Last night was my cell group night, which is my favorite night of the week. The four of us have benefitted imeasurably from these meetings - we find the rest of the week so much less stressful than before, and we have new vitality after each meeting. I highly recommend cell groups to any Christians who live abroad.
Since last night was Diane's birthday, I thought it would be fun to surprise her with a birthday cake (Koreans make the best cakes). So, on the way to her apartment (she was hosting the meeting last night), I stopped at a bakery to pick up a cake. It is important to mention here that I was riding my bike, and that I already had a heavy purse containing my Bible and notebook (among other things), as well as the dog carrier with Jasper in it (he has a standing invitation to all cell group meetings). Now, in the mental picture that you have right now, add in a cake. Crazy? Yes.
I would like to go on record saying that carrying an overfilled purse, a dog, and a cake while riding a bicycle is a feat that should only be attempted by pros like me. Scratch that. In Korea, it should be attempted by no one. As you may recall from my comments in several other posts, Koreans drive to kill. I may as well have a target painted on my back when I'm on a bike!
Somehow, I made it to Diane's apartment with the cake, the puppy, the bike, the purse, and the Stephanie all intact (although Jasper did get a bit more jostled than usual on the ride). Beau and Michelle arrived just as I was locking my bike in the front entrance of the apartment building. As soon as Beau and I saw each other, we burst out laughing. Apparently, Beau also thought it would be nice to surprise Di with a cake! So, between four people we had two cakes!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Disception: An Excellent Teaching Tool
To encourage good behavior in my kindergartners, I use sticker charts with both classes. Good behavior gets one sticker added to a child's row on the chart, okay behavior gets one sticker, and bad behavior gets no sticker. If a kid is really terrible, I'll even remove stickers, although this has only happened twice. Usually the kids are good enough to earn two stickers.
Last week, I ran out of the little stickers that I use for the sticker charts. The only stickers I had were the larger ones I occasionally give to my older classes for good work in their books (I have one class that is absolutely nuts for stickers). I decided to attempt a little deception with the older kindies to see if I could get extra good behavior out of them. So, I announced to them on Monday that if they were "extra, extra good and very quiet," I would give them big stickers instead of the little ones. My ploy worked. I had seven little angels that day!
I tried it the next day with the same result. On Wednesday, I decided to add in some bribery, since the kids were having a hard time settling down. I've learned in teaching that rewards are much more effective than punishments, so I told the class that if they earned big stickers for that day and the next, I would bring them candy on Monday. Bingo! Seven little children closed their mouths, folded their hands, and sat silently in their little yellow chairs. You could almost see their halos gleaming in the light. Those kids would face a den of lions if there was candy at the end of it! And of course, they had no idea that the only stickers I had were the big ones!
I forgot the candy on Monday, so I brought it on Tuesday - just one little piece per child, not enough to turn them into crazy demons of destruction. The kids were so delighted with me for giving them candy that when I went around asking each child how they were feeling that day (it's how I like to start class), I got the exact same response from each kid:
"I am VERY S-tep-anie happy today!"
Last week, I ran out of the little stickers that I use for the sticker charts. The only stickers I had were the larger ones I occasionally give to my older classes for good work in their books (I have one class that is absolutely nuts for stickers). I decided to attempt a little deception with the older kindies to see if I could get extra good behavior out of them. So, I announced to them on Monday that if they were "extra, extra good and very quiet," I would give them big stickers instead of the little ones. My ploy worked. I had seven little angels that day!
I tried it the next day with the same result. On Wednesday, I decided to add in some bribery, since the kids were having a hard time settling down. I've learned in teaching that rewards are much more effective than punishments, so I told the class that if they earned big stickers for that day and the next, I would bring them candy on Monday. Bingo! Seven little children closed their mouths, folded their hands, and sat silently in their little yellow chairs. You could almost see their halos gleaming in the light. Those kids would face a den of lions if there was candy at the end of it! And of course, they had no idea that the only stickers I had were the big ones!
I forgot the candy on Monday, so I brought it on Tuesday - just one little piece per child, not enough to turn them into crazy demons of destruction. The kids were so delighted with me for giving them candy that when I went around asking each child how they were feeling that day (it's how I like to start class), I got the exact same response from each kid:
"I am VERY S-tep-anie happy today!"
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sandals Are the Enemy...
