(27) 90 in 90: Talent Show for Humanity

Last Friday, my school held their annual school festival, a day when both teachers and students take a break from test preparation and thinking about universities to spend a day showing off their talents and having some breathing room to laugh and have some fun.

I really enjoyed attending my school's festival last year. It was fun to watch the same students who I had spent day after day teaching and lecturing to, cut loose and show of their talents and abilities that they would never have the opportunity to demonstrate otherwise in school. Some students sang, some danced, some played an instrument and some put on funny skits.

It was one day to see students for more than their grade level or ability to speak English. It was a chance to see beyond the social constructs we place on them everyday and see their inner self come out for all to see.As much as our school promotes the festival a a time of teachers and students coming together, to me, it was more for the students than anything. It was a day for them to retain and enjoy the naive and carefree time of youth before like many things, becomes lost to responsibility and time.

This year was no different, as students from all three grade levels in our school put on an entertaining and well thought out show. Once again, I saw students who I had only know through strictly academic means show off skills I never knew they had. Again I was treated to some entertaining and sometimes surprising displays of talent. Despite the similar premise, the talent show showcased some very different acts from last year, all of which to be very popular with both the students and the teachers.

This year a majority of the performances were music performances. Some students decided to do a dance to the song "What Does the Fox Say?" complete with costume and dance moves. I'm not sure it went over as well with the older teachers there as it did with the younger crowd, but I found it entertaining and was able to witness firsthand just how far some pop culture can spread.

A few students did musical performances with beat boxing/free style rap and musical performances. Two students caught my attention, one of which did an entire solo cover of the Guns n' Roses song "Sweet Child O' Mine". Another group did a cover of the Muse song "Time is Running Out."

After spending nearly an entire year hearing k pop, hearing my students talk about k pop and feeling that most likely 99% of the population of Korea listens only to k pop, it was an incredibly refreshing experience to hear not only excellent covers of some popular songs that aren't k pop, but to also hear covers of songs that I actually like. I was very pleasantly surprised and found myself singing along and getting into the moment, forgetting my role as a responsible educator and role model and just letting the music get to me and rocking out.

Towards the end of the show, guest bands from Gimcheon Girl's High School performed a great band cover of 2NE1's "Ugly" as well as a performance from one of the mothers who helped out, singing a pop song that seemed to be lost to the students, but received a strong and enthusiastic reaction from the older teachers and staff. Even my vice principal joined in on the fun and took the stage to sing another pop song from his youth. My vice principal is fairly serious guy, who's responsibility to the school and its operation is top priority. Seeing him sing and enjoy himself was another enjoyable sight, showing that even your tough and demanding boss is still just an ordinary guy underneath who has likes, wants and needs just like everyone else.

The main event that most of the students were interested in was the last act of the show. A girl k pop dance group came in and performed several dance routines to the latest popular k pop songs. Even if you know a little bit about k pop, you most likely are aware of the hyper sexual dance moves and model-esque k pop performers that sing and dance to each song.  While this group only did the dancing, it was enough to get an enthusiastic response from the students. I'm certain being stuck at an all boys school and being forced to study all day and night will do this to a young man.

While there were other parts of the school festival*, the talent show was the main highlight and the one that stood out the most in my mind. As much as Korea pushes students to adopt a school regimen of studying and learning and teachers to sacrifice a vast majority of their day to working for the school and keeping busy, the talent show showed us the human side that was can so easily forget once we settle into a daily routine.

It may seem like just a school talent show, just a place for students to goof around and for teachers to have a few hours away from their normal duties, but I still think its much more than that. Its the chance to show us all that without the essence that allows us to live and enjoy our lives, without those little moments that remind us why we are living and the joy and creative freedom that life offers us, we're nothing more than empty husks trapped in a forever repeating cycle of monotony until the day we die.

While its easy to get trapped into this mind set, especially in Korea and especially for future students who seemingly have their futures already made for them, giving them the opportunity to escape from the daily grind, even for one day is a reminder that while you are sometimes just a student, sometimes just a worker and sometimes just another part of society, you are also an individual. You are unique. You stand out. You have talent.

You are human, and that is both a beautiful and wonderful thing.

*more about my school festival in the next post

Snapshots from Teaching: What is Love?

Sometimes my students write about being tired. Sometimes my students write about their future plans.

And sometimes, my students write about crazy fucking love. I can't blame him though. Sometimes, love is fucking crazy.

