"The New Teacher"

All day yesterday and today (as in from 10am-7pm), I was training/observing at Kid's College in an attempt to somewhat figure out what teaching at the school should look like.  It was interesting, educational, scary and an array of many other emotions.  The kids that I will be teaching are absolutely adorable.  I think my students and I will all get along quite well once we get used to each other.  (For some reason, almost all the children are scared of me right now and not just the ones in my classroom.  They refuse to look me in the eye, and one girl almost cried because of my presence yesterday.  The verdict is still out on why..)  Anyway, no matter what room I was in, as I hopped around watching different teaching styles and listening to instruction on different subject matter, I heard one thing almost immediately upon entering the door jam of each room.  "Teacher, who is that?"  Most current teachers introduced me as "Miss Kendall, the new teacher," to which murmurs of new teacher repeatedly floated around the room amongst the students.  It was in this repetitive scene that I realized for the next few weeks, at least, I would simply be known as "new teacher."

It's quite an odd thing in South Korea (at least by American standards I should first clarify).  The titles that describe the profession of many people actually end up taking over their names.  In example, the children call every teacher at Kid's College by the title of teacher rather than Miss Kendall or Miss Andrea or Mr. Nate. It is an absolute lost cause to even try to correct them every time they say it.  And this isn't simply with teachers.  People who drive are simply called driver instead of by name, and people that cook are simply called cook.  As excited as I am to begin teaching and to form relationships with each and every child in my classroom, the thought of continuously hearing "teacher, teacher, teacher" as 12 students all compete to display their English language skills to me about sends me over the edge.  I suppose this is a cultural oddity I will simply have to get over.

On another note, I went to dinner tonight with all the teachers at Kid's College, as well as our two bosses.  It was nice to have some time to talk with the teachers outside of school and get to know them.  I'm still trying to figure out the exact relationships between the teachers.  It appears to me to be a rather intricate and complex web...oh boy!

I move into my apartment and begin teaching on Thursday.  And let me tell you, I can't get out of this guesthouse soon enough.  Guesthouse horror stories will have to wait for another time though, because right now I am exhausted.

Love from around the World,

KendallCooke