Writing and Speaking Assessments

Time is taken each term out of the regular curriculum to assess the students' writing and speaking abilities in English class.

Students are given the topic and guidelines one week prior to the test, and practiced writing and memorizing their statements at home. Then, in class, students have 40 minutes to write without any aids. The week after that students recite their submission to me and attempt to answer some simple questions. I evaluate and assign a grade for their writing and speaking.

The 3rd graders were instructed to write a recommendation for a tourist to see and experience a part of Korea's authentic culture. They were to offer a few tips for those travelling to the site for the first time, and I must admit, they clued me into some really neat cultural attractions that I will need to visit someday.

Grade 3 submission. Above average.

The 2nd graders wrote about their favourite movie, including what they liked and didn't like about the movie. Apparently, Frozen and Frozen 2 are pretty big here.

I have 250 students at my main school and everyone one of them participated in the writing and speaking assessment. I had already graded 248 of written submissions when my co-teacher leaned over my desk and said "the most important thing about grading the assessments is..."  Jaw agape, I was stunned into silence. It took all of my willpower not to snarkily explain that that kind of information would've been beneficial before I graded 99% of the tests. I decided to keep quiet and, instead, complain about it in my online blog. Thanks for reading.

What was the most critical thing about grading the assessments? That, unlike the previous English teacher who gave out all As causing untold problems for the school, I should differentiate between the high quality and lower quality submissions. In other words, don't give out too many As. I don't blame the previous teacher because the grading criteria provided were next to useless. For the 2nd graders, essentially the evaluator (me) was asked to count the number of sentences to determine the students' grades. I asked about the quality of the sentences and how mistakes should impact on the grade. Basically, I was told, "It's up to you."

I gave out plenty of As and I suspect the class average is a little higher than expected, but naturally, I also gave out a good share of Bs and Cs, and some Fs if the students submitted blank papers. It's hard to know if I did a good job with the assessments or if the teachers are generally happy with me as an English teacher since they never provide feedback, but based on the reactions of the students when they received their grades, I think they were happy, which makes me happy.

Grade 2. Average.

Grade 2. Above average.

I really enjoyed spending a few minutes with each student, even though it was mostly an exercise in memorization. I tried to be as cheery as possible because I could see that the students were nervous. Several students were visibly shaking during the speaking assessment. Most students looked off into the distance trying to remember their lines. Some had excessive hand and leg jitters or rocked nervously in their seats. Hilariously, students would slap themselves in the face or head if they forgot what they were meant to say. And most students cheered with joy or groaned with agony when they ended their speech.

I felt especially bad for the students who did poorly. There are plenty of slackers, smart asses and trouble-makers in my classes, but for the most part, these students seemed remorseful that they weren't able to complete the assignment. They would often sit in silence for a minute or so, then say something to the effect of "I can't do it" and "sorry" to me then leave the room. They weren't devastated or anything like that, but still, it was touching that they said sorry.

I was impressed by several students who were really amazing and quite proficient in English, so I happily gave some perfect scores. I have some superstars in class and it's incredible what these kids can do.

Intergenerational ethnic animosity

Gamcheon Culture Village

Before I knew anything about Busan, I had seen pictures of some of its iconic places, such as Haeundae and Gwangalli Beach and the colourful Gamcheon Culture Village. These images were, in large part, was why I chose Busan as my top choice destination in Korea without knowing much else about the city or country.

Gamcheon Culture Village had been closed for months due to the corona-virus pandemic and the website asked tourists to avoid the area. After nearly five months in Korea, I finally had the opportunity to visit the colourful streets of Gamcheon Culture Village.

Originally built in the 1920s and 1930s as a residence for labourers in the nearby port, Gamcheon became a hub for refugees of the Korean War in the 1950s. Busan was the only major city not to fall to the North Korean forces. Desperate Koreans from all over the South came to Busan and Gamcheon for sanctuary.

Built on a steep hill with narrow alleyways and lacking basic amenities, the area fell into disarray until it was converted into a cultural hub and centre of art. There is art displayed throughout the village with many artists' residences as well as cafes, restaurants, small museums and community centres. The homes are painted in bright pastel colours. Gamcheon Culture Village is sometimes called "The Macchu Picchu of Busan".

Wandering through the streets of Gamcheon Culture Village, I purchased a map that leads you around a course. At various notable points of interest, you can stamp your map to show that you visited the site and completed your course. The stamp stations are not always obvious, and I think I walked past one or two.