How I Spent Teacher's Day

Teacher's Day in Korea is a big deal at my school. I would suspect given the importance of education in Korea that other schools place it in high regard as well but, its important enough in my school to warrant students leaving in the afternoon and teachers to have a special lunch of delicious food and lots of alcohol. Like Christmas and Chuseok, its not just an appreciation day, its a holiday.

Like the name suggests, Teacher's Day is a celebration of the teachers who teach the students. A day of giving thanks to the educators of Korea. It's a day where students have to be extra nice to their teachers and a day in which teachers can usually expect a selection of small gifts from their students like handwritten letters, small snacks or flowers.

My school had a entire morning dedicated to the celebration of its teachers. This included students lining up to greet their teachers as they entered the school, a special ceremony hosted by the principal of the school and the complete lack of classes for the entire day. Students were able to leave the school early to take a small break while the teachers were left to dine on a special lunch.

This has been the second teacher's day that I have participated in, but the first one where I truly felt like I was an active participant and worthy of being a part of. Last year was my first year teaching, a year full of rookie mistakes and time spent still attempting to gain the trust and confidence of teachers and students. It felt like an awkward first year of learning and at that point, I had not felt the full appreciation or confidence that a teacher should have.

This year has been different, my confidence in teaching has greatly increased and my relationship with staff and students has also improved. Finally, I feel the confidence and pride to call myself an educator, someone who takes the responsibility of turning young teens into young adults. While I may not always succeed, I have gotten better, and plan on continuing to do so.

I received a had written letter from a student along with a carnation. Throughout the morning students would come up to me to shake my hand and tell me that they enjoyed both my teaching style and kindness towards them. The kind gestures of the students surely cannot be used as some litmus measuring test of teaching efficiency, but it was impossible to deny the small swells of pride and happiness each student brought with them.

The rest of the afternoon was spent eating a special lunch of sashimi and beer with two of my co teachers. It was a great thing to sit down and engage in casual conversation with them, something that I very rarely have the time to do due to our different schedules during the school day. While the day was meant to celebrate teachers, at that table we were just normal people, talking about out jobs and lives, our pasts and possible futures. It was a delightful conversation that left our stomachs full and our heads a little fuzzy from the beer and soju. At this point I have completely gotten over the fact that it is apparently perfectly acceptable to drink alcoholic beverages within a school building without being persecuted by the law.

After the lunch, I went home early. Taking the few hours of free time to let my mind wander and my body rest before starting the whole teaching thing again tomorrow. When I got home I checked my phone to see a text message sent to me from a student.

"Congratulations for Teacher's Day! lol :D"

The perfect ending to a great day.


As long as I'm here, even if they don't always appreciate it and even if they don't always agree, I have to keep trying my hardest. I have to try and make each of these student's futures as bright and full of opportunity as I can within my ability. Even if its one student, in one class, I have to keep on trying.

I have to keep on trying for them, for good students who keep me going and remind me that they are the leaders of the future and that the future may be in good hands after all.

Little Things to Love About Korea

The things I seem to enjoy the most about Korea are the little moments. The unplanned events that begin as random excursions and become nostalgic filled memories later on in life serve as a reminder that our lives, no matter how routine or drab always hold surprises for us when we least expect them. If we keep that positive attitude, if we gravitate towards the interesting and adventurous rather than the pedestrian and routine, we find out selves making new relationships and going to new places where yesterday, you would never think you would end up.

Korea has more than its share of those random adventures that make for entertaining tales to be retold later on. The differences in culture along with the different mentality we adopt when living and working abroad makes for some off beat and varied encounters with people and places. A cynical view may make my amusement at the little things seem like a childish and naive fascination with the world, an optimistic and simplified view on the world at large, but I prefer to look at it in a different way. Where other see frustration  I see a new opportunity for understanding and perspective. Where some claim they will never understand I claim to try my best to understand.

I think to work in Korea, or anywhere not counting your own home turf, you need that sense of wonderment and that attraction to adventure and the what ifs. Working overseas is not for those who wish to have a safe and predictable life. For me and most likely many other foreigners living in Korea, running towards something new will more likely than not garner more rewards than walking.

While there are more than I can possibly list in one tidy post, some of my favorite little/big adventures are things I see or participate in everyday.

