#esllife

[lilxceejay]

My creations 🥰 #Musical #esllife #scripts #뮤지컬 #대본 (at Apgujeong-dong) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2N1qj5n7Q9/?igshid=py6hfi7lunvt

[robertaroberta]

for all my grammar ocd pals (most especially @emmajarvis1986), i've recreated the singular/plural conflicted cat shirt that was discussed on monday. Merry christmas #ESLlife #100drawingsin100days #100daysofdrawing #81 (at Wharf Mansion)

[the-kimchi-queen-blog]

Haven't been loving this past week in the slightest. This little guys cuteness makes up for a lottttt

[the-kimchi-queen-blog]

Training week is over!!

I cannot believe the craziness called Chungdahm training week is over! It was an intense yet fundamentally necessary experience. I have learnt so much and made some incredible friends who I will be working with for the next year at Gangseo- our branch in Western Seoul. Orientation Monday morning was at Chungdahm Headquarters, a 20-minute shuttle from Coatel Hotel, where we the trainee’s are put up in Gangnam. Our group met in the lobby bright and early and went over the usual greetings- where are you from, why Korea, when did you get here? We also did a small amount of grumbling about how hungry we were since we were instructed not to have food or drink in anticipation of our health tests. Upon arrival at Headquarters, we were separated into smaller training groups (1-3 people) whom with we would spend the week learning and mock teaching with. I was incredibly nervous and definitely butchered my first attempt at mocking, but was proud of how much I improved over the week. Receiving feedback from not only my trainer but also my co-teachers was extremely helpful in developing my teaching skills. Make no mistake- I was shaky nervous my first few times, but training week is designed to push you to work as hard as possible, and absorb a lot of information. Finally, on Monday afternoon we were taken to our medical testing. After being ushered into the medical centre, we handed over our paperwork and were given robes and sandals, with gender specific colouring of course. Next we were rocketed (and I mean rocketed!) through the various medical tests. We all had an EKG, eye exam, hearing test, dental exam, blood work, blood pressure tests, and gave a urine sample. I think we all were surprised by how quickly our entire group was processed, it was seamless. After Monday, the rest of the weekdays were similar in structure- off to training early in the day, a group lunch, and then studying/prep time in the afternoon and evening. Despite the heavy workload our group had a lot of fun together and bonded rather quickly, usually over some delicious food. One of the food highlights was a Caffé Benne that hosted a large variety of cream cheese. Caffé Benne is a coffee shop in Korea, as popular as Starbucks in North America, but with a larger food selection. Conveniently located by Chungdahm Headquarters is a Caffé Benne that specializes in cream cheese bagels, which unfortunately not all of them do. Cream cheese flavours such as wasabi, raspberry cheesecake, potato bacon, and green tea were all on the menu. My favourite was the lemon cream cheese my friend Johanna had- a serious symphony of sweet goodness. Finally, on Friday after our final test and rounds of mock teaching in front of our trainer, we were told we passed! I was thrilled and relieved. After sorting out some logistical information, I went out for lunch with my friend Hanna during which we said at least 10 times “wow, training week is over!” Training week is undoubtedly a stressful process. You’re brand new in a country where you don’t speak the language, are experiencing some sort of jetlag, and immediately must perform. While mocking seemed daunting at first, believe me it gets so much better. You eventually begin to realize how essential practicing is to being prepared for your first day in the class. The best part of training week is that you’re not experiencing it alone. You are surrounded by a group of people who understand and relate to your stress, excitement, and (if you’re lucky) constant hunger and caffeine addiction. If I could give some advice to someone heading into training week I would say get as much sleep as possible, get to know your co-teachers well, and maintain a positive attitude. Although you may not understand the reasoning behind everything, trust the process and try your best!

[the-kimchi-queen-blog]

stuDYING

Prepping my life away wondering why I chose a country with the strongest work ethic to come and teach in? Regardless, I love love love it here. Training week is so intense for a reason- Chungdahm’s the best. 2 more days till the weekend!

[willthatfitinmysuitcase]

Japan

As I have already kind of alluded to, I will be leaving to teach in Japan for a year starting in August.

I'm extremely excited about it but have recently become quite anxious.

I'm a UN kid.  We moved frequently for my dad's work and I have a pretty international background, i.e. being from Sierra Leone, growing up in London, living in America, travelling loads etc.  That being said, I don't have many issues when it comes to being dropped in new environments, I'm used to it.  I find it very easy to adapt to new cultures and make my way.

Indonesia was tougher than Turkey because I was by myself, but I survived.  I am a social person and I talk a lot, so I find it easy to acclimate.  Turkey was easy and such a relief because it was the first time I worked with a company and therefore I had other Americans to relate to who were new to the country and new to our situation and so we had each other to bounce off of when we were having issues.

It's funny that when I first started this journey, my main concern was the teaching.  I was new to the field and was so worried about what being in the classroom would be like.  Now that is the furthest thing from my mind.  I had good training.  My masters program really prepared me with the tools for being in the classroom.  It is a breeze for me.  I honestly don't even bat an eyelid.  I love being there and I feel comfortable.

This week we had orientation and I got to meet the other ALTs.  For the first time in years, I felt very intimidated.  They have all already been to Japan.  A majority of them have studied Japanese.  They are familiar with the cultural aspects that I am not familiar with.  They seem a lot more prepared for this adventure than I am.

One thing that I have enjoyed about being in my 30s was really learning who I was and appreciating that and not comparing myself to others.  I'm human though and it's natural to do so when there is an overwhelming amount of data to look at.  

I'm not too worried, but I definitely am having some feelings of inadequacy.  I've found myself frantically trying to research more in preparation.  I know it's silly, and I know the feeling will pass soon, but today is Thursday, and orientation was on Tuesday so I'm still thinking about it.  Fortunately, I'm not a dweller, dwelling on things takes up too much space and I also happen to find it quite annoying.  I'll be over it next week.  I just figured writing about it would speed the process up. ;)