Wow, has a month really gone by? The weeks have been smearing together, like it does whenever you get settled into a routine, a seesaw of daily habits and events.
The 7-year-olds have graduated and a school year has ended. Thus begins a new school year at B-i English School and a new challenge for us teachers – teaching English to kids who have never spoken or read English before, let alone know their ABC’s. This is the real teaching that I expected to do when I came to Korea.
Half of the kids are returning to complete their B-i education and the other half are brand-spanking new to the life of “going to school.” I anticipate many crying episodes, many “what’s the matter?”s with the kids hyperventilating with snotty noses not understanding a word I’m saying. Some kids don’t have American names yet so I’m sure there will also be many blank stares.
I have been teaching for almost 3 months and what I have learned is that I am not meant to be a teacher. I don’t think I’m a bad teacher (come on, I gotta encourage myself if I’m going to make it through the whole year), but teaching is just not for me. How come no one ever says that in their blog about being an ESL teacher? Some people have the gift and the patience and the energy, and some people – like ah-hem, me, – craves peace and a silent work area.
That being said, I try to consider the job as a job and take advantage of the culture and opportunities when I have free time. Side trips to other countries aren’t a bad distraction either. A recent trip to Hong Kong for the Lunar New Year is such an example (which unfortunately rained the whole time we were there, but we got to go on a helicopter ride!! woo hoo!!).
minikristen
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March 1, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Sherry Bakhtiar
It is so great to hear from you. Sounds like things are challenging, exciting and different. We miss all miss you a lot. Everybody talks so highly about you.
Winter was though. We are ready for for Spring. I send you my best thoughts
March 6, 2010 at 12:52 pm
minikristen
It’s nice to hear from you Sherry! Hope your business is going well!
May 11, 2010 at 7:17 pm
John Belden
Hi Kristen,
I’m an ESL teacher in Laos and have been here going on 9 years. Before that, I was braving the cold subfreezing temperatures in Mongolia for 6 years. That included learning to do Boy Scout things like cooking on wood-burning stoves (or more like dung-burning) without electricity and water for 4 months. That was the worst. There were other locations where I taught in Mongolia that at least had electricity.
I thought I was not meant to be a teacher either because I graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1966 and just began teaching in 1994 – my first assignment in Mongolia. I changed because I didn’t want to be an engineer all my life. I didn’t expect to end up teaching English, however, because English was one of my worst subjects in high school and college. As a native English speaker, one can always speak the language but it’s far different when teaching it. I’m sure you have found that out. When I began teaching ESL, I thoroughly enjoyed helping non-English-speaking people learn a language that is considered to be, or getting to be, the international language of the world. That’s the way I look at teaching English – helping people rather than a job. I’ve learned many things in that past 15 years or so in how to teach and am still learning.
One thing that I must admit, however, is that I don’t envy you teaching such young kids like that and agree that it takes a lot of patience, and I might add flexibility, to teach someone that doesn’t know the first thing about English, much less speaking it. I teach university students at the National University of Laos, and they are easier to handle than 7-year olds, so I take my hat off to you and understand that you need more patience. That can cause you to wonder if you really are meant to be a teacher of any sort. One thing that helps me enjoy the students is the things they say when they write or speak – things like “When I get to class, I take off my clothes,” (Mongolian student – teacher-to-be), or “When I get home from school, I get undressed and play volleyball with my sister” (Lao university student); or the time I taught Business English in Mongolia and had my students form their own company. I asked my students, on their final exam, to describe their company. One student, in describing hers, said that “I have sex employees.” There are many other comments I’ve heard and chuckle at, even the author of those comments.
On the other hand, the students have a good laugh, too, when their non-native Lao speaker says something in Lao in the wrong tone which causes both parties to be embarrassed. For example, there are 3 tones to the Lao word, “ma” – the high level tone means ‘come,’ the rising tone means ‘bitch,’ and the dropping tone means ‘horse.’ One day, I was waiting for the university bus that was to take me, as well as others, home. When I saw the bus coming, I said to one of the Lao women who was a friend (thank goodness!), “Luk (the name of the driver) bitch (the wrong tone).” What I obviously meant to say was, “Luk comes,” but the tone didn’t come out right! Embarrassing but it provided a good laugh, and a language lesson as well.
Well, enough of my babbling. I just want to encourage you not to give up because the people, whether kids, university students, or workers, really appreciate the fact that you have traveled from a far country to give up privileges to help them learn so they can participate in the global economy either now or at a future time. Those kids that you teach are the future leaders of South Korea. You never know who you will teach now that will be an important official or company executive, or other prominent person because you gave up something to devote your time to help. That’s why I enjoy teaching. Engineering was challenging. Teaching ESL to non-English speakers is not only challenging but rewarding and satisfying as well. I wish you all the best in your challenge.
Best wishes,
John Belden
October 7, 2010 at 9:01 pm
sbimagingphoto@aol.com
Dear Kristen:
How are you. It has been a while since I heard from you. I hope that all is fine and that you are doing great. When are you coming back?
We all miss you