A New School Year

March marked the beginning of the new 2013 school year.  The school year usually runs from March to December with a short summer break in August and a longer winter break.  But most of my students study and go to school camps and academies, even during their vacation! 

I am still teaching at the same schools as last year, Seongsin Elementary (Monday~Thursday) and Sinbang Elementary (Friday).  Thankfully, Sinbang was able to stay open due to advertising and government funding.  They have made some changes to the school; we got a new playground and a brand new teachers’ bathroom!  It is still a very small school (only about 20 students from kindergarten to 6th grade).

It is common for teachers to switch classes within the school or change schools every year.  There were quite a few teachers that left at the end of the school year.  Some teachers left for maternity leave, sick leave, to fulfill their military requirement, to work at a school closer to their home, etc.  And a lot of teachers change grades within the school.  Mrs. Kang who was teaching 6th grade last year is now teaching 4th grade.  Ms. Shim, who was a regular 5th grade teacher, is still a 5th grade teacher but now she is also the head 5th grade teacher. 

At my school, each grade has about 2-3 classes with 25-30 students in each class.  My school is in a more rural part of Cheonan; some schools have up to 12 classes per grade!  The classes are numbered by grade and by class number.  Ms. Shim teaches the 5-1 class.  Since she is also the head teacher, she is in charge of all the 5th grade teachers and classes.  There are 6 head teachers, one for each grade.  They have more responsibilities than the regular homeroom teachers.  This hierarchy is evident in most Korean schools.  From lowest to highest, this is the usual rank: after school teachers & teachers’ assistants < subject & homeroom teachers < head teachers < Head Teacher (in charge of all teachers) < vice principal < principal < school board, etc.  Switching teachers around each year helps teachers share the work load and responsibilities.  It also  enables them to experience teaching different grades and age groups.

This year, I have the privilege of working with Ms. Cho.  She was the 6-2 teacher last year.  She is a very sweet lady and a Christian.  This is my first time working with a Christian teacher since coming to Korea.  She has several responsibilities and gets very busy but I enjoy the little time I get to spend with her outside of class time.  I have enjoyed talking to her about God and how our beliefs enable us to see students through God’s eyes. 

A new school year brings many hellos and some goodbyes too.  I said goodbye to my 6th grade students last year.  I was sad to see them go but I was so proud to see them graduate.  Also, I have a new set of 3rd graders.  They are so cute and sweet.  I am somewhat of a novelty to them and they get excited when they see me, which is refreshing.  I am excited to see what blessings and challenges God brings this year.

My First Year as a Teacher

I don’t have enough time or space to write everything about my first year as a teacher but I will give a quick overview.  I am what is called a Native English Teacher (NET).  There are usually 1 or more Korean English teachers.  I work with the Korean teacher in and out of the classroom.  My relationship and interactions with the Korean English Teacher (KET) affect not only the two of us but also the students, the atmosphere of the classroom and the workplace.  The relationship between co-teachers can make or break the classroom.  I’ve even heard this kind of relationship described as a marriage.

Over the past year, I have seen several teachers come and go.  It is not typical to have so many different teachers in such a short span of time but for whatever reason, this happened at my school last year.  My first head English teacher, Ms. Lee, left mid-year and I taught on my own for a month.  That month was both very rewarding and stressful.  I enjoyed teaching and having my own classroom but the language barrier created some difficulties.  Both the students and I got frustrated when we didn’t understand each other.  When communication failed, I used hand motions and the little Korean I knew to help me out.

There were a couple temporary (or substitute) teachers that came through.  One teacher, Ms.  Shim, was very sweet but after a few weeks, she became one of the 5th grade teachers at my school.  Then Lanessa came and taught the rest of the semester with me.  I got to know her pretty well.  We enjoyed talking and spending time together, in school and outside of school.  Her contract was temporary so she stayed till the end of the school year and then left.  It seemed like a roller coaster with teachers in and out and each time was like starting over, acquainting myself with the teachers personally and with their styles in the classroom.

As I reflect on the past year, I see how God brought each teacher into the classroom.  Each teacher had a different level of English fluency and each had a different teaching style.  Sometimes it was harder work to communicate well  because of the language and cultural barrier; other times, it was deciding which methods and activities would best benefit the students’ learning.  All in all, I gained a lot from each teacher.  I learned more about Korean culture and I learned from their teaching styles.

Since my call to become a teacher, I had imagined having my own classroom and teaching by myself.  Last year, I wondered why I was required to have a co-teacher and thought maybe I was too inadequate to teach on my own.  But, as God has been showing me over the past year, co-teaching is a both a blessing and a calling.  Building relationships, good communication, patience, compromise all go into being a good co-teacher.  God has placed these co-teachers in my life to mold me into a better teacher and person and to plant seeds of His love and grace into their hearts.