At least, according to Jasper. He has it in his head now, apparently, that my sandals are the enemies of civilization and must be destroyed. Every time I turn around I catch him growling "ferociously" at them and trying valiantly to rip them to shreds (with his tiny teeth, he can't do much damage...yet). I've been trying to convince this crazy dog that I really don't need him to defend us both against a possible sandal-onslaught, but to no avail. He's convinced that they are evil.
Jasper's other favorite toy at present is the bright orange face massager that I got for free when I bought some face scrub at The Face Shop here in Gyeongju. He looks pretty funny carrying that long orange thing around! Right now he's deep in battle against the face massager, and it's hard to say who is winning.
Honestly, I hate to recall what it was like around here before I got Jasper. That adorable little gender-confused (see an earlier post) puppy adds a lot to my life!
Jasper's other favorite toy at present is the bright orange face massager that I got for free when I bought some face scrub at The Face Shop here in Gyeongju. He looks pretty funny carrying that long orange thing around! Right now he's deep in battle against the face massager, and it's hard to say who is winning.
Honestly, I hate to recall what it was like around here before I got Jasper. That adorable little gender-confused (see an earlier post) puppy adds a lot to my life!
More Pictures of Jasper
By special request from my parents, I am posting a few more shots of Jasper:
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Beware of Questions
I've often pondered the question of what would happen if my grocery bag broke on the way home. Silly me! I should know better than to ask questions - too often they lead to answers. Like today.
Yup, I got just a few steps out the door of Lotte Mart and the shopping bag broke. Here in Korea, we have to pay for plastic shopping bags, and even though it's only about 550 won (roughly 50 cents), I don't like to waste money on extra bags. I try to do without the bag altogether whenever I can. So, I made up my mind that no matter how hard it was to transport those groceries home on my bike, I wasn't going to buy a second bag.
My parents will recall that I have a particular gift for tying knots. I utilized this ability and made enough knots to precariously hold the bag together all the way back to my apartment. I even made it up the four flights of stairs without the bag bursting, although it certainly wanted to. There's a certain satisfaction in knowing that I saved fifty cents and a bit of plastic. Plus, it was kinda fun "living on the edge," seeing if I could make it from Lotte to home without a grocery avalanche.
Yup, I got just a few steps out the door of Lotte Mart and the shopping bag broke. Here in Korea, we have to pay for plastic shopping bags, and even though it's only about 550 won (roughly 50 cents), I don't like to waste money on extra bags. I try to do without the bag altogether whenever I can. So, I made up my mind that no matter how hard it was to transport those groceries home on my bike, I wasn't going to buy a second bag.
My parents will recall that I have a particular gift for tying knots. I utilized this ability and made enough knots to precariously hold the bag together all the way back to my apartment. I even made it up the four flights of stairs without the bag bursting, although it certainly wanted to. There's a certain satisfaction in knowing that I saved fifty cents and a bit of plastic. Plus, it was kinda fun "living on the edge," seeing if I could make it from Lotte to home without a grocery avalanche.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Teaching Small Children to Set Fires
On Fridays at my school, the kindergartners do not have lessons. Instead, we do fun things with them, like crafts, "science" experiments, cooking, and field trips. Today we took them to a small playground, where we had "Science Class with Stephanie."
Cate rigged me up with a microphone so that the kids (and random passers-by) could hear me better outside. Today's "science" lesson was about magnifying glasses (this whole thing was Cate's idea, by the way). I taught the kids a few words, then showed them how to burn holes in black paper using only a magnifying glass. They struggled a bit at first, but pretty soon my eleven kindergartners became accomplished firebugs.
Later, we let them play. While they were throwing a few plastic balls, they got one stuck high up in a tree. Then it became "Game Time for Teachers!" Cate, Angel, and I spent the next fifteen minutes throwing balls, rocks, and sticks at the ball, trying to dislodge it. It was a divirting game, to say the least. Finally, the wind knocked the ball down!
Cate rigged me up with a microphone so that the kids (and random passers-by) could hear me better outside. Today's "science" lesson was about magnifying glasses (this whole thing was Cate's idea, by the way). I taught the kids a few words, then showed them how to burn holes in black paper using only a magnifying glass. They struggled a bit at first, but pretty soon my eleven kindergartners became accomplished firebugs.
Later, we let them play. While they were throwing a few plastic balls, they got one stuck high up in a tree. Then it became "Game Time for Teachers!" Cate, Angel, and I spent the next fifteen minutes throwing balls, rocks, and sticks at the ball, trying to dislodge it. It was a divirting game, to say the least. Finally, the wind knocked the ball down!
