 11 or 12pm. A high school student at our kook sul gym told me that she studies at school with other students until 11pm every night. She said teachers are sometimes at school helping them study. The same student also told me that she lives at school and sleeps at home. She is only able to practice kook sul during school breaks, because she spends so much time studying.
There are exceptions though. Three high school boys at our kook sul gym arrive to train at 4pm, and leave at 10pm. These boys don’t want to go to university though. One of them is going to a culinary college after high school. I’m not sure about the other two. They are shy around me, and they don’t seem to speak much English.
Additionally there is a huge market for private schools in Korea. Kids, and sometimes adults join these institutions after normal school or work hours. There are private schools for English, science, music, visual arts, sports, martial arts, traditional arts, and more. The Korean government has chosen to spend money on extracurricular classes in the public schools because not everyone can afford to attend a private school after normal classes. The Korean government makes a valiant attempt at creating equal opportunity for low income kids, and students in rural areas. Unfortunately kids with higher socioeconomic status still have a significant edge over their low income counterparts.
We knew coming to Korea that education was extremely valued. We assumed that our students would be enthusiastic little angels eagerly soaking up every nougat we shared with them. This was the height of naivety on our part. Kids are kids, no matter where in the world you are. Yes Korean kids are trained, and expected to study harder than in the United States, but they are still chatty, show up late, get bored, mouth off, and fall asleep. Everyone gets bored with the same old routine even in a culture that cherishes education.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
School Year
The Korean school year is coming to a close. The students have vacation from the last week of December until the first week of February. Then the students are back at school the first two weeks of February for the graduation of the highest grade. After two weeks at school, the students have spring break. The new school year starts the first week of March.
Korean students still have classes during their vacation. There are optional language camps, and extra curricular classes. I have two weeks of vacation in January. For the rest of the students vacation I'll be teaching language camps, extra curricular classes, planning the next school year, and desk warming.
Desk warming is when showing up to work, is part of the contract, but there is nothing to do. Perhaps a desk warmer will watch a movie, facebook, read blogs, plan grad school, e-mail, or do small crafts. It's always nicer to be home, but who can complain about using work time as free time?
Korean students still have classes during their vacation. There are optional language camps, and extra curricular classes. I have two weeks of vacation in January. For the rest of the students vacation I'll be teaching language camps, extra curricular classes, planning the next school year, and desk warming.
Desk warming is when showing up to work, is part of the contract, but there is nothing to do. Perhaps a desk warmer will watch a movie, facebook, read blogs, plan grad school, e-mail, or do small crafts. It's always nicer to be home, but who can complain about using work time as free time?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Fresh and Clean
In Korea kids brush their teeth and clean their classroom during lunch. Brushing teeth at school is an awesome example of how schools can champion public health. I also really like the sense of responsibility and ownership that is created by having the kids clean.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
No Shoes!
Taking off shoes when entering a building is a really important cultural piece in Korea. At my dental office, at many restaurants, in anyone's home, and at school, I take off my shoes.
Floor cleanliness is historically important in Korea because people spent a lot of time sitting on the floor. Traditionally the heating system comes from below the house, so sitting on the floor was a great way to keep warm in the winter.
Even though all the kids sit in desks, and our schools have central heating the tradition of taking off shoes is is still very strong in Korea. Normally the everyone puts their shoes in a cubby, but it is not unusual to see shoes by the door at school. The kids are supposed to wear slip on sandals inside, but everyday I see kids running around school without any socks or sandals. I worry for them in the winter, because my feet are cold even with my two pairs of socks and slippers. I suppose they're used to it.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Helping
In early October the second grade teacher at Tosan went on medical leave, and my co-teacher was asked to take over the second grade class. The principal asked a meek and nervous woman from the school library to teach English. This poor lady hadn’t taught before, and she was given very little feedback from the previous English teacher about what to do with the kids or where they were at in the curriculum. She showed up to the first class without a plan despite having a few days notice.
On the first day I gave her some pointers about where the kids were at, and what the previous teacher did with them, but I didn’t jump in to help teach. I felt a mean inside because it was clear that this woman was struggling. I could have eased her burden, but I also knew she would become reliant on me. Her reliance would have doubled my work load for the rest of the semester and possibly the rest of my contract. In early October I was still going into school 2 hours early to keep up with the work load I was then carrying. So even though it felt bad watching the substitute’s exasperation I stood by my boundaries and chose not to help teach on her first day.
