Mondays, as you might have read, I'm in Wolya, which is about 15 miles northeast of Hampyeong. Tuesdays, on the other hand, I'm a little bit closer; I teach in Singwang (pronounced Sheen-Gwahng), which is a small, small town about 7 or 8 miles straight north of Hampyeong. It's a bit closer, and I actually catch a ride with my co-teacher, Ben, every day. Getting up at about 7:30 for an 8:15 car ride beats getting up at 6:30 for a 7:30 bus any day of the week. Speaking of my co-teacher, here he is:
In this photo, we have Ben (my co-teacher at Singwang) and I engaging the 5th graders in what's thankfully their favorite thing to do: participate and challenge each other to some games. We had a standoff during which we'd show pictures, and they'd have to make up sentences to ask each other in 10 seconds. The other team of 2 would have to answer back in about 10 seconds, and so on, and so forth. From left to right: William, Scott, Sally, and Judy.
My co-teacher Ben is a really cool guy. He's straight out of Muan (pronounced Moo-Wahn), which is a short drive south of Hampyeong. He is 30 years old, lives with his family, and has a girlfriend who lives in neighboring Gwangju. As you can probably tell, he's a pretty tall, athletic dude. In that way, we make a pretty cool team, as we really like playing sports with the kids, and generally have the energy and athleticism to run around with kids all day. His English is very good, and he's always really willing to talk about anything and ask questions about how to improve his English skills. We both generally bring a lot to our lessons and we seldom have those awkward, unplanned moments in class. We sometimes play some 1-on-1 basketball after school when the kids leave and the weather is nice enough. Ben usually smokes me with his post moves and smooth mitts.
Our typical day at Singwang Elementary looks something like this:
3rd Grade, 9:10 - 9:50 am
4th Grade, 9:50 - 10:30 am
5th Grade (same class, two periods) 11:00 - 11:40 am & 11:50 am - 12:30 pm
Lunch and Relax, 12:30 - 1:30 pm
6th Grade, 1:30 - 2:10 pm
Review, Lesson Plan, Relax, 2:30 - 5:00 pm
Unlike Wolya, Singwang is a small school; in grades K-6, I would estimate about 70 students total. There are eight 3rd graders, six 4th graders, eight 5th graders, and sixteen 6th graders. All students are really energetic and pretty well behaved, with the usual exception of a few. Unlike Wolya, we are temporarily teaching in the library, as the new "English room" is still being finalized and beautified. I am told we can start working in there soon, though, which will be a great time for the kids. For now, here are a few pictures of the room in which I teach every Tuesday:
This is looking at our teaching area...pretty simple set-up, with our TV, computer stand, a few tables and chairs, and some dry erase boards. Still a little unlike your average classroom, but probably my simplest environment. Still plenty of room to run around and play games, or act out dialogues in front of class. Truth be told, the kids are always loud and fun, with the exception of the sometimes awkward, often quiet 6th graders, so we generally get the room rowdy.
Either punching myself in the face to get some laughs from the 6th graders, or pointing at my ear and telling them to listen carefully. Sam Teacher and Ben Teacher in action.
I should also mention that Singwang Elementary was the real origin of my new moniker in Korea, Sam Sam or Sam Teacher. "Sam" is a shorthand identification for "teacher" in Korean, so students will often raise their hand, looking for some help, and yelling "Sam! Sam!" It was only a matter of time before students put 2 and 2 together, and realized my first name, Sam, was also what they can call me informally. Thus, at Singwang, and eventually all other schools, I am Sam Sam. More formally, depending on student preference, I am Sam Teacher.
Here are a few more pictures from around the Singwang classroom:
Ben Teacher helping the 6th graders with their introductions.
Playing a board game. Candy is on the line, so finally the 6th graders perk up a bit.
"What do you want to do?" "I want to study English."
Life is pretty good at Singwang Elementary. The kids generally get excited, and when they have trouble doing so, the top students in the class really do challenge them to match their English level. Kids at Singwang are loud and competitive, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The classes are small, but the students really push each other. They're actually really approachable after class as well; some students help me practice Korean phrases and writing, some students want to read and do puzzles together, and some just want to play games on my phone.
So there you have Monday and Tuesday, with three more schools to come. Again, it sounds weird to say, but even though all these schools are in the same county of Hampyeong and just miles away from each other, they all have very different vibes, very different traditions, students, and personalities. It'll always be a mission to keep finding those little details and differences, and I'm looking forward to that part of the job. Up next is my Wenesday school, Sonbul Elementary! Look for a next post on that sometime in the next 48 hours.
Thanks so much to friends and family, reading at home and abroad. Thinking of you more and more this time of year. All the best, and all my love,
Sam Teacher
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