When kids drive me... KraZie

On Thursday & Friday last week, it was as if there was something in the air... all my classes (including the little ones in Kindergarten) were just uncontrollable! Why they feel the need to scream at each other, hit & kick each other is simply beyond me

Nearly half the time of all my lessons were trying to get them to just CALM DOWN. My co-teacher (Joo-Hyun) and I decided to punish them. I was happy to just keep them after class for a while, but...I have come to learn that when Korean teachers punish students - they really mean it!

The kids had to sit like this until the teacher was satisfied with them and let a few of them leave and go back to their homeroom classes.

This little one doesn't look happy!

This is Kim Yong-In. I taught him in 4th Grade last year. My co-teacher & I had to take turns standing behind him with our hands on his shoulder. If I wasn't looking, he'd want to take his shoe off and throw it at someone - just for the hell of it! Or he suddenly grab a pencil, turn around and scribble on the desk behind him.

He's calmed down only a bit now that's he's in 5th Grade, but I still give him extra work to have him occupied. But he just copies other kids' work. Once, he had a red eye, and he had eye drops at school. What a nightmare. He tried squirting other kids with it and disrupted my entire lesson because of eye drops!

Looks like an innocent little angel here, right?! Bwhahahahahaha ......

Open / Demo Class

On Wednesday, October 8 2008 I had yet another Open / Demo class. We taught a 5th grade class the chapter, "What are you doing?" We had them watch an opening theme song of Winnie the Pooh... and then gave them a worksheet to complete.

The questions were based on the clip they watched.
Example: What is Tiger doing? (He is eating.)
Example: What is Piglet doing with the umbrella? (He is flying.)

I think it went off really well. We ended the class with a game of snakes & ladders - keeping in line with the theme of the lesson.

Sincheon ABC Land

My school has a new English classroom called "Sinchen ABC Land"

Blinds in the one classroom

What we drew on the touch screen TV / electric whiteboard

The awesome touch screen TV / electric whiteboard.

These pics are from the classroom that I teach in.
This is like a glass board, but it's a whiteboard.

View of the front of the classroom. That's my desk on the left.

View of the classroom. Those are different 'booths' which will be used for roleplay.

I took the photo that they printed on the pull down blinds!

The photo that's printed on the blinds is of our dining room
back home in East London, SA!

The blinds have various pictures (airport, shops etc...) with vocabulary at the bottom.

Outside in the passage

The door of my classroom


One of the students playing hangman on the touch screen TV / electric whiteboard.

Mama Mia! ~ The Movie

On Sunday, October 5 2008 I went to see Mama Mia! The Movie. I absolutely loved it! Meryl Streep, in the lead role was fantastic. It's almost impossible to feel bored at any time during the film, as the songs and dancing keep you at the edge of your seat at all times. It's amazed me how they've created a script based on ABBA's music. The film was set in Greece, which was a breathtaking backdrop.

Images from Google Images

Fishing on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Fishing is a popular hobby amongst Korean men...

Seoul International Fireworks Display 2008

On Saturday, October 4 2008 I went to the Seoul International Fireworks Festival. I went last to the display last year, which was just as great. I went with 3 families (whose children I teach) and after the display, ran into Mr Lee!

There were people *everywhere*!

The family I went with

After the display, there was tight security outside the subway station.

They were only allowing a few people in at a time.

After the display with the mums and Mr Lee

Ganghwa Road Trip (1)

On Friday, October 3 2008 I went on a road trip with my Korean father, Mr Lee (a 4th grade homeroom teacher at my school).

We went to Ganghwa, an island in the estuary of the Han River. It is the 5th largest island in South Korea & is a division of Incheon Municipality. It is separated from Gimpo on the mainland by a narrow channel which is spanned by 2 bridges.

Extra info from wikipedia.