Lucky for you all, I can never sleep the night before I travel. As such, I will bring you a few insomnia induced photos from third and fourth grade Harry Potter English Camp ie: The Best/Cutest Thing Ever.
See what I mean??
Showing posts with label students. Show all posts
Showing posts with label students. Show all posts
Friday, July 29, 2011
How could I not?
Lucky for you all, I can never sleep the night before I travel. As such, I will bring you a few insomnia induced photos from third and fourth grade Harry Potter English Camp ie: The Best/Cutest Thing Ever.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A day that I love my job.
Almost done with Summer English Camps and, in honor of a really splendid day, I bring you....
What Emily Teacher and her 3rd graders do
when they are not pretending to be wizards:
2 days 'til Cambodia!
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
에밀리
Friday, July 22, 2011
Some things have no cultural boundaries...
And, as it turns out, making pirate ships out of cardboard boxes is one of those things...
I just finished teaching my first round of English camps, which were just fab. So much work but also so much fun. Lest you be concerned, we also did other things.... like make pizza, and turn ourselves into sea monsters. Remember how this is my job ?? nbd.
언녕하새요, from Banji English Camp! One week until Cambodia and Vietnam!!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
TwinkleTown MusiCAL.
Ok.
Confession Number 1 slash Exhibit A of "Weird things happen when I don't have roommates to talk to"..... I just did this for a good 10 minutes..
Confession number 2....I am psychic.
See, you all thought I was simply filling this here blog with the random goings on and bits of fluff within my brain. What you didn't know is that I am very in tune with all of your dearest hopes, dreams, desires and worries. For example, as you read this I am fairly certain my fam (read: parents) are already loosing sleep over the potential food born ailments I may contract during my next summer adventure in South East Asia. The rest of you, I am sure, are loosing sleep over far more important issues. What exactly am I doing at 2pm every Wednesday, for example.
My parents, most unfortunately, will have to wait some months before their burden of worry is lifted. For the rest of you however, whose deepest desire is to know how I spend my humpday afternoons, I have prepared a little gift.
Wednesdays are rough by all accounts. I teach four (or sometimes all five) of my 5th grade classes, whose behavior generally leaves something to be desired. I spend large portions of my day tapping my marker against to board, waiting for the entire class to respond to "How many fingers am I holding up?" and staring at my classes in annoyed silence while those students who would like to learn some English marshal the rest of the class. Basically my nightmare fourth graders from last semester have graduated to nightmare fifth graders, some of which have literally NO idea what I am talking about as they haven't paid attention for the last two years of English class. Not Awesome, to say the least.
The silver lining, icing on the pile of poop, BEST THING EVER, about my Wednesday's, however, is a real gem. At approximately 1:50pm each third day of the week, Juha and I lock up our office and head to the yellow room for "English Musical Class."
Yeah. That's right. Me. Musical. Teacher.
Awesome. Horrible. Ridiculous. Wonderful.
I will say it took a while to get over my initial fit of giggles and bout of horror from being told I would be teaching "Musical" class, after which I attempted to explain to Juha that my extensive itunes musical library does not mean that A. I know ANYTHING about musicals or B. I have ANY musical talent. But, initial reactions and self-doubt aside, English Musical is THE BEST CLASS EVERRR.
Basically, I spend an hour with around ten of my favorite 4th-6th grade students, all of whom are super enthusiastic, all of whom WANT to be there, and all of whom speak quasi (elementary) conversational English. We practice scenes and songs from a bizarro Korean elementary adapted version of "The Wizard of Oz" during which the students some how manage to change their roles ever week. It's really just a grand old time.
This week I took advantage of my role as director and decided to film a few of the scenes after one or two rounds of practice. The hope was to have to students take it somewhat seriously, and to use the tapes next week before working out stage directions (or whatever they are called).
So, my friends, with out further adiue, I bring you scenes four and five from Banji English Musical Class presents "The Wizard of OZ."
Confession Number 1 slash Exhibit A of "Weird things happen when I don't have roommates to talk to"..... I just did this for a good 10 minutes..
Confession number 2....I am psychic.
See, you all thought I was simply filling this here blog with the random goings on and bits of fluff within my brain. What you didn't know is that I am very in tune with all of your dearest hopes, dreams, desires and worries. For example, as you read this I am fairly certain my fam (read: parents) are already loosing sleep over the potential food born ailments I may contract during my next summer adventure in South East Asia. The rest of you, I am sure, are loosing sleep over far more important issues. What exactly am I doing at 2pm every Wednesday, for example.
