Comparing Year One and Year Two

Enough time has passed in my second contract that I can compare my life and job in Korea this year to last year. While life is generally the same, there are some changes. 

Certainly, the newness of being in South Korea and discovering novel things on a daily basis has basically worn off. I'm firmly set in my routine but that's what I like. I'm still enjoying my walks at Dadaepo beach, lounging in cafes, hitting the gym, and overall, it's still fun being here.

This time last year, I still hadn't even met my students yet. We had just started online lessons after about a 6-week delay in the school year. In-person lessons didn't start until May. Thankfully, this school year started on time in March, although many classes are still held online.

One of the biggest changes is at my new boys' school. In some ways, it is quite different from my previous boys' school. The boys are better supervised so the behaviour is better overall. Although, I have one particularly bad class of boys. They often ignore my instructions and just talk with their friends instead of working. Also, they threw my sheet of stickers out the window at the end of class and didn't own up to it. They are the first class in the morning, so many students sleep through the class as well. The Korean teacher does her best to maintain order, but the students don't respect or listen to her, and they feel the same way about me. Overall, however, I think I'm connecting more with the students since I'm teaching many students now for the second year. I'm able to talk to them freely and remember their faces (masked) and some of their names.

At my main school, which I returned to for a second year, there have been some teacher changes. Most notably, the friendly math teacher who sat beside me in the faculty room has transferred to a new school. Unfortunately, this means less chatting in the office, fewer snacks and coffee breaks, fewer social outings, and I'm missing out on his explanations of Korean customs and society that I very much enjoyed.

Being a teacher is easier this year because I'm more comfortable making lessons and more confident in the classroom. I have a better understanding of what the kids can handle and what activities they like. I am reusing some old lessons which saves some time, but I'm finding that many of my early lessons from last year aren't that good and I can make improvements to them. I think it's worth spending the extra preparation time to have a better lesson. Might as well learn from my mistakes of last year. I'm experimenting more with my lessons too, so I think the students are finding them fun, and I like the variety.

At my new boys' school, many of the lessons are completely new to me, so I'm creating the lessons for the first time. Some of the language points are similar to last year, so I can reuse some materials, but the new boys' school prioritizes reading. Three of four classes are reading lessons. I didn't teach reading at all last year, so this is very new and takes a lot of time to prepare for the classes. So far this year I've taught Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Aesop's Fables, and Jack and the Beanstalk. I was hesitant to teach reading at first, but it's getting easier as much of the class time is taken up by the students reading the story. I need to prepare only a few activities to check their comprehension and teach some new words, etc.

Of course, COVID-19 is the unwanted constant between year one and year two. There were only very brief periods last year when all students attended school at the same time. So far this year, COVID-19 is affecting school life much the same. We either have 1/3 or 2/3 of students online at any given week. Most of the extra-curricular activities are cancelled, such as field trips, but students can still participate in the occasional club activity with proper social distancing and masks. Vaccine rollout is very slow in Korea. Everyone seems to be waiting patiently for the vaccine, although only 4% of the population has received a dose thus far.

Online classes are handled in a different way in my new school, which means I don't get the reprieve that I would otherwise. They choose to host all online classes in a live lesson format. So, I'm required to teach the lesson over and over again to each class section via the internet. It's just as difficult, if not more difficult than teaching the class in person. My main school (and former boys school) permits me to record my online lessons, so I simply make one recording and it is shown to the various sections, giving me a little break.

The live online lessons at my new boys' school are fraught with technical problems. Hardly a lesson goes by without the internet cutting out or some other problem. Also, it's quite difficult to plan for these Zoom lessons as the Korean teacher verifies attendance at the start of each class. This can take anywhere from 3 minutes to a mind-boggling 15 minutes (of a 45-minute lesson). If a student does not sign in, then the teacher will telephone them at home. Inevitably, the student appears after a few minutes.