Attention! Blog Update!
Yes, I can see the intrigued, excited expressions on the faces of my avid readers. What have I done now to make this blog better? Gee, thought you'd never ask!
If you look in the left-hand column, you will notice under the blog archive that I have now sorted my entries by category. Now you can search my previous entries both by date and by topic. Am I nice blogger, or what? For the record, sorting and adding labels to over 230 blog entries is not an amusing diversion for a Thursday night!
If you look in the left-hand column, you will notice under the blog archive that I have now sorted my entries by category. Now you can search my previous entries both by date and by topic. Am I nice blogger, or what? For the record, sorting and adding labels to over 230 blog entries is not an amusing diversion for a Thursday night!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I Have a New Pet!
Yeah, that's right, I now have two pets sharing my apartment here in Korea! My new pet's name is Theodore, although I'm almost positive (if I remember correctly from my college biology class) that "he" is actually a female. I didn't actually invite Theodore to move in; "he" chose me.
Theodore, for those who were wondering, is a larger-than-usual, voraciously ravenous mosquito. He is not a courteous houseguest. He moved in about three days ago, and liked it here so well that he decided to host a convention the other night, featuring an all-foreign-food menu (me). Theodore and his friends found my legs to be the greatest delicacy, although they also showed appreciation for my forehead and wrist. I'm starting to look like I have been visited by some form of Biblical plague.
To add to my new "skin landmarks," I also have a miniature Mount Vesuvius rising out of my ankle, courtesy of a pair of dress shoes that I neglected to wear pantyhose with. I couldn't remember why I never wear those shoes, so I wore them yesterday. Now I remember.
Theodore, for those who were wondering, is a larger-than-usual, voraciously ravenous mosquito. He is not a courteous houseguest. He moved in about three days ago, and liked it here so well that he decided to host a convention the other night, featuring an all-foreign-food menu (me). Theodore and his friends found my legs to be the greatest delicacy, although they also showed appreciation for my forehead and wrist. I'm starting to look like I have been visited by some form of Biblical plague.
To add to my new "skin landmarks," I also have a miniature Mount Vesuvius rising out of my ankle, courtesy of a pair of dress shoes that I neglected to wear pantyhose with. I couldn't remember why I never wear those shoes, so I wore them yesterday. Now I remember.
Mamma Mia!
A recent informal poll among us female foreignors revealed that a surprising number of us are ABBA fans. So, last night about fifteen of us went to see "Mamma Mia," which has finally arrived in Korean movie theaters. Of course, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Farrell certainly added to the attraction for us...
The movie was cute, mindless, and fun. The only thing that really bothered me about it was that they took one of my favorite songs from the Broadway soundtrack - "Thank You for the Music" - and hid it in the closing credits. Overall, we had a great "Girls' Night" at the movies.
An added bonus last night was getting to meet two new girls who have just arrived, both of whom are quite nice. We just recently had to say farewell to a few fantastic people, all of whom will be missed. That's one of the few downsides of life over here - you meet great people, but they can't stay forever!
Earlier in the day (on Wednesday), I had a discussion with the kindergartners that simply has to be repeated. I am currently teaching the older kindies about fruits and vegetables. To generate some conversation, I was asking the kids about which vegetables they liked. Below is a "transcript" of the conversation that followed:
Me: "Amber, do you like carrots?"
Amber: "Yes, I do."
Me: "Do you like onions?"
Amber: "Yes, me like EVERYTHING, teacher. Me pig!"
Sam: "Me EVERYTHING, too, teacher! Me elephant!" [He just had to one-up Amber!]
Lynn: "Teacher, me too EVERYTHING! Me is...[there was a long pause while she tried to figure out what would trump an elephant]...Teacher, me is DINOSAUR!
The movie was cute, mindless, and fun. The only thing that really bothered me about it was that they took one of my favorite songs from the Broadway soundtrack - "Thank You for the Music" - and hid it in the closing credits. Overall, we had a great "Girls' Night" at the movies.
An added bonus last night was getting to meet two new girls who have just arrived, both of whom are quite nice. We just recently had to say farewell to a few fantastic people, all of whom will be missed. That's one of the few downsides of life over here - you meet great people, but they can't stay forever!
