A few things I've learned

I have been teaching Korean students for about a month now and here are a few important lessons I learned.

1. When students say they want to learn American music, they mean they want to learn popular songs I know nothing about. Arcade Fire was not a big hit with the kids.

2. For lower level students, content based lesson plans is not an option. My lesson discussing the difference between pluralistic majorities and absolute majorities disintegrated into "here... do this crossword for twenty minutes."



It finally dawned on me that all my plans for teaching and discussing intangible ideas and big issues is probably not going to work. The lowering of my standards was evidenced by my willingness to sing and dance to Backstreet Boys for the class. A little part of me died that day, but at least the students used English. To teach English to low level students in Korea, a person has to be okay with making a fool of him or herself every day. In short, I am an articulate clown that can't juggle. No child left behind, right?



Life outside of school is good. I learned recently how beautiful the area around Gurye really is. There is a monastery called Hweomsa that sits on Jirisan Mountain. It is a ten minute ride on my scooter which I learned is a little dangerous. To be clear, there are road signs and traffic lights but only in the same way that there are homeless people in DC. Most people just casually disregard their presence and some even have outright contempt for them. I just follow Chicago rules, just do what the guy in front of you is doing.