And then...out of nowhere....A TYPHOON!

Oh yes, it hit last night.  In all its rain-pouring, high-winding, power-lines-downing, window shattering fury.  It was the first typhoon this Iowa boy had ever had the privelege to experience.  And in the true style of a midwesterner greeting a powerful storm, I woke up, thought "oh, it's raining now", and went back to sleep.  Life-altering.  I'm humbled.

Well, now that the big news is out of the way, I can say with certainty this time that I am a teacher.  I was asked on an Alien registration form what my occupation was, and I put Teacher.  Not as my summer job, not as my what-I-want-to-be-when-I-grow-up, not as a facetious comment about the OBVIOUS disregard the government must have for our education system when tax dollars are being squandered in the bureacracy (maybe I should be a political blogger instead of a travel/teaching blogger.  To give my brain a rest for a while.)  But either way, I am a teacher now.  Jeff-teacher.  I kinda like the ring of that. 

Anyway.

A breakdown of my classes.  I teach between five and seven hours of class per day, with students between ages three and fourteen.  My biggest class is sixteen students, and my smallest class is three.  My students' skill levels range from those who can barely speak their native tongue to those who are conversationally fluent and working on their accent.  I literally teach the highest and lowest level classes at the institute.

One/two lesson plans per day?  not happening.

Kindergarten is by far the worst.  Because Koreans count their age differently, some of these kindergarteners are three years old.  Songs, games, arts, crafts, all the time.  Intellection discussions?  say bye-bye!

The highest level class is a pet project by my supervisor.  (which I get a bonus for teaching.  This in no way reflects my upcoming glowing review of this class) He calls them his "team".  This class is wonderful to teach- very responsive, always willing to communicate, and they're strikingly good.  Their skill level makes me actually feel ashamed of the US education system.
Did I get you there?  Did you think I was looking down on us?  Psych.  Our high-level students speak english MUCH better than them.  "But Jeff-teacher", you say, "not a fair comparison.  It's a foreign language for them, and it's our native tongue!" 
Well, the world's not fair.  South Korea has realized something:  English is the way to success in the world, because of America.  Americans should stop trying to pretend all languages are of equal value.  Koreans need to learn English to be a part of our success in the world- we don't need to learn Korean.

I found a GREAT place to learn Korean, by the way, because I need to really badly.  I've been told they offer free lessons to anyone who wants to learn, and that will really help further my growth and ability to succeed in this career/country/life.  Saturday mornings.  Sign me up.

I learned quite a bit about my supervisor this week.  He's an army veteran, wounded, on pension for life.  Korean wounded vets get the following for life:
Free bus fare
Free subway
Free education (including college) for their children
Free medical bills
Free pharmacy
Free gas for their vehicles
50% off opera tickets
...and much much more!  (including a payment every month)
Wow.  What a deal.  In all seriousness, I do like this system.
ALSO ("arso", according to my students.  That thing about stereotypes?  They're always true.)
Two years miliatary service is MANDATORY for all males ages 21(?)-25, with minor exceptions.  Part of combat training is attaining black belt qualification in Tae Kwon Do. 
TRAVELER TIP:  looking to get in a bar fight?  Do it in London.  For the love of God, do not do it in Seoul.  They will beat the crap out of you.

One more thing about my supervisor- I found out today that teaching is his hobby, he doesn't need this job.  As the story goes, he once bet some of his military money on a horse race, and won.  He then bet more.  And he got very good, and kept winning.  And now, for all of Korea, he is the number-two horse race gambler (not a wholesome trottin' race, no, but a race where they sit down right on the horse!).  He's going to take me to a horserace sometime.  Be excited for me.
Hopefully my co-workers will take me out to a bar or club this weekend.  There's a karaoke place right next to my apartment...from what I HEAR, excitement awaits.

Adventurrrrrre is out theeeeerrrrrrrre!

'Til next time!
Jeff-teacher