My parents, most unfortunately, will have to wait some months before their burden of worry is lifted. For the rest of you however, whose deepest desire is to know how I spend my humpday afternoons, I have prepared a little gift.
Wednesdays are rough by all accounts. I teach four (or sometimes all five) of my 5th grade classes, whose behavior generally leaves something to be desired. I spend large portions of my day tapping my marker against to board, waiting for the entire class to respond to "How many fingers am I holding up?" and staring at my classes in annoyed silence while those students who would like to learn some English marshal the rest of the class. Basically my nightmare fourth graders from last semester have graduated to nightmare fifth graders, some of which have literally NO idea what I am talking about as they haven't paid attention for the last two years of English class. Not Awesome, to say the least.
The silver lining, icing on the pile of poop, BEST THING EVER, about my Wednesday's, however, is a real gem. At approximately 1:50pm each third day of the week, Juha and I lock up our office and head to the yellow room for "English Musical Class."
Yeah. That's right. Me. Musical. Teacher.
Awesome. Horrible. Ridiculous. Wonderful.
I will say it took a while to get over my initial fit of giggles and bout of horror from being told I would be teaching "Musical" class, after which I attempted to explain to Juha that my extensive itunes musical library does not mean that A. I know ANYTHING about musicals or B. I have ANY musical talent. But, initial reactions and self-doubt aside, English Musical is THE BEST CLASS EVERRR.
Basically, I spend an hour with around ten of my favorite 4th-6th grade students, all of whom are super enthusiastic, all of whom WANT to be there, and all of whom speak quasi (elementary) conversational English. We practice scenes and songs from a bizarro Korean elementary adapted version of "The Wizard of Oz" during which the students some how manage to change their roles ever week. It's really just a grand old time.
This week I took advantage of my role as director and decided to film a few of the scenes after one or two rounds of practice. The hope was to have to students take it somewhat seriously, and to use the tapes next week before working out stage directions (or whatever they are called).
So, my friends, with out further adiue, I bring you scenes four and five from Banji English Musical Class presents "The Wizard of OZ."
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
에밀리
Sunday, May 22, 2011
A funk and a few stories
You want the good and the bad right...
Ok. Fine. I'll be honest. I am having a moment.
It's just one of those days where the easiest thing to do would be to lay in my bed and not talk to anyone. I'm feeling lethargic, and grumpy, and jittery, and anxious all at once. And I have a headache.
It's been raining for two days, I haven't been running, and my internet isn't working. Also, my baby brother is turning 21 in one week and all my siblings/cousins/Logan as an honorary cousin are together to celebrate. And, what is most likely the cause of my less then stellar current sense of self, I think I am getting my period. Sorry boys.
SO, while I do my best to pull myself out of the funk, at which point I promise I will give my trip to Busan its just attention, I will leave you with two stories from the last week or so.
[Edit: I started writing this downer a few days ago. As of now, I'm feeling MUCH better after a few days of sleep, some sunshine, finishing an anxiety inducing book, and a few good chats over coffee and beers. So, no need for concern, funk effectively combated, ready for another week of sunshine and school, and promising to eventually fill you in on Busan. For now, however....}
Here we go...
Rewind to a few weeks ago. As the school day is winding down, a middle aged Koran woman whom I have never seen before walks into our little English office. The woman, laden with shiny bags, reaches into one and produces three larg-ee rice cakes, or 떡. Juha, Ms. Kim and I each receive a Saran-wrapped brick of glutinus rice cake "deliciousness," and the women begins chattering rapidly, and comfortably with Ms. Kim. I assume the woman is a friend, shoot her a quick "감사핲니다" and return to my lessons (or, just as likely, random internet content).
The mystery woman and my co-teacher literally hug-it-out, then the woman gives Ms. Kim a few of her bags, and continues to dig into another before producing armfuls of what appear to be cosmetic sample boxes. My first impulse is that this woman, like my own dearest Bubbie, likes to collect and disperse said samples; but, I soon realized that this was the Korean equivalent of a Mary Kay sales woman. Apparently one who is really tight with my co-teacher.
On this day, said MK-lady was dropping of an order placed by Ms. Kim and brought along a few samples to share. A few boxes of various sizes and colors were passed my way at which point I, being generally weary of Korean cosmetics (given their desire to bleach my skin to a more desirable milky white) smiled, threw out another "Thank you!" and tossed the boxes in my bag to be disposed of at a later date.
Ms. Kim however, knowing of my own [lack of] Korean knowledge, set out to make sure I know exactly what each item was. For about fifteen minuets we discussed the various products, during which time I learned to following.
