Love and Hate

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The last few weeks have been a continuation of the roller coaster ride that is Korea...

On the work front, I love the job and the kids...not a huge fan of the rest of the situation. Our branch is really busy right now because there is a new branch opening next week. Our manager and Korean staff are working overtime to get it up and running so that makes them forget or tell us things very late...

One of the most annoying things...near the end of Spring term, we finished the textbooks early for the Tuesday/Thursday classes because that class normally studies two lessons a day and moves faster than the Monday/Wed./Friday classes. So Cindy and I were thinking, what are we gonna do with those kids at the end of the term? Apparently during Winter Term, they had those days off...not this time around. ONE day before we were to teach classes, we find out that we have to teach 3 classes worth of science lessons instead of normal classes. I wouldn't normally mind, I think science can be fun, but can I get more than a day's notice?! Luckily, working in Japan prepared me for late notices and pulling activities out of a hat so I made two worksheets that were level appropriate and things worked out well.

We're on the new term now...during Spring Term, I had 103 students and 6 classes a day, 5 days a week. Cindy and I had the most classes and the most students. Why I was given the toughest workload as a newcomer still baffles me...I must be that good? Pretty much the whole term I was wondering this because there are other teachers who had been there longer than me. Larger, tougher workload...WHY ME??

Starting the new term, I was assured things would be better....LIES!

I DO teach less children now, that's a plus. And most of them are not as demonic as my one evil class from Spring Term. Those are the pluses. Here comes the best part...I teach not only 6, but 7 classes on Mon./Wed./Fri.! That doesn't sound so bad right? Well...imagine this. Arriving at noon to check homework online, prepare lessons, make copies, stop sweating. Then teaching back to back classes from 2:30pm-7:00pm, getting a 45 minute break in which to grade word tests, eat dinner, pee, breathe, rest voice, try not to hate the world. Then teaching ONE 6-year old (ish?), who is our lowest level so he's just barely learned to write the alphabet and he's tiny so he's really sleepy and tired because his class goes from 7:05pm-8:30pm three days a week. I'm trying to keep myself awake and energetic so he doesn't get bored and stays on task. We do jumping jacks, long jumps or just walk around to stay awake sometimes.

Again, I love the kids...but I hate the schedule! By 8:30pm I usually haven't finished grading the tests, if I didn't bring food, I'm starving. I'm usually sleepy and cranky and I just want to leave. I end up bringing the tests home to grade because I need to eat or I just plain need a break from being at work for 9 hours everyday.

I'm just trying to stay positive now because this schedule won't change. PLUS in July and August we're offering Summer Intensive courses so that means we'll have to work extra. We'll be working in the morning and in the afternoon/night. This is putting a damper on my workout schedule...I think I'm gaining weight again. I used to get up early and exercise. Now I get up early and veg because I just want to relax before going to work again. Or I'm finishing up work from the night before.

I want work to stay at work...I've been taking so much of it home and it makes me hate work because it's always around me. I can't wait until I go to Thailand next month....a MUCH deserved vacation.

For now...to relieve stress, I'll be yelling at the TV during World Cup matches. The teams I'm supporting are: Ghana, Cameroon, South Korea, Cote D'Ivoire, Mexico, and USA. In fact, I'm up now at 4:43am on a Sunday early moring watching the Cameroon game v. Denmark....super exciting!! I wish Cameroon would win. I hope African teams make it far...GO AFRICA!!

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Comments

[Amy]

Others
Sounds like the other teachers should be teaching those extra classes....since they have more free time!