I love that the city I live in is small. I know there are days where I would prefer the excitement and relentless pacing of the big city, but living in a smaller, more rural location has its benefits. It's laid back and relaxing, with an area big enough to have distinct areas that differ from one another, but are still easy enough to get to. This is best during the warm summer nights when walking from place to place with only the distant rumble of cars and chirping insects can be heard against a faintly lit city street.

I love that my co teachers this year are young and friendly. I didn't spend a lot of time last year getting to know my co teachers and didn't form any strong or lasting relationships. This year, after only a few days into the semester, I feel like I have a more friendly relationship with my co workers. They are a lot like me, young, needing a job and all together in this little job we call teaching. While still acting professional, I feel like I'm more at ease around them. I can act like a professional young man, one who wishes to break out of his shell every now and then.

I love that there are a lot of new foreign teachers in Gimcheon. Last year I had gotten to know some people pretty well and developed a group of people that I spent time with. This year, there is a larger selection of people from all over the world, each of them bringing with them interesting back stories and reasons for being in Korea. It's always a refreshing way to start a new year by meeting new people. While I can't say with complete conviction the strength of our relationships with one another, I can say they are new and friendly, making each new person met an exciting new encounter.

I love that I finally feel comfortable with teaching. Last year was my first year teaching and while I did a decent job, there were many areas that needed improvement and many time where I didn't always feel confident in what I was doing. Now that I have been here a year, and feel familiar with the way the school operates, I feel like my lessons have really taken a turn for the better. I anxiously look forward to each new class and look forward to how I can build a lesson around new material. While its is still challenging and demanding at time, feeling more comfortable and confident goes a long way to making me a better teacher, and therefore benefiting the students even more than before.

Perhaps its the change in temperature, perhaps its a renewed interest in exploring everything and everyone Korea has to offer, but I can't help but feel excited about every new day. Every day is filled with a new unexpected adventure or inspired conversation waiting to happen. I'm doing the Feris Bueller, and slowing down to pay attention to the finer details and things around me.

So far, I really like what I see.

Photos of some great people from my town

Korea: Year 2

It's time to start again. Time to break out my lesson plans, brush up on my power points and wake up when the normal people do to head to work. After spending a month back home in the states visiting friends and family, my rest period and vacation is over. It's time to come back to Korea. It's time to teach again.

In a way I am excited to be back. The overwhelming sense of dullness and monotony than can come with any job had been replaced with new expectations and hopes for a better year. A new year is essentially a reboot to toss out the awkwardness and rookie mistakes of the first year and the opportunity to improve and make an even better impression on the youth of Korea and their impressionable minds.

I am entirely optimistic in regards to the new additions and changes to our selection of teachers. This year, our school added 11 new teachers, four of which are English teachers. While last year's group of teachers have either moved on to teach in other schools or retire, two of the English teachers were promoted to heads of the English department. Having worked with them for year and seeing where their stand in both their work ethic and stance on education, this is a good choice. 

The new teachers are all young and friendly. After spending only a few hours getting to know them, they all seemed very happy, enthusiastic about teaching and very willing to get to know this foreign teacher a little better. They left a very good first impression and I cannot wait to get to know them more as the year continues on.

My schedule had also been updated as well. Last year, my biggest hurdles came from messages lost in translation and trying to teach material to classes that were not intended to be taught. There were often many time that certain classes were missed or my presence was not necessary due to the messages getting to me too late or in some cases, not at all. My grade three students were entirely focused on preparing for their college entrance exams, and not interested or finding the necessity to learn new material that would not be featured on the exam. This led to mixed messages and sometimes wasted time and resources where they could have been applied in other areas.

My new schedule seems to eliminate the grade three students entirely, instead focusing on the more impressionable students: grades one and two. This would allow me to focus all of my time and energy on students who are constantly learning new material that will eventually be relevant to future testing.

This year also brings forward the new criteria for high school students called NEAT. NEAT is designed to teach students the necessary skills primarily used in speaking, writing and reading. The eventual goal of NEAT is to provide Korean English teachers the requirements and materials needed to teach students necessary English skills with confidence and if necessary, without the need of an English language speaker.

For me, and I suspect other high school teachers taking this seriously, this allows us to cut away the fat and uncertainty of what to teach and instead gives a clear and concise map of what is deemed necessary to teach students in order for them to do well on future testing and university opportunities. It streamlines the necessaries while still allowing flexibility and creative breathing room to teach each class how I see fit. It seems like a comfortable median of compromise between the two and I could not be happier about that.

