Nov. 1 - Nov. 7: First Week at Work

After a well-rested weekend, it was finally time to start my new job at Swaton Language School. I climbed out of bed, took a shower (yes, I'd already tried the shower, and I must admit, other than having to mop afterwards, it's really not too bad), and walked to school, which is only about a mile away.

So basically my typical morning schedule is as follows...I start my day at 10:00 am for two 40-minute classes with the 6 year-olds with 5-minute breaks in between each class. I then have 2 more 40-minute classes with the 7-year-olds with a 40-minute lunch break in between.

I get a nice long break from 1:30 pm until 3:00 pm, which I use to prepare for my afternoon classes. These classes consist of kids ages 8 to 12 who usually come either straight from school, or from some other private lesson. The classes are a dreadful 80-minutes long, with 10-minute breaks between. The final class, which very fortunately I only have to teach once or twice a week, ends at 7:30 pm. Not fun!

I really like the kids here...for the most part, they are very well-behaved and eager to learn, especially the younger ones. I was really surprised at how well they know English already, not to mention how quickly they pick up new things. The older kids are more of a challenge. They're just not as cute...and definitely not as innocent. I have to admit, there are a few kids whose butts I fantasize kicking...I'm definitely learning some patience here in Korea!

The other teachers are great, and we all get along very well. The lead teacher, Joy, is a native of South Korea who lived in New York for a while. The other Korean teachers include May, Rowa, and Annie. The native English speakers are Chris from Canada, Andrew, a part-time teacher from Australia, and me!

Needless to say, the weekend couldn't come fast enough. I finally got off work at 7:30 pm relaxed most of Saturday. On Sunday I called Chris and made him take me hiking. We went to a mountain about a mile away...it was a very steep hike but only took about 30 minutes. It was swarming with people; apparently, the Koreans love to hike. We had beautiful views all around our city and even into Seoul (which is about 40 minutes away). After the hike, we checked out some of the gyms in the area. Unfortunately, the prices are extremely high for pretty poorly-equipped gyms (up to $90 a month!!!). I guess I've just been spoiled by always working in nice gyms and never having to pay for a membership!

Aaaaa....Sunday night...bring on Week 2!

My School is on the 6th Floor.