Teachers, especially the ones I'm working with for the first time this year, are frustrating at times. They do things that I just can't believe. For example, they've asked me to change my lesson plan only one minute before the class or even during the lesson. Teachers have also inserted an activity into my lesson, thus throwing off my whole plan and timing of the lesson. Others butt in when I try to call on students who raise their hands. One teacher insists on choosing who I call on in class or otherwise interrupts me to point out a student who has raised their hand as if I can't see that myself.

As with last year, I hope to be able to travel internationally, but again it doesn't appear that will be possible anytime soon. There isn't much of an appeal to travel within Korea when the COVID-19 numbers are high, but there are still some places in Busan that I've yet to explore. I'll get to them eventually, but I'm very content to stay in my area on the weekends.

To sum up, there are some old and new frustrations in year two, but I feel more equipped to handle whatever comes my way. Experience is a great teacher. Life in Korea during a pandemic is quite the experience.

COVID-19 Hits Busan

The COVID-19 numbers have been higher than normal lately, with about 700 cases per day in the country, the highest number since winter. Coupled with the sluggish rollout and other problems administering the vaccines, there is a worry of another corona-virus wave in Korea.

I was sitting in the teachers' office one day when suddenly there was a flurry of activity in the room. Teachers were talking quickly and they seemed agitated. I thought they were arguing at one point, which is basically unheard of in an open setting. Teachers were on their phones, calling and texting, announcements were made, yet I sat there still baffled as to what was going on.

I eventually asked my co-teacher if something had happened. She explained that there had been a positive COVID-19 case at a nearby elementary school (about a 10-minute walk). This was of particular concern because students at the elementary school have older siblings who attend our middle school. Any student who had siblings at the elementary school had to leave immediately and go to a clinic for a COVID-19 test. Thankfully none of our students had a positive result.

But that close call was just the beginning. Busan had a very low number for the whole year, but now it is somewhat of a hotspot. Certainly not as many cases as Seoul, but nearly five times the number of daily COVID-19 cases that we were used to in the first year of the pandemic. This week we are seeing roughly 50 cases per day in Busan, and this includes my particular area of Busan which is getting more than its share of cases these days.

Often when the numbers spike or there is some other reason for concern, the Board of Education will send a warning to the native teachers to be careful and strictly adhere to the social distancing measures. Often, it is a veiled threat to avoid gatherings and travel and it calls upon our sense of responsibility to the community and the students. This time a message was delivered, but at least a foreigner was not to blame. Apparently, someone on staff at a school decided to come to work while exhibiting symptoms.

The entire country is at the mid-point on the social distancing scale, but Seoul and Busan are now one level higher due to the increased number of cases. As such, Busan is making the daily COVID-19 report when before it was barely even mentioned. Apparently, a particular bar in Busan was been linked to over 290 cases. If the numbers continue to rise, I expect further social distancing measures to be enacted. We'll wait and see.

As for school, we have switched from 1/3 of students studying online to now having 2/3 of students studying online each week. I appreciate this because it reduces my workload somewhat, but it is difficult for the students and also the families that have to accommodate having their students at home throughout the day.

Midterm exams are next week for the grade 2 and grade 3 students at my middle school. Because 2/3 of students have to stay home each week, these grades cannot be at the school at the same time to write their exams. Adjustments were made so the grade 3s will come to school in the mornings to write their exams, and the grade 2s will come in the afternoon for their exams. This will ensure that the school is adequately socially distanced, but it is very difficult for everyone to manage this kind of schedule.

If the rising COVID-19 case numbers weren't enough, there have been problems with the acquisition and delivery of the vaccines. Currently, South Korea is primarily using the AstraZeneca vaccine plus a relatively small supply of Pfizer going to the oldest members of society. AstraZeneca's vaccine has been given to 911,228 people, while 202,438 received that of Pfizer.

The goal was to reach "herd immunity" by November, but that is becoming more and more unlikely. One newspaper quoted a government official as saying that goal was merely "aspirational".

South Korea put the AstraZeneca vaccine on hold for anyone under 60 years old because of the risk of developing blood clots. After a few days, and because of the dire situation with the number rising, that decision was modified to allow anyone over the age of 40 to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, apart from health care workers, no one remotely close to the age of 40 is in line to receive the vaccine any time soon, so for now, it's a moot point. 