Basically, Ms. Kim is hysterical and awesome and generally does look out for me, even if these acts of friendship sometimes manifest in unexpected ways.
An unrelated detail is that Yejin is about 5 months pregnant (though still significantly more svelt than I) and has recently confided in me that since becoming pregnant she can no longer eat kimchi because it makes her sick. This is just about the most unfortunate side effect ever given our current location. Only 4 more months home-girl!
Alright, had enough? If so, the tiny red 'X' in the corner of this screen is calling your name. If, however, you haven't quite quenched your thirst for knowledge of life in the ROK, I've got one more for you and, if I do say so myself, it's a gem.
Not only was last week Parent's day in the ROK, filling the streets and shop windows with sickening amounts of carnations, it was also Teacher's Day!! Wooohooo!!!! Ollehhhh 산생님!!!!! As a result, I was gifted various boxes of hand cream, was summoned out of my office for rice cakes, watermelon, and aloe drink with the 5th and 6th grade teachers, and (most importantly) received the following note addressed very clearly to 에밀리쌤, 핀크룸 (Eh-Mi-Li-Saem, Pin-kuh-Room)
See any problem? Oh right. Maybe you forgot. I don't speak Korea. Or rather, I don't speak anywhere near enough Korean to decifer this note on the off chance it doesn't say, "My name is Emily. I am an English teacher. I am American. I am 23 years old. How much is it? I would like two chamchi-kimbap please. I cannot eat rice because I have a stomach ache. Teacher, one more time!1,2,3,4,5,6,7..." You get the idea.
Seeing as the note was delivered by one of my sweetest and most talkative sixth graders, albeit one who speaks little to no English besides to say "Teacher! White hair!" every now and then and totally confuse me each and every time, I enlisted the help of Ms. Kim to tell me what we were working with. This is, roughly, what my student would like me to know on Teachers Day...
On that note, and with the full knowledge the note could just as easily say "Emily teacher! You are so fat! You are 300 lbs!", I am going to take my skinny and beautiful self to get a snack.
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
Ok. Fine. I'll be honest. I am having a moment.
It's just one of those days where the easiest thing to do would be to lay in my bed and not talk to anyone. I'm feeling lethargic, and grumpy, and jittery, and anxious all at once. And I have a headache.
It's been raining for two days, I haven't been running, and my internet isn't working. Also, my baby brother is turning 21 in one week and all my siblings/cousins/Logan as an honorary cousin are together to celebrate. And, what is most likely the cause of my less then stellar current sense of self, I think I am getting my period. Sorry boys.
SO, while I do my best to pull myself out of the funk, at which point I promise I will give my trip to Busan its just attention, I will leave you with two stories from the last week or so.
[Edit: I started writing this downer a few days ago. As of now, I'm feeling MUCH better after a few days of sleep, some sunshine, finishing an anxiety inducing book, and a few good chats over coffee and beers. So, no need for concern, funk effectively combated, ready for another week of sunshine and school, and promising to eventually fill you in on Busan. For now, however....}
Here we go...
Rewind to a few weeks ago. As the school day is winding down, a middle aged Koran woman whom I have never seen before walks into our little English office. The woman, laden with shiny bags, reaches into one and produces three larg-ee rice cakes, or 떡. Juha, Ms. Kim and I each receive a Saran-wrapped brick of glutinus rice cake "deliciousness," and the women begins chattering rapidly, and comfortably with Ms. Kim. I assume the woman is a friend, shoot her a quick "감사핲니다" and return to my lessons (or, just as likely, random internet content).
The mystery woman and my co-teacher literally hug-it-out, then the woman gives Ms. Kim a few of her bags, and continues to dig into another before producing armfuls of what appear to be cosmetic sample boxes. My first impulse is that this woman, like my own dearest Bubbie, likes to collect and disperse said samples; but, I soon realized that this was the Korean equivalent of a Mary Kay sales woman. Apparently one who is really tight with my co-teacher.
On this day, said MK-lady was dropping of an order placed by Ms. Kim and brought along a few samples to share. A few boxes of various sizes and colors were passed my way at which point I, being generally weary of Korean cosmetics (given their desire to bleach my skin to a more desirable milky white) smiled, threw out another "Thank you!" and tossed the boxes in my bag to be disposed of at a later date.
Ms. Kim however, knowing of my own [lack of] Korean knowledge, set out to make sure I know exactly what each item was. For about fifteen minuets we discussed the various products, during which time I learned to following.
- Ms. Kim thinks that I am totally crazy to think that Korean face products often contain bleaching cream. I beg to differ based on the number of times I have been handed samples reading (in English) "Whitening Cream," by screaming cosmetic sales girls.
