Today we took our children on a field trip. Let me preface this story and define the infrastructure of the institution by which I am employed. Sogang University is ranked as the fourth or fifth university in terms of prestige in South Korea (so I am told). Sogang University developed a curriculum and texts to teach the English language to the youngest South Koreans. Private people begin branches of these SLP (Sogang University Language Program) "hagwons" as private businesses. Mr. and Mrs. Yang opened our school (their second) because so many students were enrolled in their first branch. Our school hosts kindergarten classes from 10 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. each day. Hagwons are schools (aside from the schools which the students normally attend) which specialize in areas such as foreign language, math, science, chess (!?!?!) and art. After our kindergarten ends, we teach older students from from 3:00 to 7:20 p.m. I only teach two kindergarten classes, but I work mainly with older students who have all ranges of English fluency.
My daily work schedule is from 11:30 am to about 7 p.m. (which is so fantastic and I will be unable to last in the real world). I teach two kindergarten classes each day and was asked to come along to help with the kindergarten field trip to "Play Museum" today. I was specifically invited to monitor a wild child, his name is Huey. Ironically enough, Huey is my favorite child in the entire SLP kindergarten. First of all, Huey has the largest head I have ever seen on a child. Koreans are known for their large craniums...but this child is five years old and is growing per ounce of kimchi consumed. Secondly, Huey has the most precious little smile (/hellacious grin). Oh my goodness. While teaching Huey's class, he dances, twirls, sings, scribbles, strategically places stickers throughout his academic materials. Yes, he's a bit on the hyperactive side and that was certainly the case at "Play Museum." Everything Huey could touch, he did it in a matter of 25 seconds. He was so sweaty from running all around the place to lay his stout little fingers on each toy in the museum. He ran over a little Korean boy with an Amish-style bowl cut about five times and it's horrible, but I smiled inside.
An additional highlight of the trip included a little boy named Toby. Each day, Toby's mother dresses him up in suspenders and a tie but he perpetually has a dissheveled appearence and his suspenders hang by his knees. Toby did forgo suspenders today, but wore these dapper little patent-leather penny loafers with blue teddy bear socks...but on the opposite feet. I have already decided that my son will be dressed as Toby, but probably act like Huey.
At lunch time, I settled down with the class of four and Huey was as dossle as a sedated lamb. He lives with his grandparents and grandma packed a sweet little lunch for a hungry baby Huey. He was eating kim bop (basically sushi excluding the fish), Korean "Funions" and Korean "Sour Patch Kids." After lunch, we all piled into our obnoxious SLP buses and shipped out. After all of that fun, I had five more classes to teach and finally ended my day tonight at 7:30.
Thank God tomorrow is Friday.
My daily work schedule is from 11:30 am to about 7 p.m. (which is so fantastic and I will be unable to last in the real world). I teach two kindergarten classes each day and was asked to come along to help with the kindergarten field trip to "Play Museum" today. I was specifically invited to monitor a wild child, his name is Huey. Ironically enough, Huey is my favorite child in the entire SLP kindergarten. First of all, Huey has the largest head I have ever seen on a child. Koreans are known for their large craniums...but this child is five years old and is growing per ounce of kimchi consumed. Secondly, Huey has the most precious little smile (/hellacious grin). Oh my goodness. While teaching Huey's class, he dances, twirls, sings, scribbles, strategically places stickers throughout his academic materials. Yes, he's a bit on the hyperactive side and that was certainly the case at "Play Museum." Everything Huey could touch, he did it in a matter of 25 seconds. He was so sweaty from running all around the place to lay his stout little fingers on each toy in the museum. He ran over a little Korean boy with an Amish-style bowl cut about five times and it's horrible, but I smiled inside.
An additional highlight of the trip included a little boy named Toby. Each day, Toby's mother dresses him up in suspenders and a tie but he perpetually has a dissheveled appearence and his suspenders hang by his knees. Toby did forgo suspenders today, but wore these dapper little patent-leather penny loafers with blue teddy bear socks...but on the opposite feet. I have already decided that my son will be dressed as Toby, but probably act like Huey.At lunch time, I settled down with the class of four and Huey was as dossle as a sedated lamb. He lives with his grandparents and grandma packed a sweet little lunch for a hungry baby Huey. He was eating kim bop (basically sushi excluding the fish), Korean "Funions" and Korean "Sour Patch Kids." After lunch, we all piled into our obnoxious SLP buses and shipped out. After all of that fun, I had five more classes to teach and finally ended my day tonight at 7:30.
Thank God tomorrow is Friday.
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