Last year, the mantra was just to get through 2020 then things would be better. True, 2020 was a historically bad year for the world, but 2021 is shaping up to be much the same. In any event, it looks like the entire year will be affected by COVID-19 and although vaccines are being administered, they won't have an impact on the broader population until the end of the year. Until then, we are at risk for another wave of infections. 

I kept going with my life, trying to be as flexible as possible with all of the changes from in-class to online lessons at school. I'm still able to visit cafes, the gym, and take walks at the beach. Not a lot has changed for me, except with Busan having more infections these days, I am trying to be more careful and consistent with my facemask, hand-washing, and social distancing. I'm nearly two months into my second contract, so time is certainly flying by. When I eventually return to Canada, my memories of South Korea will be fully intertwined with COVID-19. For me, Korea and COVID-19 are forever linked.

Cherry Blossom Season

It seems that with the busy start to the new school year, and the dust storms and rain, the blooming of the cherry blossoms kind of snuck up on me and I only had a few days to enjoy the pink and white colours dotted throughout the neighbourhood.

In my cursory research on cherry blossoms in Korea, I came across an interesting read on Wikipedia. It's Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of salt, but the article connects some of the politics and troubled history of Korea with cherry blossoms. Apparently, the Japanese planted some or all (it's contested) of the cherry blossoms during their occupation of Korea, and the practice of cherry blossom viewing was introduced by the Japanese. Cherry blossom viewing is still practiced long after the Japanese occupation ended, but it seems that some trees were purposefully cut down to mark the end of the occupation and to remove the symbols of Japanese imperialism. Cherry blossoms, of course, are closely tied to Japanese identity. Despite this history, cherry blossom viewing remains popular in South Korea. 

Politics and history aside, seeing the pink and white colours is a real treat after the grey and cold winter.

There are several popular cherry blossom festivals throughout Korea but all were cancelled this year due to the corona-virus pandemic. Once again, I had to settle for the trees planted along the walkways and sidewalks in my neighbourhood, and those that are planted on the school grounds. That said, they are pretty to look at and I don't have to worry about crowds obstructing my view.

My favourite part of the cherry blossoms in Busan is how the trees are planted and grow in such as way that they form a canopy over the sidewalk. It's like you are walking through a pink tunnel of cherry blossoms. When the wind blows, the peddles fall down and drop onto your head. I've walked through town and passed plenty of people only to realize later I had cherry blossoms in my hair and on my coat. The peddles that hit the ground tend to pile up on the sidewalk and get swept into a corner.

One benefit to having a school on a steep hill is the nice view of the cherry blossoms. Some of the trees are close enough to the windows that the students can reach out and grab a few peddles and throw them at their classmates. Mischievous and romantic.

The cherry blossoms are already fading and falling from the trees. It was a short and sweet season. We transition now into warmer weather, rain, insects, and later monsoons and steaming heat. I'll enjoy spring while it lasts.

Yellow Dust in Korea

Yellow dust is fine particles of soil and dirt, sometimes mixed with pollution, that get swept up in strong winds from the deserts of China and blown out across Korea, Japan, and surrounding areas. Exposure to yellow dust can have an adverse effect on respiratory health. It can also irritate the eyes and skin. Yellow dust storms typically happen in the spring season, but the air quality last year was exceptionally good. The pandemic caused many factories in China and Korea to reduce operations in the spring which greatly reduced air pollution in Korea, so the wonderful quality of air last year made the dust storm this week all the more striking.

When I lived in Japan, yellow dust was also an issue albeit an infrequent one. There, the dust never impacted my daily life. I remember a couple of times in the three years in Japan that people complained about the yellow dust from China and Korea. I wouldn't even have noticed there was a problem except after the apparent dust storm there would be a fine layer of yellowish-brown filth on my car. The windows were coated with dust. I didn't wear a mask in Japan but people in Japan often wore masks when the dust was bad.