The course takes you directly into the neighbourhood where people actually live. There are signs throughout that say "this is a private house, don't open this door". You walk past hanging laundry and mail sticking out of the front door. You are asked to speak softly and keep your noise level down to avoid disturbing the residents.

I arrived shortly after 9am on Saturday morning, just as the Tourist Information Office was opening for the day. I only saw a handful of other tourists during my two-hour walk through the village. Going later in the day risks large crowds, especially on the weekend, but I would recommend going after 9am because many of the cafes, restaurants, and shops did not open until later in the morning. My walk was peaceful and quiet and I didn't have to mind other people when taking my photos or enjoying the views. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day. Otherwise, the port and sea are more easily viewed.

Gamcheon Culture Village is a must-see in Busan. Finally, I've seen it.

Rice Cakes with the 4H Club

After a long hiatus due to the corona-virus, school clubs are in full swing at the middle school. On select Friday afternoons each month, students gather with their friends and participate in various activities. There is a basketball club, soccer club, movie club, music club, and many others. English conversation club was axed this year due to low interest, I'm told.

I was initially disappointed that I wouldn't have the opportunity to lead the English club at school because it would've been a fun way to connect with students in a more informal way.  But things worked out for the best as I am free to attend another club as a guest member without worrying about any of the organization. I still get to have fun with the kids without any of the work.

A friendly math teacher invited me to attend the 4H club since they were preparing rice cakes that day. Just say "rice cakes" and I'm there. Some of the students were surprised to see me in the club, but it was a fun atmosphere. They chatted with me in English and helped me make some rice cakes.

There were three guests from the city office who ran the session and taught the students how to make the rice cakes. The math teacher walked me into the room to introduce me to the guest teachers, they had their heads down since they were preparing the ingredients and supplies for the class. When they looked up at me, one of them got startled and dropped everything on the floor. She seemed a bit annoyed at me after that, but soon everything was happy again and the 4H Club came to order.

The guest teachers introduced themselves to the students and then, what seemed like an incredible test of concentration for the students, the teachers covered the history and cultural significance of rice cakes in Korean society over the next 30 minutes. I would've dozed off it it wasn't for the math teacher diligently translating the rice cake facts into English.

With the lecture out of the way, it was time for the demonstration.

I didn't understand much of what was being said, but I was familiar with rice cakes from living in Japan. The outer part of the rice cake is rice that has been thoroughly smushed into a sticky past. Natural colouring is added for the yellow and green cakes. The inner part of the rice cake is a delicious red bean paste, which is my favourite from Japan. I thought I heard the teacher use the Japanese word for red bean paste "anko". But one of the students explained to me that "anko" is Japanese. In Korean, it's called "anggeum". Same stuff. Just as tasty.

I don't have the skill to make beautiful rice cakes, but I did well enough to fill a plastic container to take home. We were snacking on them as we made the rice cakes, so that cut into our supply.

We cleaned up, thanked our guest teachers, and took some pictures. But an activity like this wouldn't be complete without paperwork. Each member of the 4H Club filled out a survey of their impressions of the experience. A 2nd Grader translated for me and helped me complete the form. I knew he was a strong student in my class but the ease at which he translated the survey for me was amazing. All of the students were really impressed too. I asked him to give top marks on the survey on my behalf. I really enjoyed making rice cakes with the 4H Club and spending time with the students. This is truly why I came to Korea.

Reflections on Being a Teacher

I am a different teacher here in Korea than I was 10 years ago in Japan. I didn't necessarily set out to change my teaching style, nor was I initially aware of any changes in my approach to teaching. But after one month of in-class teaching, I realize that I've changed as a teacher. This may be the natural result of maturing over the years or unconsciously applying the lessons I learned in Japan to my tenure in Korea.

In Japan, even though I didn't have any experience or proper training, I had a firm belief that I was a "teacher" and was deserving of the respect afforded to teachers in that country. I came about that perspective naturally enough. It was part of the training and orientation in Japan. Teachers are held in high esteem in Japanese society. Students will call you Sensei. You need to behave as a Sensei in the community. Without really examining it, I took that to heart.

At my Japanese schools, there was some respect for me as a teacher, and many students were wonderful. But also, there were students who were very disrespectful, and even actively hostile. Some students made fun of my weight and others sneered at me. I think a dislike for studying and speaking English translated to antagonism for the teacher, in some cases. Many students were eager and playful, but I rarely received the respect of a real teacher. It's understandable. I couldn't speak Japanese well. My responsibilities in the classroom were limited. I was often a classroom assistant.