Earlier in the day (on Wednesday), I had a discussion with the kindergartners that simply has to be repeated. I am currently teaching the older kindies about fruits and vegetables. To generate some conversation, I was asking the kids about which vegetables they liked. Below is a "transcript" of the conversation that followed:
Me: "Amber, do you like carrots?"
Amber: "Yes, I do."
Me: "Do you like onions?"
Amber: "Yes, me like EVERYTHING, teacher. Me pig!"
Sam: "Me EVERYTHING, too, teacher! Me elephant!" [He just had to one-up Amber!]
Lynn: "Teacher, me too EVERYTHING! Me is...[there was a long pause while she tried to figure out what would trump an elephant]...Teacher, me is DINOSAUR!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
The Best Days...
In book three of his Georgics, Virgil made the very keen observation, "Optima quaeque dies miseris mortalibus aevi / Prima fugit." Translated to English, this means, "The best days are the first to flee from wretched mortals." When looking through photographs tonight, I could not help but to reflect upon these wise words, written nearly two thousand years ago. Here are a few treasured moments that the camera caught and preserved:
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Test Days Are the Best Days
Today I gave my E5-A class their oral test that I spent all last week preparing them for (I also wrote the test). I was holding my breath today, since a test is not only a teaching tool, but also the best indicator of how one is doing as a teacher. Would the test prove that I needed improvement? I was delighted to have a 94% as the lowest grade. Huzzah! I think I'm more excited than the kids were about the good grades!
Today, being Tuesday, was also the day for our weekly teacher meeting, in which a different person has to teach a lesson to the other teachers each week. This, naturally, was my week. It's a little nerve-wracking teaching to your coworkers, but I did a great job. My coworkers, and particularly my boss, had only positive things to say about my lesson and my teaching style. What a relief! I'm still in shock to find that I'm actually somewhat capable as a teacher.
As if the test and the teaching lesson weren't enough, tonight was cell group. Guess who was hosting and in charge of the lesson....yep, me! I taught a historical lesson on the book of Exodus last week and wanted to do a second part to it this week covering the crossing of the Red Sea. I was so relieved that my lesson went well and that my friends appreciated it and benefited from it.
I feel like I've been center stage all day today! Finally, at almost midnight, I am out of the spotlight and can relax. Don't assume that I'm complaining, though. Today was a great day. Constant spotlight and all. I actually really liked having all the pressure on today, even though it got the adrenaline pumping. It felt a little like being back in college, and showed me that I am ready to be back in grad school.
Today, being Tuesday, was also the day for our weekly teacher meeting, in which a different person has to teach a lesson to the other teachers each week. This, naturally, was my week. It's a little nerve-wracking teaching to your coworkers, but I did a great job. My coworkers, and particularly my boss, had only positive things to say about my lesson and my teaching style. What a relief! I'm still in shock to find that I'm actually somewhat capable as a teacher.
As if the test and the teaching lesson weren't enough, tonight was cell group. Guess who was hosting and in charge of the lesson....yep, me! I taught a historical lesson on the book of Exodus last week and wanted to do a second part to it this week covering the crossing of the Red Sea. I was so relieved that my lesson went well and that my friends appreciated it and benefited from it.
I feel like I've been center stage all day today! Finally, at almost midnight, I am out of the spotlight and can relax. Don't assume that I'm complaining, though. Today was a great day. Constant spotlight and all. I actually really liked having all the pressure on today, even though it got the adrenaline pumping. It felt a little like being back in college, and showed me that I am ready to be back in grad school.
Monday, September 1, 2008
More New Students - Yikes!
I got three new students today, without warning. I don't mind, but it would have been nice to be told in advance that I was getting new kids. Particularly since two of the newbies joined my biggest class (E3-D).
The two girls who joined E3-D are a mixed blessing. On one hand, I'm really glad to have two more girls, since the ratio before was eight boys to four girls. Now team games will be a bit more even. Plus, the two new girls are quiet and well-behaved, and seem to be even with the rest of the class on their reading level. The trouble is, now I have fourteen kids in that class, which makes it harder to control and harder to give individual attention to students. Doubtless the teachers who have class sizes of 18-30 are probably shaking their fists at me for complaining. Sorry! It's just that with teaching immersion English, smaller sizes are necessary. With the bigger class sizes, a teacher cannot effectively correct and guide each individual student the way they need to be when learning a language.
My other new girl joined my last class of the day, E5-A. She is a welcome addition to the class, and I could not be more delighted with her. Rachel is a sweet, smart, well-behaved girl. In other words, she's a teacher's dream.