The dust storm this week was much more noticeable and intense. Before I heard any of the warnings of the dust, I noticed that in the morning while walking up the hill to school that I was more tired than usual and climbing the hill was especially laborious. I dismissed it as just not getting enough sleep or being too out of shape. But when I got to the school on top of the hill, I looked out and realized the city was covered in a haze. Visibility was terrible on what should have been a sunny, clear day.

I use an app called MISE that provides daily updates on the air quality. On clear days, a smiley face pops up on my phone. On days with poor air quality, I'm greeted by an angry face. But on Tuesday, the worst day of the dust storm, an ominous face adorned with a gas mask let me know that the air was really bad, toxic even. The app shows a map of the city and the corresponding air quality levels. There is often some variation across the city in air quality, but on Tuesday the whole city was blanketed with yellow dust.

Korean news reported that dust levels were 10 times higher than normal and warnings had been issued for most of Korea for the first time in 6 years. It wasn't pleasant to be outside, but already wearing a mask as a precaution against COVID-19 ensured that I was at least somewhat protected from the fine dust.

Two of my students reported negative health effects after the dust storm - they had sore throats and weren't feeling well at school. Teachers were sure to close all of the windows at the school to help protect the students.

Seoul metropolitan government gives the following recommendations for what to do during yellow dust storms:

At Home and in Places that Manage Food

• Avoid going outdoors. When unavoidable, wear protective glasses, a mask and long-sleeved clothes. Wash your hands and brush your teeth once you come home.
• Close your windows to avoid any yellow dust coming in and keep the indoor air pleasant with air purifiers and humidifiers.
• Before cooking, thoroughly wash vegetables, fruits, fish and other agricultural products that may have been exposed to yellow dust.
• To avoid second-hand pollution, thoroughly wash your hands before processing food and cooking, and keep the surrounding environment clean to prevent the contamination of cooking tools and instruments.

The weather is getting nice and warm in Korea, so I want to get outside as much as possible. Hopefully, the air quality improves soon and dust storms remain rare. COVID-19 and dust storms form a sort of catch-22 since the toxic dust forces people to remain indoors with closed windows, but COVID-19 protocols encourage people to stay outside and not congregate with people indoors.

Free Talking with Derek

One of my responsibilities at my main school is to host a short, free-talking session with any students interested in practicing English conversation in an informal setting. This weekly, lunch-time gathering was cancelled for the duration of my first year at the school because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic is still a concern in Korea. Nonetheless, things are getting back to normal and we started "Free Talking with Derek" this week. It's a 30-minute gathering after the students finish their lunch. 

I eagerly awaited the students in the English room. I much prefer free talking with students to formal lessons, and I'm always happy to interact with the students in a fun way.

At first, only 3 students came, but after a few minutes, the numbers swelled to 12, all from the first grade (middle school). I don't teach first grade at this school, so this is my only chance to talk with these students, besides occasionally meeting them in the hallways.

We sat in a circle, and did simple introductions, "My name is..." At the first-grade level, English is very basic, so I couldn't expect in-depth conversations, but we went around the circle answering a few different questions like, "What subject/food/drink/ do you like?" Students responded with, "I like...". Simple enough.

I played a little game where we went around the circle naming "sports" and if a person hesitated or couldn't name a sport, then they were out, and we continued until only one person remained. It was pretty fun, but the students spoke so quietly under their masks that I was having trouble hearing them. Before long, our time was up, we concluded the first session of "Free Talking with Derek", and the students went to their afternoon classes.

I supplement the textbook material with free topic lessons in my regular classes, and this week I did an April Fools' Day lesson with my third graders. I started the class by asking the students about their pets and I tried to play a little trick by saying my pet was a "Canadian House Hippo." I played this old video in class on House Hippos which is actually a promotion to get people to be more critical in their media consumption. This transitioned into my lesson on April Fools Day and some key vocabulary, such as "tricked, fooled, gotcha, and straight face."  It was a good lesson to get students talking and be a little creative with language.

They liked "gotcha" the best. I taught them that you say "gotcha" after you trick someone. Almost immediately, a boy in class said to a girl, "You are so pretty... Gotcha!" Laughs all around.

