11-16-07 Work is Work
Working with rich kids has its advantages, especially with having such things as a nice library, monthly field trips, decent lunches, and a clean work environment. And then of course it’s always nice to receive random gifts every once in a while from those extra wealthy students. Last week, one of my favorite students (actually my biggest pain) brought me back an expensive package of Japanese spa soap. At first I didn’t really think the soap was such a great gift until some of the other teachers saw it on my desk and started getting a little bit excited. To me soap is just soap but I guess people do have standards these days. While I on the other hand don’t! Let me just add that I am really excited about the holidays coming up because I’ve heard socks are the big gift for male teachers in Korea. Oh boy, closets full of socks coming my way!
Leaving the topic of soap and back to working with an affluent population. The goodies that are left for the teachers in the faculty room are usually amazing. For instance, sometimes we get a traditional Korean snack like rice cake sprinkled with bean flakes while other times we get boxes of pizza or Crispy Cream donuts (yes, Crispy Cream has invaded Korea). I am trying to stay healthy and therefore don’t eat these little. My biggest incentive is thinking about how these foods are the reason why many Americans are overweight and sadly now Koreans are being pressured into eating these fat filled delights. Could Korea become the next America?
As for the field trips, some are educational while others are just not. Before I arrived the whole school took a trip to a chestnut farm and before that to an Outback Steak House. It doesn’t seem like there is any logic or reason to these places but its fun to go nonetheless. Most recently, as in today the entire school took a trip to a place called Body World at the local amusement park. Just imagine a McDonald’s playground super sized but then miniaturized for little Korean children. To describe it better, I should mention that I found myself stuck in a few of the tunnels and permanently kicked off the slide for the day by one of the attendants. I wish a translator could have helped me argue my case a little bit better because it wasn’t my fault!!!
Even though it seemed a lot more fun than educational it was definitely a nice change of scenery. But of course, as anyone who knows me, my favorite part of my job is not packing a lunch everyday. Instead we are provided a delicious meal each afternoon free of charge. Most days the only downside is serving it but that’s not a bad tradeoff for free food. Even on the days when we have field trips all of the teachers are taken care of with some sort of food. And guess what, it’s customary to eat off the students plates and take whatever I want. I still have a hard time doing this but its getting easier as the days go by.
Our library is something that most elementary schools could only dream about back in the United States. We have all the latest and greatest books as well as most of the old time classics. We have a diverse selection of books that could satisfy any school district’s multiethnic book requirement. It’s just a shame I had to travel all the way to Korea to find such a school library.
Overall, I can’t complain one bit about my work environment. I would be an idiot if I did. The school day doesn’t start until 9:30am and is over by 6pm. Each teacher has at least a couple breaks allotted to him or her throughout the day and my biggest task is speaking English, which is surprisingly easy. It’s as if I were born for this job!
The curriculum is already set and I think it’s horrible. I can still work around it and do my own thing most days. As far as the workbooks go, I never hesitate rushing through them early in the week and then giving my students the Mike version of what education should be. To make my point more clear, as Alfie Kohn says, “when’s the last time a student was ever really hooked on phonics”. In my opinion and in many other educators’, the workbook is not the way to educate children. Instead workbooks are only a way of trapping learners into having one-track minds. People learn because of curiosity and curiosity is not sparked within the contents of a workbook.
Luckily, my kids like my version of teaching better than the workbooks and life moves on in a happy manner. Although, I do on occasion have the whining parent but do not worry about them too much because I can’t speak a word of Korean. I only get a translation and sometimes it’s pretty bad. And when my back’s up against the wall, I always pull the “I went to school for education” card out of my back pocket and start discussing educational theories. And for some reason, educational theories usually just end conversations because the translation is too difficult or maybe it’s because of a lack of interest. If only I wasn’t an individual and could follow an agenda maybe I would be a little bit better off!
