The Other Side of the Desk

I can definitively say that I was the epitome of an angsty pre-teen during my 7^th grade year at Highlander Way Middle School.  They had just redistricted HPS, and instead of going back to Three Fires Middle School for 7^th grade, I went to Highlander Way.  Naturally, I despised that move because it forced me to make friends all over again.  Being all too pre-occupied with the social hierarchy of middle school, I had scant time to devote to actually being a decent student. 

Thus, it happened one fine winter day in 2006 that I ditched my science homework on a week night in favor of a night shredding the gnar at Mt. Brighton.  Of course, snowboarding at Mt. Brighton as a middle schooler is much more about competing for who can be the biggest d-bag in the terrain park – and consequently becoming the one that all the cool kids talk about the next day at school – than it is about actually snowboarding.

And so, the next day when we turned in our homework assignments, I had (with a smug look on my face) nothing to give my science teacher.  The consequence for this was that I had to write a one page paper on why I didn’t do my science homework.  Of course, to me this was just another example of how every authority figure was out to get me that year, so I begrudgingly took to the task that night.  I distinctly remember the first sentence of that paper being, “I didn’t do my science homework because I think snowboarding is more fun, and better than science homework.”  I then went on to describe the many advantages of a night of snowboarding as compared to a night of science homework, because, let’s be real, knowing the periodic table in 7^th grade won’t get you girls, but a 180 of the big air and an almost-fight with a skier will.

However, after turning in that superb essay, I incurred the wrath of my science teacher, which was terrifying for me, but more importantly a huge headache for him.  He (rightly) scolded me for not respecting him or caring about his class, all the while I showed him I still didn’t care by shrugging off everything he said.

Middle schoolers man…

Fast forward 11 years and here I am, a middle school teacher.  The shoe is most certainly on the other foot.

I was of course extremely nervous when I first heard I was placed in a middle school, but I’m liking it more and more every day.  Compared to middle school students back home, Korean middle school students (in my experience) tend to be much better behaved and have a deeper respect for authority.

I also feel like I can relate a little more to middle schoolers than I would elementary schoolers.  I can have deeper conversations with them and build stronger relationships.

Nonetheless pre-teens are pre-teens anywhere in the world, and they can be crazy – we’ve had about 3 windows broken since my arrival.  They scream and yell and push each other around in the hallway.  Sometimes they like to test out newly-acquired swear words in my class.  Some of them may even sleep or have side conversations during my teaching.  Sometimes I do have to break up my angry-teacher-voice.  However, I do know that the vast majority of my students have much more respect for me now than I had for my science teacher back when I was a little turd-nugget.  It’s all about perspective.

Making Progress

I’m just about at the 3-month mark of my time here, and life is good!  I’ve started forming very basic Korean sentences, and I’ve been picking up words here and there when I hear my co-workers talking to each other.  There was actually one day when I heard them say the word for refrigerator about 10 times in a span of thirty seconds.  I was excited because I knew what they we talking about, but also quite confused as to why the word “refrigerator” needed to be said that many times in rapid succession.  Sounded like a very juicy conversation indeed!  (I’m also a bit confused as to why “refrigerator” was one of the first words I studied in my language learning app.)

Things at school have been going great as well.  I no longer get very stressed about lesson planning and feel much more comfortable with my 900+ students.  My co-teachers are extremely friendly and helpful.  They even took me out for drinks last Friday!  I feel very lucky with my placement as I know not all teaching gigs in Korea are equal.  Also, only a couple more weeks until vacation!

I keep busy during the week with studying Korean, playing Frisbee, or shredding some gnar with the longboard crew in Ulsan Grand Park.  It’s a good life, and I’m very thankful for it.  Happy Sunday everybody. 

Living in the Present Moment

I can remember a day-long session during orientation in India last year on Hinduism and its philosophy.  It was a long, hot day of sitting on the floor and attempting to comprehend a thousands-year-old philosophy.  We meditated, sang and listened to hymns, and even performed a puja…all the while attempting (at least I was) to figure out just exactly how one sits comfortably on the floor for hours on end.  Admittedly, it was quite hard to concentrate, however one lesson from that day still sticks out in my mind.

The lesson was all about living in the present moment, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  As time goes by I struggle with this more and more (doesn’t everyone?).  I have a tendency to either replay fond memories in my mind over and over - as if they were the absolute pinnacle of my lifetime and nothing will ever compare - or I’ll daydream about the future and where I’ll end up in the next week, month, or year.

Sometimes I’ll get sucked into a nostalgia wormhole and flip through pictures from JYM or Mackinac Island only to snap out of it and realize that I’m living in Korea!  Sometimes I’ll spend an entire evening trying to plan out the next few years of my life only to snap out of it and realize, again, that I’m in Korea!  Then suddenly, that day from India pops back into my head.

One of the best ways of dealing with this I’ve found is to just sit still and close my eyes for 30 minutes, listening to everything going on around me.  Then I’m really living in Korea.  It’s a beautiful country through and through!


But enough of that.

In other news, ultimate Frisbee has been a friggin blast and we have our final tournament this coming weekend.  I’ve also introduced my team to the wonderful German (Bavarian) drinking game of Flunkyball.  Hopefully, we’ll get a tournament of that going this weekend as well.

I’m feeling more and more comfortable in my job and have been able to not wear ties to work anymore (yussssssss!).

I am absolutely in love with the school lunch.  It’s the best thing in the world (just google Korean school lunches).

I’ve also been self-studying Korean for a couple weeks now and have started forming very basic sentences.  I love the idea of learning another language, but man oh man is the motivation hard to come by.  The goal is to have basic conversations at the end of one year.

And well that’s about it from over here.  If you’re reading this from back home, please eat a Beefy Fritos burrito for me…I’m dying for some T-bell.

Much love,

Gnardaddy