Predictibility is Boring

Opie (a korean guy) also said my head is like texas - no plants (no hair) and no animals...and VERY BIG

Monday Dec. 21^st

8:33 A.M

According to Friday, the 18^th….I’ll know nothing what kind of teaching I’m looking at during the ‘vacation.’ (don’t forget the air quoting)…

8:43 A.M

Oh how I hate it when my co-teacher’s on the phone – looking at me, saying my name…

에 따르면 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 금요일, 알고 있는 어떤 가르침을 바라보고 있어를 방학 동안겠습니다."(을 잊지 말Mike을 인용해 공기 오는 걸 보면 직장 동료와 교사 전화를 - 내 얼굴을 보면서 얼 어떤 가(miker teacher)르침을 바라보고 굴을 보면서

8:58 A.M

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, nothing yet…gotta teach!

12:44 P.M

Good lunch, still no word! No worries, just a bit nervous. Here, look at pics between Mokpo and Seoul, good train trip!

Still no idea about January…

3:44 P.M

Hahhaha, ohhh poor homegirl. So she comes over to me with a piece of paper, written WORD for WORD about what she wants to get across to me. The exact transcript of our conversation I feel so bad, so, so bad.

Poor, poor girl.

Anyway, I’ve commendered the piece of paper that she wrote down what to say to me. She just left to go give my new schedule to the Principal.

Mike,

Are you busy now? I am sorry to say, but our principal has decided on a different plan that you and I have chosen to take. I feel very bad to say this on you but its time to deliver the news. Please don’t hate him or me, but you must have a mandatory teaching time in January. The Vice Principal said you must teach 2 and a half weeks, he said like that. I’m sorry, but I hope we can work an out.

…sigh.

Oh well, what are ya gonna do? Now, for the days that I'm not teaching. Do i have those days off? Am I staying from 9-5 but only teaching from 10 to 12:30....?

(its hard not to love it here)

Tuesday Dec. 22^nd

12:22 P.M

Poor kid, he’s been ‘chosen’ to compete in the district wide English Speaking Test. Homegirl didn’t know about it til 3:30 yesterday and she asked me to write out a dialog for him. I made it as simple as I could and everything would be perfect.

Well homegirl wanted something harder.

And he had to memorize it…

And I have to come up with 26 to 32 lesson plans in a week and a half.

And go to a conference…

Sigh, now they want me to teach 3^rd graders…

Make that 40 lesson plans in a week and a half.

Or lots, and LOTS of hangman.

3:13 P.M

Woah, so after an interesting day to say the least. Looks like I have to teach from Jan 14^th til Jan 29^th. Still no idea yet, I could end up teaching the 3^rd graders from Jan 3 til the 6^th. Still no idea, but I’ve been lesson planning for 3 hours.

Trying to get ready, for something…not that I know what it is?

3:58: P.M

Apparently there’s a new and old contract now. Hopefully my school doesn’t expect me to sign into a new contract, but they (national offices) are trying to make all the proviences do the same thing. So I may have a new contract….hmmmm.

Honestly I can’t say I’m that worried about it. I just expect 26 days off in February, my pay – my rent paid, and a bonus at the end of the year. And the 22 hours of teaching a week, as I signed into.

In America, lots to expect, Korea…could be the same pretty soon…:-\

Here's my take on it all:

At the end of the day though, I’m having a hard time bitching about not having January off. I came over here to teach, and figured I’d be doing it. Besides, predictability is boring…I wanna see how far I can be pushed in a Korean classroom. Teaching alone is one thing, but for 2.5 weeks, could be another. Plus, no co-teacher...or CD to go off of. All me...There is only one way to find out if I can handle it/do it…

I’m ok with teaching, just don’t take away my ‘mandatory vacationing time.’ This is crazy, but fun. I feel weird complaining about what I do here.

I see the private teacher’s who’ve got 10 days off the ENTIRE year. They also don’t have a co-teacher, or a curriculum to work with. They’ve gotta do what I just did all day – for a year. Its hard to bitch when ya hear some of their stories. Friend of mine just got fired from her job because no one liked her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world. We’ll just see what happens over the next few days – it’ll be fun!

Sunday Dec. 27^th

Ok so I’ve got the next week and a half off, not as I assumed…I’d be teaching. I thought.

Right before I left Friday, I was told I AM teaching 3rd graders, but for the week I was going to teach 6th graders. So now I must re-lesson plan...I like to push these kids, but thats a bit much.

I’m stuck with the old contract, which is a good thing.

Apparently there will be no more suprises.

We’ll see…