The main activity was for the students to tell a simple story, which could either be true or false, and other students would have to ask three questions before guessing if the story was true or false. It was really fun overall, but some students weren't very creative in their stories.  Most students had simple stories like "I have a younger brother" or "My favourite food is pizza."

One boy's story was that he went to Paris. The students asked him, "Who did you go with?" and "When did you go there?" I asked the boy, "What did you eat in Paris?"  He answered slowly, "Fish and Chips". I was laughing so hard I almost fell over in the class. Somewhere along the way, he learned about London and people eating fish and chips, then confused it with Paris. It was just perfect - an obviously false story.

I guess this qualifies as another instance of "free talking" but I met someone in a cafe who was not grounded in this reality (i.e., someone with a mental health issue). I was reading my book when I noticed a hard stare from him. Then he approached, asked where I was from. "Canada," I responded, then he asked if we could have an English conversation while he waited for his coffee drink to be made. I said, "Sure." He had in his hand a packet of English and American short stories, clearly something he was reading for university, and he showed it to me as some sort of proof that he knew English. I hoped that we would talk about literature, but the conversation quickly moved into the realm of the insane.

This interaction reminded me of living in downtown Toronto where it's not uncommon to be approached by someone in a cafe, often mentally unstable, who'd like to get money from you after launching into their weird-ass story. This Korean guy didn't ask for money and he looked fairly normal, although he kept taking off and putting on his mask while I remained masked the whole time.

He said that he hated his country (South Korea) and he hated its president. His diatribe, which lasted 15 minutes, covered various crazy conspiracy theories about how COVID-19 got into Korea (it was planned, apparently) and he went off on the religious sect that was at the centre of the first outbreak, along with some "unnamed German man", the Chinese in Wuhan, and the South Korean president. 

I sat silently and in shock while he eventually worked himself into an angry state and dropped a few f-bombs about how angry he was. He proceeded to talk about some religious nonsense about war and needing to destroy the religious cult. He needed help from the "Justice League" of USA, Canada, and Europe for this battle. Angels were on his side and would help him win. Apparently, he had experienced a miraculous event at one point, but he "didn't care what the f*** people believed" as long as we destroyed the religious cult. He wouldn't forgive them for what they've done to Korea. 

Trying to end the conversation, I wished him luck. He said that good luck wasn't needed. The victory was inevitable, according to the bible. He only needed time, but time was irrelevant because he believed in time travel, and he was really into Marvel comic book movies. 

He reassured me that he wasn't a crazy person. By the way, when someone feels the need to reassure you that they aren't crazy, they most definitely are crazy. To all my non-crazy readers, when was the last time you felt the need to say "I'm not crazy" to a complete stranger?

While I was in shock because nothing like this has ever happened to me in Korea, I was able to keep calm. I didn't really feel in danger, just very uncomfortable. Generally speaking, it's best not to give these kinds of people any stimuli to feed off of, and they'll finish what they have to say and leave. That's basically what I did. I just nodded my head and offered one-word responses. 

In my mind, I had two scenarios, should they be needed, but I guess that was a little dramatic. First, it so happened that the manager of the cafe was sitting behind me with a group. I would have gotten her attention, even though she doesn't speak English, if I needed her. Second, I was ready to throw my lukewarm latte in his face and smash his head into the table, but like I said, that was overly dramatic. No harm in having a plan, though.

I do feel sorry for him, but I'm actually worried that he will hurt someone someday. I say that based on how easily and unprovoked he got angry and how detached from reality he was. I suspect most of his human interactions, apart from his university classes, are online where extreme views can go unchecked. I hope he gets help and I would prefer never to see him again.

The week ended more positively when I had a video call with two friends and former adult students in Japan. I hadn't seen them in years and I didn't expect them to be interested in a Zoom call, but they initiated it and I was happy to oblige. For one friend, it was her first-time using Zoom. We spoke in English but they occasionally spoke Japanese to each other, and it brought back warm memories hearing their voices.