On top of everything, Japanese students completely and incessantly invaded my personal space by grabbing me and poking my body. This was infuriating. I wanted to be respected as a teacher but wasn't even worthy of basic human respect. I rarely showed it, but this made me really angry. I still feel that grabbing and poking was a violation, but it was more often the students just trying to have fun and wasn't outside of their normal behaviour. There were a few times, and a few students, who did this maliciously, and it still burns to this day.

In the classroom, even though I wasn't a proper teacher, I firmly believed that students weren't allowed to ignore me. I'm not sure why I had this perspective, but I guess it came from wanting to be respected as a teacher.  If students ignored my direct question by putting down their head or looking away, I wouldn't let that stand. I wasted so much time trying to get the student to respond and wouldn't move on until they did. It was a matter of respect and principle. Instead, I should have been more attentive to the comprehension level of the students and more sensitive to their desire not to make a mistake or be singled out in front of their peers.

In Korea, I have more responsibilities as a teacher. I fully run the lessons and do all of the preparations. The Korean teacher in the classroom basically helps translates and assists with classroom discipline. I am a real teacher - minus some of the administrative responsibilities, but I am more laid back about the whole "respect thing".

I'm more interested in having the lesson flow well than forcing students to participate. I may call on students to answer a question, but if they say "I don't know" then there's no problem, I just move on.  If they pause for too long, I ask if they want to "pass". If they pass, fair enough. I'm happy moving onto someone else or just answering the question myself because I get to keep the flow of the lesson and maintain the energy level in the classroom.

During my first lesson with each class in Korea, I outlined some rules for the classroom. One rule was that they should try to speak English, but mistakes were okay. Also, students should be kind to each other, and it's okay to help their classmates during English class.

I certainly feel more respected by the students because they respect me as a human being first. They have yet to grab or poke me or do anything overtly disrespectful. The worst so far has been students shouting the wrong things in class when I'm looking for an answer. They might shout  "I love you", trying to be funny. I find myself laughing more in class these days.

All in all, I am much busier and have more teaching responsibilities, but I am less concerned about being treated as a "teacher". The students are good kids and I enjoy spending time with them. I have a job to do and I'm having fun doing it. That's all that matters right now.

Conversations at School

Boiled down, my job consists of classroom teaching, lesson preparation, and informal speaking interactions.

I spend 20 teaching hours per week in the classroom delivering English language lessons to middle school students at two schools in South Korean. Delivering information, maintaining order, and engaging with the students is exhausting work, but there is nothing like the feeling of having a class go well. It's an incredible high that, unfortunately, is still pretty rare for me. I'm having fewer and fewer terrible lessons, and more and more decent lessons. The great lessons are rare but deeply satisfying and motivating.

The second major element of my work is lesson planning. Basically, any spare minute at school when I'm not teaching, I am (or should be) preparing lessons for the next week. I'm more comfortable now with the flow of lessons, what the students can reasonably handle, and how long each activity should generally take. I have picked up intuitive little tricks when I need to speed up a lesson or slow it down to ensure that I cover the material within the 40 minute period. The biggest challenge is getting students to participate. Sometimes, I feel like I'm teaching to the same 3 or 4 students each class, while the other students just sit back with blank looks on their faces. I think the students understand now that I may call on them randomly if no one volunteers. I give out stickers to encourage participation, but I worry that the stickers may be losing their appeal after a few weeks. I need another reward that the students will want but won't break my budget.

A minor part of being a teacher at my schools, but by far the most enjoyable, is my random and informal conversations with students and teachers. Every chance I get I arrive to class early to mingle with the students to have a conversation or joke around. Also, I have random and short interactions with students in the halls between classes or during lunch.

Almost as a reflex, whenever I walk by a student, they will say "Hello Teacher!" Some of the students are exceedingly enthusiastic and I wonder why that energy disappears the moment class begins. But the shouts of "Hi Teacher" are a nice boost of confidence and adds to my pseudo-celebrity status as the only non-Korean at the school.

Some students try to tell me funny things about their friends to embarrass them. They'll say things like, "He's dangerous" or "He's crazy!"  And the other student will say, "No, no, no. He's crazy!" It's not sophisticated, but at least it's in English.

A group of boys jokingly tried to tell me they were in the Blood Gang and flashed some gang signs. "Very dangerous," they said. Anything to shock the teacher.

A usually very quiet girl spoke to me at the end of class and said that "It's my birthday today".  I gave her a sticker and wished her a happy birthday. This was one of my nicer interactions.

