Bear's Typical Day of School:

Our work weeks are regular, for the most part. I have classes from 9:50am until 5:10 or 6:40pm everyday. I begin mornings with KINDERGARDEN! Just imagine what the most cute child in the world might look like and then make him or her a little Korean child. That combination makes for a child too darling to be mentioned. 

Bella (left) and Stephanie (the other one)
The rest of Bella's outfit consists of a green tutu and green leggings.

Eddy (left) and Tinkerbell (right)
Today was Birthday Party Day and these two have March birthdays!
Tinkerbell has an older brother who is in Kent Teacher's class and whose birthday is also in March.
His name is... you guessed it! Peter Pan!! 

Each kindergarden class is 80 minutes and the curriculum is pretty set. We sing songs and run around in the small gym, we go for water breaks and the whole time I hear "Teacher! Teacher! Amanda Teacher!" Some of the kids don't know any English... so if they want to tattle on someone, I hear "Teacher! (1 minute of little child-voice Korean)," followed up by a little pouty face so cute that I want to pinch it off and hug it! I drink at least 2 cups of sugary coffee every morning to keep pace with the kids who are from 3-5 years old. 

We eat a Korean lunch, in the classrooms, with our Korean counter-part teachers, and I learn Korean. My co-teacher's English name is Erin and she gives me a little practice homework everyday. The kids get a kick out of hearing my Korean... it seems only fair that they hear me struggle with their language. Today, being that it was Birthday Party Day, was little unusual. All students and teachers went into the gym/auditorium and had a special birthday time.

We walk in and sit in lines...

Each class stood up and preformed a dance routine...

This is Brown Class... the youngest, the cutest and mine!

Kent's class... rivals in cuteness.

There was a dance off...
On the far left is Danny, the cause of at least 15 grey hairs on my head.

Each student got his or her own cake!

Jenny Teacher and me with Kevin

More about English names, if a new student comes to school without a, English name, the teacher gets to name him or her, with the parent's approval. Kent has named at least 5 kids and more kids are coming everyday!  

The rest of the classes I have throughout the day are with kids who are from 6-10 years old and each class is a different, and I'm not just talking about the curriculum. All of the teachers reading this know what I'm talking about. The combinations of personalities is so fun and wild and difficult that each 40 minutes is unlike any other. I never have more than 10 kids in any class and the besides kindergarden, nothing is longer than 40 minutes. 

Jade Teacher and Kent with Peter Pan

I cannot imagine how the teacher's in the states manage 30+ students, practically all day long. As it currently stands, I'm exhausted by the time I get home. As for the students; by the time we are seeing the afternoon, they have already had a full day of elementary school and will be taking 2 or 3 classes at SLP (our school) and then be off to extracurricular activities, like art school or tae kwon do, and then go home to do their homework at 9pm or later. AND... they have school Monday-Saturday! This is too much! So much is asked of these kids, so I try to keep that in mind as I'm asking or telling them to repeatedly sit-down. 

The hours may feel al little long, but the days are quick and the other foreign teachers warn us that the months are even faster. I know I can speak for us both when I say that this experience has already taught us so many things. I can say with some certainty that before coming to Korea I never properly celebrated a birthday party in school. SLP Yeonsan knows how to party!

-by bear