To commemorate living and teaching in South Korea for three months, I thought I would compile a list of my top surprises so far. Here they are in no particular order:
1. What's Yours is Mine
I have a drawer in my desk at school that contains some office supplies, documents, and teaching materials. I lock my computer in it each night. My co-teacher goes into the drawer whenever she needs something, and no permission is sought. Another teacher plugged a USB drive into my work computer to download the previous teacher's materials for her own use. She also downloaded all of my files. I wouldn't say I'm upset by either of these examples. I'm just surprised at the communal nature of office life here. The teachers are collegial and help each other.
2. The 39-Year-Old Infant
Technically, by the Korean system of measuring age, I'm 41 years old, but that's not the point. Whatever age I am, I'm treated like an infant. It's nice, in a way, that I am well cared for, but the teaching staff here assume that I'm clueless about everything. I was once instructed on how to use the faucet, "You turn it this way for cold water and you turn it the other way for hot water." This is something that I can certainly accept because in some areas of life, like discerning the trash and recycling system, I am not a fully-functional adult. Some of my questions and concerns must sound comical to the Koreans.
3. PDA All Day
Compared to the Japanese, Koreans are a handsy people. There is a surprising amount of hand-holding and other public displays of affection between couples, including kissing. Even friends of the same gender will go arm in arm. Adults may hold hands with their grandparents while walking down the street. A teacher routinely grabs my arm and guides me across the street when we're walking together. It caught me off guard at first but it's nothing but a kind gesture.
4. Convenience Stores Aren't All That
While certainly convenient and widespread, the selection of ready-meals, fried foods, and sweet treats is definitely lacking behind their Japanese counterparts. In Japan, it's common to have a favourite among the chain of convenience stores and look forward to their particular offerings. I would often pick up delicious meals, rice balls or other treats at the Lawson's or FamilyMart in Japan. The food was always fresh and delicious. From what I've seen so far, there aren't many meals available, and hardly any fried food at the convenience stores here in Korea. I'm disappointed in my local 7-11, CU, and GS25 shops.
5. English in Korea
What Korea lacks in convenience foods, they more than make up for in English speaking proficiency. At least here in Busan, I am surviving and thriving without knowing Korean. Of course, not everyone is fluent in English, but most people I interact with are willing to give English a try, and more times than not they can communicate well enough to get the job done. I even had some nice small talk with the barista at the coffee shop today. And when staff at a shop or restaurant help me in English, it is clear that they are joyed to have spoken English successfully with a native-speaker. Also, from what I've heard from some of my student's online homework assignments, their English is surprisingly clear.
6. No Choice but to Adapt
I'm not a tech-savvy person. In fact, probably the most technologically advanced thing I've ever done is write this online blog. When it comes to teaching, I would feel comfortable with chalk and a chalkboard, but the expectations here in Korea are to use technology. This became a necessity when lessons were shifted online. Lessons are to be presented in PowerPoint or through the digital textbook, and online lessons are recorded with software called BandiCam, which I had never heard of before. Of course, all of the software at the school is in Korean. This forced me to carefully study the computer software and learn it in a step by step way. My tech fluency has jumped here in Korea, and I wouldn't have thought that was likely.
7. Hands Up
I witnessed my first instance of corporal punishment at the school. Apparently this student was due for some "correction" so the teacher had him hold his arms straight up in the air while she "explained" why his behaviour was out of line. This occurred even before in-person classes began. I estimate the rascal had his arms in the air for 3+ minutes, but he seemed no worse for the wear after his lesson.
8. The Office: Korean Edition
I am pleasantly surprised to report that the faculty office at my school is a very jovial and friendly workspace. There seems to be a fair amount of conversation as well as laughing and joking. There have been occasional announcements celebrating people's accomplishments such as promotions, passing professional tests, and personal news. Snacks and treats are regularly brought in and shared amongst the staff, and the principal has splurged for steamed pork buns on several occasions. During this time when students are not at school, staff go out for lunch together and I'm sometimes included in that. And the biggest contrast from teaching in Japan is that most teachers actually go home at the end of the school day. Rather than stay at the school at all hours of the evening and night, I'd say 90% of the teachers are on their way home shortly after 4:30pm. Of course, this may change as classes start, but it is refreshing to see reasonable work expectations for teachers.
9. Co-Teaching for One
The Korean model for English education is to utilize two teachers in the classroom, a Korean teacher of English and a native English speaker. Ideally, this should be an equal partnership with each teacher sharing the duties in the classroom and collaborating on the lesson plans. Open communication is crucial to ensure that teachers are on the same page and the students get the full benefit of having two teachers in their classes. Up to now, I have been fully responsible for the online lessons and it seems like I will also run the in-class lessons. There has been no collaboration as of yet and very little communication. I have only exchanged about five sentences with one co-teacher in three months, and not much more with the other teachers. At my visit school, I haven't even met 4 of the 5 teachers. As a result, I don't feel prepared for when the students return to school. I like having primary responsibility for planning and teaching, even if I don't feel ready, but I'm not sure how my co-teachers will participate in the lessons. I have been surprised by the so-called "co-teaching" up to this point, and I'm poised for many more surprises as in-class lessons begin.
10. COVID-19
Without a doubt, the coronavirus has been the most disruptive and unpredictable feature of my short time in Korea. Any conception I had of life in Korea before I arrived was certainly altered with the outbreak and the global pandemic. I was scheduled to start teaching on March 2nd but as of this writing in late-May, I have not taught a single class. Life has been novel but restricted. There have been so many ups and downs in such a short time, and I don't know if there are further disruptions to come. It has been a strange time to start a new job in Korea. Procedures and practices that the school had operated under for years have changed, and while I would like more support and explanation, it is difficult because everything has been upended for the Koreans themselves. They are figuring things out each day, as am I.
The first three months are behind me. What new surprises await in the upcoming months? We shall see.
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