First Day of Class!

Today was my first day actually teaching. I was definitely a bit nervous, but more nervous that I wouldn't satisfy or live up to the expectations of my co-teacher. The co-teacher that I worked with today is the one I was most worried about - 6th grade at Allak Dong. Mrs Moon (I'm probably spelling her name horribly wrong but that's what it sounds like) is my co-teacher for these classes. She just came back from maternity leave so she had been out for a while. She is very very nice, but older than my other co-teachers (not old though - I don't know I would say maybe in her early mid 30s), and especially since she has kids, it is less easy for me to relate to her than with the other younger co-teachers whom I could go hang out with.

Anyway -the first period was a little rough - of course it would be though, my first experience teaching a class of 30 students. I froze a few times, and in my first class I definitely wasn't as fun as I was for the next two because I was a bit nervous and didn't know what to expect or how to react...but as the day went on I definitely relaxed and learned some techniques pretty fast. I got to sing a lot though! That was great. (6th graders don't necessarily like to sing...)

The second and third periods were a lot better - less nervous, but still made a few mistakes. But it was my first day, what can you expect? I finished the day with three classes, and was pretty tired from that (I'm still recovering from the weekend!) I studied some Korean for a bit...looked at some lesson plans...some 4th graders (who I don't teach in Allak Dong) came in and gave me another gift - a nice little planner - they are SO cute - and then Su Jeong (Crystal) and another woman who has been helping me, took me to get some more furniture. We went to order a mirror, tv stand, and a table (I got the table that is really close to the ground...so you have to sit on the floor...I'm so excited! A table with chairs just won't go well with the ambiance in my apartment). Then we went back to school to meet some other teachers for dinner.

Five of us ended up going to a place called VIPS - it is almost like an American restaurant - it looks like Joe's American Bar and Grill from the outside - but it is like a steak and salad bar. I was kind of bummed that we wouldn't be having Korean food, but it ended up being like a Korean salad bar, but also with cookies and tiramisu and tortillas and mini hotdogs and soup, etc. I ate SO much! I love the girls I went out with - Su-Jeong (Crystal), Ji-an Ani (Ani is apparently something you add to the end of a person's name when they are female and older than you - it is like saying "older sister"), (so technically I should call Crystla Su-Jeong Ani), and two other girls whose names I still have to memorize. They are all SO nice. They also insisted on buying me a cell phone tonight - I wasn't going to ask, although I know sometimes English teachers can get their co-teachers to pt the phone under his or her name until the native English teacher gets his or her Alien Registration Card, which sometimes takes nearly a month, but Su-Jeong offered to put the phone under her name - so we went and got a cell phone after dinner! It's pretty awesome, I won't lie...

Tomorrow I go to teach my first day at Dong Sang Elementary. I have to get some good rest for that, and also to prepare for my next track workout on Wednesday!! This weekend should be great becasue it is Chosuk, Korean Thanksgiving, and so we don't have school from September 12 to September 17, so I will be doing a lot of exercising and sleeping! And studying Korean!