If there are any warning flags so far, its the lack of teaching or a personal schedule that worries me more than anything. It is the second day of school, the first official day of teaching and I sit here writing this instead of teaching a class. I have yet to receive a schedule of any kind nor any idea of how many classes I will have and when I will have them. While this may seem like a BEST FIRST WORK DAY EVER, this has me slightly worried. 

With the addition of new English teachers at our school bringing the new total to seven including myself and the greater focus on having Korean teachers teach English without assistance, the need for a native English teacher seems limited and at times, unnecessary. Combined with rumors of the major language programs closing up shop in increasingly more cities, the paranoid side of me feels like this year may be my last at my school and whether I want to stay or not may not be left up to my own choices.

However, no matter what happens in the end, it still stands that it is indeed the 'end'. The last part and the last thing I should even be thinking of now. I have a whole year ahead of me and as long as I go forward with the right people and willingness to do well, I think I will be ok. 

It's a brave new world, but its my world. It's a fresh lump of clay, but my hands yearn to get dirty.

I want this year to be great, I want it to be memorable. I want to make this to a great year.

So, I think I'll go do that. 

An epic photo of my school's front door. Actual epicness of school may differ from photo. 

Fall time in Korea

When I was younger, I used to be relatively unbiased when it came to having a favorite season. To me, each season brought a new and refreshing take to the world outside and would always seem to come at a time when things were beginning to become stale. Just when I was becoming tired of the heat, the cool autumn breeze would come to greet me every morning. When I was beginning to tire of the cold and slush that hit me like thousands of needles, the spring would begin to appear and the once grey and cold landscape would begin to show signs of green and the promise of another year.

To an extent I still do appreciate the seasons, they all bring some variety and change that we all need. As I have become older though, and especially since coming to Korea, I have come to appreciate the fall season, my fondness for it increasing every day.

For one thing, I appreciate the cooler weather even more than I did back home. Summers in Indiana could be hot, but in Korea it’s not enough to just be hot, oh no, it’s the blazing sun and the stifling humidity combined that made the simple act of walking to and from school a miserable  experience. Before I had the sense to take a taxi or bus to school, a simple fifteen minute walk early in the morning often left me drenched with sweat and barely able to breathe without taking in a full breath of dry air.  Spending time in Korea had taught me to hate the heat and hate the humidity even more.

With the arrival of autumn the heat and humidity have slowly begun to vanish, making the walks to school much more pleasant and the morning chill in the air a welcome and refreshing wake up call. As much as I dreaded walking outside during the summer, I welcomed the opportunity to spend as much time as possible outside during the fall.

Fall also seems to have the largest amount of holidays and free days in Korea. Chuseok, Korea’s own Thanksgiving takes place during the beginning of October. Since I teach in a high school, a vast majority of time is spent preparing for exams and final projects, making the situation very stressful for teachers and students. I really do not mind as much as it offers a break from teaching classes all through the day and week after week.

I’m spending time having closer and more interactive lessons and conversations. It takes longer to prepare for lessons and sometimes provides a more difficult challenge of delivering higher concept lessons, but the results are much more satisfying. A majority of time for these students is spent studying and preparing for exams. The number of lessons that contribute towards that are much lower than the Korean teachers at my school simply due to the language barrier and the impossible task of being able to explain everything perfectly to them in a language they do not fully understand.

However, I discovered that my efforts are not a waste of time, but rather another series of lessons and things for them to learn. I have striven to teach my students to think critically and think for themselves. I’ve taught them there’s more to learning English than doing well on exams. I have taught them that learning a language is not an ends to a means, but rather a gateway to more opportunity. I tell how I have traveled, the wonderful experiences and people I have met and how my life has changed for the better since I began my journey overseas. I try to teach them that happiness is not always achieved in life through success, but personal goals. I try to teach them that it is sometimes appropriate and necessary to fail.

I seem to enjoy everything more in the fall. I enjoy going out a night more. I enjoy spending time with people more and I seem to be in a better mood on a more consistent basis.

It may not have the Halloween costumes, apple cider or drives down a leaf strewn road like back home, but I’m still finding ways to enjoy the season in my own unique way.

Happy Fall everyone. May it last until the winter season. 

The perks of having a school nestled in the mountains: beautiful scenery