Seoul City Government Mandates Coronavirus Tests for All Foreign Workers

When it comes to COVID-19 in South Korea, the results are mixed. After China, South Korea was one of the first countries to be severely infected by the virus. It was a hotspot and life here was very uncertain. I had just arrived and there were reports of foreigners deciding to leave the country, or at least considering the idea. 

South Korea was soon applauded for gaining control of the outbreak and the numbers dropped. South Korea, along with Taiwan and Singapore, became a model for the world. There was much praise and back-patting amongst Korean leaders in the press.

A year later, South Korea has managed to keep the virus infection rates low, except for a few spikes throughout the year. However, the Korean government has been heavily criticized for its inability to secure vaccines for the population when other countries are much further ahead in vaccinating their people. For instance, South Korea was at least one month behind Canada in starting to vaccinate frontline health workers. I don't know when I will receive a vaccine in South Korea, but estimates are for the late summer/early fall. It seems that if I were living in Canada, I could reasonably expect to be vaccinated several months sooner, in June.

Apart from the delay in securing vaccines, there have been some reactionary and nonsensical policies directed at South Korea's foreign population during the pandemic.

In an attempt to prevent a new outbreak in Seoul, which has by far the most cases in Korea, the city government has mandated that all foreign workers in that city be tested for COVID-19. It goes without saying that the virus does not discriminate between Koreans and foreigners, but apparently the city government of Seoul does.

The objective of the mandate is to prevent the spread of the virus amongst foreign factory workers who work and live in close quarters. I'm sure it's unnecessary to point out that Koreans in Seoul also work in factories, and are likewise situated in close working and living quarters - yet only the foreign workers are mandated to get tested. According to the Korea Herald, foreigners account for only 6.3% of all COVID-19 cases in Seoul.

This policy has been criticized as "lacking a scientific basis" and "impinging on the human rights" of the foreign population in Seoul, many of whom have lived in the country for years. The mandate was chastised by the foreign population, including the diplomatic missions and ambassadors from Britain and France, and there are early reports that the policy may be modified.

Likewise, I received a communication from the Canadian Embassy in Seoul about their response to the mandate, which they worried would further contribute to the "social stigmatization of foreigners in South Korea." Canadians in the Seoul area are advised to follow the mandate as it is, but the embassy is hopeful that the policy will be changed.

Dear Canadian citizen,

You are receiving this email because you are registered with the Government of Canada’s Registration of Canadians Abroad service. 

Mandatory PCR testing of foreigners working in Korea

You are all very aware that, in response to recent COVID-19 outbreaks, Korean authorities have implemented mandatory PCR testing of foreigners working in a number of provinces and municipalities.

Since first learning about these policies on March 8th, the Embassy has made numerous representations to the appropriate authorities in Korea, expressing our concerns and cautioning against measures that could contribute to the social stigmatization of the foreign community. We have adjusted the Travel Advisory to reflect any changes as they have been reported to us.

Specifically related to the administrative order issued in Seoul, recent commentary from a variety of sources has referenced the possibility of changes to these measures.  While further amendments may indeed occur, in an effort to increase clarity you will find attached an FAQ provided to the Embassy by Seoul City on March 18th.

Thankfully this policy does not apply to me as I live in Busan, but foreign English Teachers in Seoul are scrambling to get tested.

Last year, there was an outbreak in Itaewon in Seoul, an area with many foreign shops, restaurants, and nightclubs. Naturally, Itaewon is a popular destination for foreigners and Koreans alike. Upon word of the outbreak, there was a nation-wide mini panic targeted at foreigners. Employers needed to know if their foreign teachers had been to Itaewon during that timeframe. 

Itaewon is on the opposite side of the country, but I received calls and emails from my employer, after hours, urgently needing to know if I had been to Itaewon. It wasn't just that they "needed to know" if I had visited Itaewon, it was official business and I had to complete paperwork attesting to my movements and whereabouts. Korean teachers were not subjected to the same scrutiny even though they could've just as easily visited Itaewon.