If I see a student with an injury (sprained wrist, scraped knee), I ask them to explain what happened. Usually, it's some sort of basketball injury or a trip and fall on the sidewalk. It's a good way to start a conversation and learn more about the students. I tell them, "don't fight" and they think that's funny.

Another girl always drinks this green lemon soda in class. The bottle looks just like dish soap. It even has a little lemon on the front. I joke around with her that she likes to drink soap. So, that's our thing. I pretend that she's drinking soap and she pretends that I'm funny.

In one corner of the school, there is a couch and several bookshelves for the students to sit down, relax, and read. I've never actually seen a student reading there, but I thought I'd grab a book and practice reading in Korean. I can read phonetically, for the most part, but don't understand the meaning of the words. I thought it would be nice for the students to see my trying to learn Korean, and perhaps they could help me understand a few words. I had a book in my hand and I had no idea what I was reading. A boy came to me so I asked him what the title meant. He paused for a minute, trying to find the right words. Then he said, "Stupid and Stupid". Yes, an apt title for how I feel in Korea.

One particular teacher at the school always speaks to me despite having some challenges with the language. While not an English teacher, he is dedicated to studying and learning English, and he has taught me a lot about Korea and the local area. One day he was talking about the change in weather. We are currently in the rainy season here in Korea and in a few weeks, it will turn into the hottest part of the summer. He said it will be "the dog days". I was impressed and thought, "Wow, he knows the expression, dog days of summer. That's really good." Not quite. Actually, what he was talking about was the tradition of eating dog at this time of year. In the hottest days of summer, people traditionally didn't have a lot of food so they raised a dog for the family who would then sacrifice it's body so the family could have nourishment and strength. He said that since the world has decided that eating dogs was bad, it was switched to chicken. Now it's the chicken days of summer. It doesn't have the same ring to it. I have no intention of eating dog even though it's apparently still available in the country.

The things I hear from the Korean students and teachers are amazing. I think it's an important part of my role to encourage fluency and interest in speaking with foreign people. Casual conversation helps me feel like a member of the school, and I'm impressed with the students' speaking ability and their willingness to try to speak English with me.

All Boys Middle School

Like many teachers in the EPIK program in Korea, I have lessons at more than one school. My main middle school is a short walk from my apartment and I teach there on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. My other school is an all-boys middle school that is about 30 minutes away by subway and a long walk uphill.

The school sits atop a steep hill.

Under normal circumstances, I would've visited the boys school consistently since March, but as you know, there have been many delays to the start of the school year, plus a 2-month period of online lessons. Since the students weren't going to the school in person, I wasn't required to attend either. Instead, I just emailed my recorded lessons to the teacher to be uploaded for the students. With the coronavirus restrictions gradually being lifted, it was now time to get back onto a regular schedule and I made preparations to attend the boys middle school on Mondays and Tuesdays moving forward.

A day or two before my first day at the boys school, I was informed by the teacher there that the grade 1 and 2 classes alternate attendance at the school each week. The grade that stays home receives online lessons. Apparently, the school cafeteria is too small to accommodate all students safely so alternating attendance is required. They share a cafeteria with an adjacent boys high school.

Lovely coworkers made a welcome sign for me

My desk. Making a lesson about food.

Indoor Shoes

When I arrived at the school I was relieved to learn that I could simply record the lessons, as I had been doing, and they would be uploaded for the students at home at the set time. This was a wonderful development because it dramatically reduced the number of classes I have to teach each week at the boys school. Thankfully, I will have more free time during the day to prepare for the in-person classes.

I stumbled upon more good fortune on Monday. Since it was that was the very first day that the grade 1s came to school, my three morning classes were cancelled. The students had to take care of administrative matters. Also, one class on Tuesday was cancelled as well. Normally I would be scheduled for 10 in-person classes over two days, but I only taught 3 in-person classes this week. Strangely, one of my classes was cancelled after I had already been teaching for 5 minutes. A teacher showed up, called me into the hallway, and explained that I should go take a break. It was an unusual but welcomed start to my time at the school.

Daily School Schedule

The previous native English teacher left me a note about what to expect at the school. It was a warning of sorts, that the students don't prioritize learning English, and there can be some difficulty maintaining order in the class. Also, he gave a heads up that classes are often cancelled, and I have to stay on my toes for schedule changes. True on all counts, I learned almost immediately.

I did notice that there were an unusually high number of boys with various injuries like broken arms, foot casts, sprained wristed, broken fingers, and black eyes. I hope it was because they were really into sports, and not rioting at the school. The boys were friendly enough, and the classes were high energy. Certainly difficult to control. When I asked the class to write something, there was an audible groan from a boy in the first row.