The next time I saw her teach she had improved tremendously, and by the end of a few weeks she hit her stride. All my guilty feelings about not helping on the first day were completely dissolved by the end of the second day. Teaching is a great learning opportunity, and if I had intervened on the first day, I could have potentially limited a valuable experience for my colleague. I want to continue developing my understanding of when it is appropriate to help, and when “helping” is just interference that doesn’t serve me or others.
On the first day I gave her some pointers about where the kids were at, and what the previous teacher did with them, but I didn’t jump in to help teach. I felt a mean inside because it was clear that this woman was struggling. I could have eased her burden, but I also knew she would become reliant on me. Her reliance would have doubled my work load for the rest of the semester and possibly the rest of my contract. In early October I was still going into school 2 hours early to keep up with the work load I was then carrying. So even though it felt bad watching the substitute’s exasperation I stood by my boundaries and chose not to help teach on her first day.
The next time I saw her teach she had improved tremendously, and by the end of a few weeks she hit her stride. All my guilty feelings about not helping on the first day were completely dissolved by the end of the second day. Teaching is a great learning opportunity, and if I had intervened on the first day, I could have potentially limited a valuable experience for my colleague. I want to continue developing my understanding of when it is appropriate to help, and when “helping” is just interference that doesn’t serve me or others.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
My Schools
I suppose it is time to say a little something about where I work, so here is the first in a series of posts about my schools.
I am placed at two elementary schools, Kama and Tosan. Both schools are named after the tiny towns they serve. The two schools are less than ten minutes apart by car, and each school educates less than 50 students. The biggest class I have at either school is 11 students.
I spend Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at Kama where I am the main English teacher in 12 classes. Fortunately the homeroom teacher is required to co-teach with me. The homeroom teacher helps manage behavior, they translate the harder grammatical points, and they co-lead the games I plan. Monday and Friday I spend at Tosan where there is a full time English teacher. At Tosan, I am more of a classroom assistant than a teacher. I don't have to plan anything; I just show up and make sure the kids are participating. Every day I am free to plan from 2pm to 5pm.
It would be great if teachers in the United States had three hours of planning each day. At the beginning I needed every bit of this planning time, and then some for a mere 12 classes. For the first two months, I came to Kama nearly two hours early. This extra time was really necessary for organizing my classroom and being prepared for lessons. Now I'm a full month ahead in my planning, and I come in later.
My Korean co-teachers don't have as much planning time as I have either because they do much of the paperwork necessary for running a school. Since there are only 6 main teachers in each of my tiny schools, they have a much greater percentage of the paperwork than a teacher would have at a bigger school. All teachers want to be in a bigger city with bigger schools and less paperwork. Therefore the ministry of education requires each teacher to take turns working extra hard in small rural locations.
I am placed at two elementary schools, Kama and Tosan. Both schools are named after the tiny towns they serve. The two schools are less than ten minutes apart by car, and each school educates less than 50 students. The biggest class I have at either school is 11 students.
I spend Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at Kama where I am the main English teacher in 12 classes. Fortunately the homeroom teacher is required to co-teach with me. The homeroom teacher helps manage behavior, they translate the harder grammatical points, and they co-lead the games I plan. Monday and Friday I spend at Tosan where there is a full time English teacher. At Tosan, I am more of a classroom assistant than a teacher. I don't have to plan anything; I just show up and make sure the kids are participating. Every day I am free to plan from 2pm to 5pm.
It would be great if teachers in the United States had three hours of planning each day. At the beginning I needed every bit of this planning time, and then some for a mere 12 classes. For the first two months, I came to Kama nearly two hours early. This extra time was really necessary for organizing my classroom and being prepared for lessons. Now I'm a full month ahead in my planning, and I come in later.
My Korean co-teachers don't have as much planning time as I have either because they do much of the paperwork necessary for running a school. Since there are only 6 main teachers in each of my tiny schools, they have a much greater percentage of the paperwork than a teacher would have at a bigger school. All teachers want to be in a bigger city with bigger schools and less paperwork. Therefore the ministry of education requires each teacher to take turns working extra hard in small rural locations.
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