Where To Next?

If you thought Korean students received a long, glorious summer break before the fall semester, you thought wrong.

Many students sign up for a summer camp.  Different schools have different options.  Some have drama camps, English camps, science camps, and just about every type of camp relating to a school subject.  Some camps last for one or two days with eight hours per day.  Other camps last for a week with only about two or three hours per day.

I taught an English camp of course, no one would learn anything if I taught a science camp.

I’m sure some students volunteered on their own, but it wouldn’t surprise me if parents pushed some of them into camps so they wouldn’t be lazing around the house all summer.

The semester ended two weeks ago, and it will be another three weeks until the next semester starts, basically summer vacation lasts a month in public schools.

And for the lucky students who didn’t sign up for a camp, many of them just go to a private academy where they can study all day.  Fun, fun, fun.

Now when it comes to the English teachers, being in charge of a camp is a hit or miss situation.

Worst case scenario: you don’t get to choose any of the materials or any ideas for the camp even though you’re the one who will be teaching, your co-teacher never communicates with you about what is going on, you have huge classes of rowdy kids who don’t want to be there, you teach boring lessons, and you have to stay until 5 pm even though camp ends at noon

Best case scenario: you get to come up with fun ideas for camp, the school gives you a nice budget for games and posters, you and your co-teacher communicate well to come up with the best camp possible, maybe you can even play a movie for one of the days, you have a small class of students who actually volunteered to be there because they are interested in the subject, you get to eat plenty of snacks with the students, and you get to go home at noon

Fortunately my experience was more like the latter scenario.

one day I got juice after class with two of my students

The first camp I taught at was a last minute job as one of my schools cancelled all of their camps.  It was way out in the country, right next to Independence Hall.  I came up with some games and word puzzles and my co-teacher brought some worksheets.

My class only had four students and my co-teacher kept things laid back.

The second camp was at my country school and my class only had 10 students. They were third graders, my favorite grade to teach.  They are are a lot less moody than second graders and a lot more independent and mature than first graders.

12 or 13 years old = American 7th grade = Korean Middle School 1st grade

13 or 14 years old = American 8th grade = Korean Middle School 2nd grade

14 or 15 years old = American 9th grade = Korean Middle School 3rd grade

We read and discussed a few of Aesop’s fables and they got to make posters, give presentations, and played games.  On the last day, we all ate instant ramen together, good times!

I hoped they actually learned something, maybe I’ll give them a quiz on the fables when we get back to regular classes.  I’m kidding, I’m not cruel.

I could never pretend I am an expert on the Korean public school system but after working in two different schools for a few months, I have noticed some quirks.  These quirks are new for me, as someone whose entire education took place in America.  Maybe if I grew up here, I would not find them so strange.

1. The physicality of students

On my first day of classes, I was certain I would have to break up 10 fights.  All the boys seemed to be rough housing and teachers just walked past them going on about their day.  Now the students come up to me and say “teacher it’s not a fight, they are playing”.  Thanks kids.  I’ve only experienced 3 “legitimate” fights so far.

But it’s not just the play fighting, the students are also incredibly affectionate with each other.  The girls will sit on their friends’ laps and braid their hair and boys will hold hands when they walk down the hallway.  All of this PDA stays between friends of the same sex, I have never seen girlfriends and boyfriends hold hands or cuddle.  Koreans have their own Konglish word for this affection, “skinship”.

2. The food is actually good, and healthy, and there’s plenty of it

I usually brought a sandwich with some chips and fruit to lunch when I was in school.  The school lunch always looked unappetizing, and the few times I had school lunch, my predictions were correct.  America has a reputation for giving out unhealthy foods like greasy hamburgers, tater tots, and pizza to their students and they served only tiny amounts of food.

Korean students get a healthy and filling meal that always has rice, soup, and kimchi, and then a kind of meat like grilled fish or stir-fried pork and a fruit or vegetable.  On special days, students also get a small piece of cake or maybe fruit sherbert.

I don’t remember ever getting fresh kiwis, sweet and sour chicken, pasta with fresh tomatoes, or tofu soup in American schools.  While I sometimes skip the kimchi, the food at both schools has been delicious.  Although sometimes it is too spicy for my weak taste buds.

3. The lack of supervision, and the ping pong table in the hall

When I was in school, I needed to have a hall pass to go anywhere.  You couldn’t go to the bathroom, to the library, or to the room next door without a hall pass.  The Vice Principal roamed the halls making sure no students were walking around unsupervised.  I’m not saying students here run wild but they don’t need written permission for every move they make.  The students also play ping pong in the hallway and it doesn’t seem like they need permission to do it.

4. The lack of sports teams

I know there are special schools for students focusing on athletics but at normal schools there aren’t any soccer, volleyball, or baseball teams.  They all have to take P.E. class but there are not official sports teams.  The clubs are academic, such as a debate club, and a lot of times when students stay after school, it’s for a study group.  My students are getting ready for final exams and they have exams in 11 subjects.  With that many tests, it’s no wonder they have no time for sports.

5. Punctuality doesn’t seem to be a concern

If you showed up late to class at my middle school you got written up, and if you did it repeatedly you got a detention.  Some students here don’t even walk into the classroom until after the bell rings.  Teachers also show up to their own classes late, so I guess they can’t get angry when students do the same.

No matter the quirks, I enjoy the view.