- One of the products was "just make-up. There is no color, It is just make up." Which leads me to believe that Ms Kim's knowledge of cosmetic terms is not 100% accurate. But, again, I forgive. Especially as I cannot produce the Korean word for "make-up," or "lotion," or "color" for that matter.
- One of the boxes gifted to me contained a small spray bottle of clear liquid. Ms. Kim had some difficulty trying to explain it's use. Google translate provided little insight as to what it may be given the direct translation of the label is "Milky Way." At this point the "bleaching cream" alarms are blaring my my brain; but, not to worry, we figured it out eventually. The little bottle, it turns out, contained a special hand sanitizer made from silver. Yeah. I said it. Silver. Apparently, it is very special. Not only can you spray the sanitizer on your hands, face, or in the surrounding air to ward off icky pesky germs, you can also ... wait for it... DRINK a small amount of said sanitizer to kill the germs within when you are feeling a bit under the weather. Yeah. Right. Sure. Into the bag (and nowhere near my digestive tract) you go.
Basically, Ms. Kim is hysterical and awesome and generally does look out for me, even if these acts of friendship sometimes manifest in unexpected ways.
An unrelated detail is that Yejin is about 5 months pregnant (though still significantly more svelt than I) and has recently confided in me that since becoming pregnant she can no longer eat kimchi because it makes her sick. This is just about the most unfortunate side effect ever given our current location. Only 4 more months home-girl!
Alright, had enough? If so, the tiny red 'X' in the corner of this screen is calling your name. If, however, you haven't quite quenched your thirst for knowledge of life in the ROK, I've got one more for you and, if I do say so myself, it's a gem.
Not only was last week Parent's day in the ROK, filling the streets and shop windows with sickening amounts of carnations, it was also Teacher's Day!! Wooohooo!!!! Ollehhhh 산생님!!!!! As a result, I was gifted various boxes of hand cream, was summoned out of my office for rice cakes, watermelon, and aloe drink with the 5th and 6th grade teachers, and (most importantly) received the following note addressed very clearly to 에밀리쌤, 핀크룸 (Eh-Mi-Li-Saem, Pin-kuh-Room)
See any problem? Oh right. Maybe you forgot. I don't speak Korea. Or rather, I don't speak anywhere near enough Korean to decifer this note on the off chance it doesn't say, "My name is Emily. I am an English teacher. I am American. I am 23 years old. How much is it? I would like two chamchi-kimbap please. I cannot eat rice because I have a stomach ache. Teacher, one more time!1,2,3,4,5,6,7..." You get the idea.
Seeing as the note was delivered by one of my sweetest and most talkative sixth graders, albeit one who speaks little to no English besides to say "Teacher! White hair!" every now and then and totally confuse me each and every time, I enlisted the help of Ms. Kim to tell me what we were working with. This is, roughly, what my student would like me to know on Teachers Day...
Emily Teacher,You know what Sung Weon, even though you don't speak English (and even though I have met the former NET and can guarantee he was not 260-330 lbs) A+ in the teacher love category.
Hello, I can only write in Korean. Please have Juha Teacher translate. I am Shin Sung Weon, I am in class 6-3. Please remember my name. You are so pretty teacher. Most Americans are very fat but you are not fat. You are slim. You are so pretty. You will laugh. When you smile and laugh you make the man love you. When I was in 5th grade my native teacher was very fat, and all my native teachers were fat. Maybe they were 150kg? or 120kg? Very fat. But you are not fat. Thank you because you teach me English and make me interesting. Now I will draw your face.
Bye-Bye
From, Sung Weon
On that note, and with the full knowledge the note could just as easily say "Emily teacher! You are so fat! You are 300 lbs!", I am going to take my skinny and beautiful self to get a snack.
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
Monday, May 16, 2011
At last, the missing piece.
You know, I always thought the Beaver Waddle/Fun Run/Spring Fling were missing something...
The missing piece, it seems, was waiting all along, halfway around the world, in South Korea.
What is this illusive ingredient? The one thing that brings it all together? The coco in the chili, the vanilla in the french toast, the nutmeg in everything?
The answer is this, plain and simple...Choreography.
While I have only fleeting memories of the Willow Grove Beaver Waddle and Ivy Hall Fun Run, and slightly more accurate recollections of my high schools annual Spring Fling, I can say for certain there was no school wide choreography to be seen. Yes a pep rally was involved at the high school level and we may or may not have done some stretching in the early years; but, most of my memories involve a sort of Beaver t-shirt clad free-for-all ending when the first two students from each class got to pick up the Gatorade and bring it to their meeting place. (I got to do it in the fourth grade. Just saying.)