E3-C also got an addition to the class today, although not a new one. Our Sarah came back from her long vacation at last. She can be a bit naughty at times, but I still missed her. Aside from the fact that she's generally quite likable, she also evens out the class so that there are once again an equal number of boys and girls. Believe me, for team games, this is important.
The two girls who joined E3-D are a mixed blessing. On one hand, I'm really glad to have two more girls, since the ratio before was eight boys to four girls. Now team games will be a bit more even. Plus, the two new girls are quiet and well-behaved, and seem to be even with the rest of the class on their reading level. The trouble is, now I have fourteen kids in that class, which makes it harder to control and harder to give individual attention to students. Doubtless the teachers who have class sizes of 18-30 are probably shaking their fists at me for complaining. Sorry! It's just that with teaching immersion English, smaller sizes are necessary. With the bigger class sizes, a teacher cannot effectively correct and guide each individual student the way they need to be when learning a language.
My other new girl joined my last class of the day, E5-A. She is a welcome addition to the class, and I could not be more delighted with her. Rachel is a sweet, smart, well-behaved girl. In other words, she's a teacher's dream.
E3-C also got an addition to the class today, although not a new one. Our Sarah came back from her long vacation at last. She can be a bit naughty at times, but I still missed her. Aside from the fact that she's generally quite likable, she also evens out the class so that there are once again an equal number of boys and girls. Believe me, for team games, this is important.
Gyeongju by Twilight
We rarely see sunsets here, so I was pretty excited to catch two of them last week. They didn't last long, but that just made them more special.
E2-A - The Monsters!
These kids may be cute little second-graders, but they are also my toughest class. They are a high-energy bunch that loves to be loud. I love the little monsters, but they sure make me work!
"Normal" group shot. Facing the camera, left to right are: Jinny, John, Edward, Megan, Anna, and Linda. The kids behind them are Ryan, Brian, and Sam. Tim and Ricky were absent that day. Megan and Edward are twins.
This crazy group shot is actually a more accurate idea of what these kids are like!
Anna, Linda, and Jinny.
Megan, the shy and quiet one.
"Normal" group shot. Facing the camera, left to right are: Jinny, John, Edward, Megan, Anna, and Linda. The kids behind them are Ryan, Brian, and Sam. Tim and Ricky were absent that day. Megan and Edward are twins.
This crazy group shot is actually a more accurate idea of what these kids are like!
Anna, Linda, and Jinny.
Megan, the shy and quiet one.
Friday Field Trip
On Friday last week we took the kindergartners to a science museum in Bomun. They loved every minute of it! After viewing and playing with the interactive exhibits, we took them outside for a picnic lunch of (you guessed it) kimbap, and then took a long walk through the beautifully landscaped area surrounding the museum.
The outside of the museum.
A group shot of my eleven little munchkins. From left to right: Issac, Amber, Lynn, Cali, Liz, Amy, Eddy, Erin, Sam, Harry, Jay. Cali, Amy, Jay, and Harry are my younger class, first-year English students. The other kids have already had one year, so they understand quite a bit even if they can't always speak in sentences.
Another group shot.
Every time one kid finds something interesting, the others immediately come running and form a huddle around the object of interest.
Cate (my boss) with Erin and Liz (Liz is the one wearing the bag that says "Erin").
Erin and I in a room that projected our movements as colors on a big screen. I look fat in the picture because I was wearing baggy shorts and a bulky sweatshirt. :)
Little Amy was too short to reach most of the exhibits! Don't worry, I picked her up right after I took the photo.
The outside of the museum.
A group shot of my eleven little munchkins. From left to right: Issac, Amber, Lynn, Cali, Liz, Amy, Eddy, Erin, Sam, Harry, Jay. Cali, Amy, Jay, and Harry are my younger class, first-year English students. The other kids have already had one year, so they understand quite a bit even if they can't always speak in sentences.
Another group shot.
Every time one kid finds something interesting, the others immediately come running and form a huddle around the object of interest.
Cate (my boss) with Erin and Liz (Liz is the one wearing the bag that says "Erin").
Erin and I in a room that projected our movements as colors on a big screen. I look fat in the picture because I was wearing baggy shorts and a bulky sweatshirt. :)
Little Amy was too short to reach most of the exhibits! Don't worry, I picked her up right after I took the photo.
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