Viewing foreigners as a single entity seems to be the default and often when the Koreans make policy, it is directed at "the foreigners" even if it doesn't make scientific or logical sense. They have it in their mind that foreigners are more responsible for this pandemic and are prone to irresponsible behaviour, even though there are ample examples of Korean misdeeds that have led to outbreaks (recall Churches violating social distancing rules and failing to provide information on their membership, making it more difficult to track and combat virus spread).

UPDATE:

Seoul has withdrawn the mandate to test all foreign workers because of criticism from "foreigners, medical workers, and the human rights commission." As often happens with these ridiculous, unjustifiable policies, there is some backtracking after sufficient uproar. However, it is only a matter of time before some Korean official gets nervous and decides, despite all evidence to the contrary, that "foreigners" are the problem and concocts a similar nonsensical response. 

Having Fun in English Class

Teaching in Korea can be awkward and exhausting. There are plenty of uncomfortable silences and blank stares when the students don't understand or don't feel like participating. My Korean co-teachers sometimes interfere in the most frustrating ways during the lessons. There are unexpected interruptions, like today, when half the class needed to leave early for lunch-serving duty in the cafeteria. Still, I try to find simple ways to have fun as a teacher.

I start every lesson with a few basic questions for the students to get the conversation going like "How is the weather? What did you do last night? What food do you like?"  Whenever I ask "What drink do you like?" I pull the same gag. Students respond, "I like tea, I like milk, I like cola," then I pretend to mishear a student and say "Oh my god, you like soju!!!" Soju is an alcoholic drink here in Korea. The student gets all embarrassed and everyone laughs. It's fun. Most recently, I did this and the co-teacher, who isn't in on the gag, comes rushing over and says "She said juice. Juice! Not soju!" Okay lady, thanks for the correction. I didn't really believe the kid's favourite drink was liquid fire.

I give out participation points during the lesson. Each time a student raises their hand and gives an answer, I award one point. At the end of the class, whichever team has the most points wins and gets a prize, usually stickers and sometimes chocolate. I ask the students, "What subject do you like?" They answer, "I like PE. I like art. I like science." I award one point. When a student says, "I like English." I enthusiastically give two points. It usually gets a good reaction from the class. Some students think it's not fair and others love it. The problem becomes that every student tries to get those extra points by answering "I like English."

Whenever I meet a class for the first time, it's customary that I do a self-introduction lesson. I put together a PowerPoint presentation on myself, my family, hobbies, and Canadian culture. It's disappointing when this lesson is online or recorded because the students' first interaction with me is through a screen. But when it's in-person, I have some fun with it by showing my family photo and each family member. Then I point to myself and say, "That's me, your handsome teacher." It's usually good for a few laughs. I reinforce it during a later lesson on nicknames. I tell the students that my nickname is "Handsome Man." Sometimes the students will call me "Handsome Teacher" when they see me. Why not pump up my ego when I can? You know they could call me much worse things. Remember, this is middle school.

Sometimes, if I get to the classroom a little early, I like to mess around by moving the students' stuff. I might take a pencil case from one desk and then put it on another. Then I sit back and enjoy the chaos when students accuse each other of shenanigans. I usually make sure that another student sees me do it, so they can set the record straight after a while.

Another running gag is that a few minutes before class starts, I ask the kids if they are ready for the big English test today. Of course, there isn't a big English test, but the reaction is priceless - gasps, stunned and confused faces. "What? What? Teacher? A big test?" The poor girl in the front row today was stupefied until I told her I was just joking. Then I ask the kids "Don't you like tests?" and they respond "NO! We don't like tests!" There's always a smart ass who wants the test.

I teach 21 different classes per week, so thankfully I can reuse my same gags over and over again, especially when the classes are in-person. It's really just me having fun and hopefully building a good rapport with the students. Also, as one of the few foreigners that they've been exposed to in their young lives, I hope to show them that school doesn't have to be serious and stressful all of the time. Ultimately, I would love them to have a positive impression of me and Canada and hope that they would travel someday and experience other cultures. Learning to enjoy speaking English will hopefully help in that regard.