Sports Day in Korea is no Beaver Waddle, it is a different animal all together. Some sort of Godzilla-My Little Pony hybrid, if I had to say. And it. is. awesome.
After having my teaching schedule disrupted, altered, canceled, rearranged, and generally trodden upon for the last three weeks, and being told these alterations were to accommodate "Sports Day rehersal," I was pretty anxious too see what the day was all about. Especially as my own experiences have taught me that little to no practice is required for the general chaos that usually result from such events. My anticipation was non-the-less having caught glimpses of students running through the halls with colored parasols, and snippets of barked Korean orders spewing from the outdoor P.A. during rehersal times.
My dearest Banji ES did not disappoint. Sports Day started off bright an early at 8:30. While parents found places to stand, or sit on the hill opposite the school, Banji 1000 students were gathered and organized by class on the sports field. Many classes were sporting matching painted t-shirts, others wore their blue and yellow gym uniforms. After some opening remarks, which I obviously didn't understand, we were ready to go. The students sang the national anthem (it think) and school song (I am pretty sure) in unison, and then got down to business. I am told that ever Korean student, at least in the last decade, has learned a set of choreographed stretches or warmups for such events. I am also told this is on of the series of audio orders I have been hearing for the last 2 weeks. After one of the teachers popped in a CD and connected it to the loud speaker, and one of the male teacher was summoned to the announcing area to lead, all 1000 students began a series of stretches, lunches, and jumps in preparation for the days events. Here is where I began to understand the need for hours of rehersal.
While this may no seem like an excess of choreography, I assure you I have saved this important addition for last. Thus far I have failed to mention that in between each set of activities we were treated to preformances by after school groups such as Korean drum class and Latin Dance class (which apparently exists at my Korean Elementary School...). There were also entire grade choreographed performances from Kindergarten through third grade, costumes, props, and all. When the time came for the actual sports day competitions, students were lead by peers and teachers in large cheering sections. Basically it looked a little something like this...
and IT. WAS. FABULOUS!
The day came to a close around lunch time when, after a final series of singing and stretching, I was ushered upstairs into one of the teachers offices where we feasted on fried chicken and Vitamin C Drink provided by (I think) the equivalent of the PTO.
So Fab. So Rad. More pictures to be posted in time, maybe a video if I get ambitious.
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
What is this illusive ingredient? The one thing that brings it all together? The coco in the chili, the vanilla in the french toast, the nutmeg in everything?
The answer is this, plain and simple...Choreography.
Sports Day in Korea is no Beaver Waddle, it is a different animal all together. Some sort of Godzilla-My Little Pony hybrid, if I had to say. And it. is. awesome.
After having my teaching schedule disrupted, altered, canceled, rearranged, and generally trodden upon for the last three weeks, and being told these alterations were to accommodate "Sports Day rehersal," I was pretty anxious too see what the day was all about. Especially as my own experiences have taught me that little to no practice is required for the general chaos that usually result from such events. My anticipation was non-the-less having caught glimpses of students running through the halls with colored parasols, and snippets of barked Korean orders spewing from the outdoor P.A. during rehersal times.
Once warm-ups were out of the way, the day progressed through a series of races, relays and games. There were two different renditions of tug-o-war (the second of which was aided buy 10 dad's rounded up from each teams supporters) and a few games that involved activities like turning over as many squares of cardboard as you can (the team who has the highest number of their colored squares facing up is the winning team) and throwing hackey-sacks at your teams suspended plastic spaceship looking container until the bottom drops off (the first team whose space ship looses its bottom half is showered with ribbons and confetti before being declared the winner). The day was capped off with boy and girls relays with one student for each class, as well as a teacher and parent relay.
While this may no seem like an excess of choreography, I assure you I have saved this important addition for last. Thus far I have failed to mention that in between each set of activities we were treated to preformances by after school groups such as Korean drum class and Latin Dance class (which apparently exists at my Korean Elementary School...). There were also entire grade choreographed performances from Kindergarten through third grade, costumes, props, and all. When the time came for the actual sports day competitions, students were lead by peers and teachers in large cheering sections. Basically it looked a little something like this...
The day came to a close around lunch time when, after a final series of singing and stretching, I was ushered upstairs into one of the teachers offices where we feasted on fried chicken and Vitamin C Drink provided by (I think) the equivalent of the PTO.
So Fab. So Rad. More pictures to be posted in time, maybe a video if I get ambitious.
Anyeong[hikheseyo].
에밀리
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