Artwork at the All-Boys Middle School. One can sympathize.

I actually enjoyed teaching at the boys school. I prefer energy and excitement during the lesson rather than awkward silence and boredom. Some of the boys would shout answers, while others were super polite when called upon and stood up out of their chair to answer the question. The English fluency level was rather low, but I did meet one boy who was basically fluent in English. Having a mixed-ability classroom is a common challenge for English teachers in Korean. Still, it's nice to know at least one student understands me.

Week 2 at the boys school is coming up. I'm feeling more confident in my lessons and have at least some sense of how to keep things entertaining and educational for the students. Hopefully, there won't be any more surprises with the schedule.

The First Week of June

Even though it was a relatively short week for me, only having lessons on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June has started with a flurry of activity.

I woke up Monday morning happy and relieved that I would have the full day plus Tuesday to plan lessons and get organized for the latter part of the week. These two days being my very last free days at school. Henceforth, all grades will be at school and I will have in-person classes every day. I planned and prepared and felt pretty decent about my upcoming lessons. I had a rough first week with the 3rd graders but I would now see them for the second time. I wanted to be ready. The 2nd graders came to school on Wednesday this week, and I felt confident that things would go well, although there were still several unknowns that I would have to figure out.

My optimism took a nose-dive almost immediately on Wednesday morning. I was scheduled for a period 2 class from 9:50 - 10:30am. I was slowly getting ready and just taking some time to relax. I had arrived at school at 8:15am. At 9am, my co-teacher said, “Didn’t you hear about the schedule change? Your class is period 1.” I most definitely did not hear about the schedule change. When does the first period begin? 9am. What time is it right now? 9am.

I quickly gathered my things and scurried to the class, arriving late. And immediately after my late arrival, yet again the classroom technology failed. More accurately, I couldn’t figure out how to hook up the computer. The technician was sent for, and more lesson time was wasted. I think I lost all credibility with these students because it was a bad lesson with these same students two weeks in a row.

I lumbered back to the teachers' room in astonishment at how bad I looked and how bad the lesson felt. Another Korean teacher asked (very much too late) if I had learned about the schedule change. I explained what happened and that it was a disaster. She said I was lucky because the technician is only in-house Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would have been without help if this were to happen on a Tuesday or Thursday. Luck is a relative term, isn’t it?

Later that day I was to have my first lesson with a grade 2 class, and it would be my first lesson with a particular co-teacher. Since there had been no communication prior to the class, the first lesson would finally unveil the co-teacher's style and expectations, which should ideally be discussed well in advance. Do they stand at the back of the room or do they actively participate? Do they handle student discipline or is that for the native teacher to sort out? Do they translate and explain in Korean, or is it left to me to explain everything in English?

Unfortunately, and again at the last minute, I was informed that my co-teacher had suddenly left the school and was not available for the lesson. Another Korean English would stand in as a substitute. All in all, it was a good lesson and the Korean teacher was helpful, but I am not regularly scheduled with that teacher in a normal week.

And what happened to my co-teacher who suddenly left the school? Apparently, she had a fever and went to the public health centre to be tested for COVID-19. I assume I will either see her tomorrow or be informed that she is sick.

There was a second COVID-19 scare at the school this week. During my Thursday afternoon class, I noticed one of my students speak to the Korean teacher and then leave the classroom. Later, the school nurse came to the classroom and collected the student's things from her desk. I didn't think much of it at the time since I was busy teaching. At the end of the day, I went to the first floor to put on my shoes and walk home. I spotted an ambulance in the parking lot, and an EMS dressed in a hazmat suit was loading a student into the ambulance. When he drove away I asked a teacher what was going on. He said that a student had a fever and was being taken to the hospital for testing. It was my student. Hopefully, it was just a regular fever and not the coronavirus. The close calls are nerve-wracking, but so far we haven't had a positive case.

I had a funny little interaction with a boy in middle school 2nd grade. He is basically fluent in English. We were chatting before our first class together was to begin. He casually dropped a "holy shit" to showcase his fluency. He said he watched a lot of English programs on Netflix and, of course, studied very hard. He asked if I had ever watched "The Good Place"? I hadn't but wanted to connect with the student, so I said, "I heard it's a good show." He responded, "It's not a show, it's a drama." Middle school, what can I say?

I concluded this strange first week of June by working all weekend on my lesson preparations. I think now that I am in the routine, I won't need to work on the weekends anymore. At least, I hope so.