This past Friday I received some positive feedback from work. Not that I was waiting and looking for any, but I got an e-mail from my faculty manager saying I did well on my student surveys!! Yeah! My kids actually like me this term :) Or they did until I started yelling at them for the last couple of weeks.... (just kidding, well sort of)
Last term I did okay on the surveys, however I was not real pleased with myself. I thought I could have done better.
Out of around 40 instructors I did a whole lot better than last term. I hope I can keep it up. Helene, my faculty manager, told me she was proud of me. My group leaders, Sasha and Junho also sent me an e-mail saying they were proud of me as well.
Once and a while it is good to hear I am doing alright at work. I told Helene my goal for this term was to work on student management and just improve.
Maybe because I am going to the gym and taking some extra energy there would be one of the reasons I have a better attitude toward work.
This week I only have to work two days before the Lunar New Year! It will be interesting to see what Seoul looks like when everyone goes back home to visit family.
One other hilarious thing happened to me today. I have to write this on here because I am still laughing. I always go to the same coffee shop to skype with friends and family. Just an hour ago one of the workers at Cafe Bene came up to me and gave me a letter.
He doesn't speak very good English but told me he had a letter for me and doesn't speak English real well.
I read the letter and I will write some of what he said.
Here it reads:
To my dear...
Hello, my name is Kim Su-Young. I'm sorry that I couldn't even know your name.
I thought about many things before I wrote this letter.
Frankly, I'm not good at speaking English, so I give you this words on paper. I always waited for you at the cafe. One day, when I couldn't see you, I thought you would come here tomorrow?
You are the first person who takes my first coffee at this cafe-bene......
and he wrote more.
I immediately called Racheal because I am like what is going on!!!!!
He wants me to text him and he gave me his phone number.
Just thought I would share with you some funny things in my life right now.
I don't know what I am going to do, some comments would be great!!!
Have a great week!
Kristen
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Winter Wonderland
Wowza! I have abandon my blog for about two weeks.
Most definitely time to write a little.
I have had a good couple of weeks. Nothing too different or super exciting happening here.
School is good as always. I am now approaching my ninth week with these kids and it has been a lot better than last term.
They take their big "level-up" test this week to see if they should advance to a higher level.
I will be administering the test to three of my classes. I hope they do alright :-)
The weekends have been extra cold here! It even snowed a good amount yesterday. The streets are filled with brown slush and are super slippery. The sidewalks are no better. I have to make sure I am wearing appropriate shoes so I don't slip.
This weekend I went out with my co-workers. Friday after dinner we all got together to have a sort of "going away" dinner for a co-workers boyfriend. A lot of other people know him much better than I do, but it is always sad when people leave. There was sixteen of us who went out for Korean BBQ and then drinks. I wanted to stay out later for Karaoke, however I had to get up early to work.
I volunteered to take an extra shift on a Saturday morning to give the level-up test prep class. It went by fast and I was actually glad I did it.
Besides the slick snow and having fun in the evenings, there is not a whole lot that is different here. I have been reading more and finishing up some work for school.
I am also beginning to think more about what I would like to do when I leave South Korea ...what will come next. It is a difficult task because I am not entirely sure what I want.
It will be an on-going task for the next couple of months. That I am sure about.
Take Care!
Kristen xoxo
Most definitely time to write a little.
I have had a good couple of weeks. Nothing too different or super exciting happening here.
School is good as always. I am now approaching my ninth week with these kids and it has been a lot better than last term.
They take their big "level-up" test this week to see if they should advance to a higher level.
I will be administering the test to three of my classes. I hope they do alright :-)
The weekends have been extra cold here! It even snowed a good amount yesterday. The streets are filled with brown slush and are super slippery. The sidewalks are no better. I have to make sure I am wearing appropriate shoes so I don't slip.
This weekend I went out with my co-workers. Friday after dinner we all got together to have a sort of "going away" dinner for a co-workers boyfriend. A lot of other people know him much better than I do, but it is always sad when people leave. There was sixteen of us who went out for Korean BBQ and then drinks. I wanted to stay out later for Karaoke, however I had to get up early to work.
I volunteered to take an extra shift on a Saturday morning to give the level-up test prep class. It went by fast and I was actually glad I did it.
Besides the slick snow and having fun in the evenings, there is not a whole lot that is different here. I have been reading more and finishing up some work for school.
I am also beginning to think more about what I would like to do when I leave South Korea ...what will come next. It is a difficult task because I am not entirely sure what I want.
It will be an on-going task for the next couple of months. That I am sure about.
Take Care!
Kristen xoxo
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Years Resolution!
I am not so sure I have ever made a New Years Resolution. Maybe when I was a little younger I did, but I can't really recall a serious resolution.
However, this year is different. I am living in a different country and it was about time I took a look of what I want to get out of this year here in South Korea.
Teaching has been going pretty well over the last couple of weeks. I have had a couple of students who have been sort of a pain because they won't listen or get mad at me because I put them in a group that didn't consist of his friends.
Yes, I do feel a little bad for having to put him in a different group, although the kids need to learn to work with other people and not just friends. In life you don't get to always work with your friends or people you like. It is all about the experience and sometimes you need to take what life throws at you.
Anyway, my point for writing that is because even though the kids are the ones learning in my classroom, I have learned something about myself for a resolution.
I need to be more patient with everything, but in particular the kids. I'll be honest, when something doesn't go quite as planned I tend to freak out because I am afraid I will not get a page done in the book or I will run out of time. Or when they ask me the same question ten times I get annoyed. I have to remember that I was once a kid too and definitely did the same thing.
Despite all of these crazy things in school, I am enjoying myself. I have nice co-workers and I do like teaching.
The intensive classes in the morning have been my favorite. I am without a doubt a morning person. I love getting a coffee and walking into class with a smile and just taking it all in. I like teaching in the afternoon too, however I tend be more tired and a little drained.
I had a fantastic New Years with some friends from Ulsan. We celebrated with some free drinks from the bar we were at and I couldn't help to smile and realize where I was. I had a great Christmas as well with people I trained with back in August. I have been hanging out with my friend Aisling for the last couple of weeks and her frienda Kat and Lauren.
This weekend I might go visit Aisling and Kat for what is called the Ice Festival. I don't know much about it but apparently everything is all ice. It will probably take me an hour or so by train to get to the North East part of the country. I will have to figure out what I want to do.
I am off to bed as I have a full day tomorrow! I do like my Mondays off though :)
<3 Kristen
However, this year is different. I am living in a different country and it was about time I took a look of what I want to get out of this year here in South Korea.
Teaching has been going pretty well over the last couple of weeks. I have had a couple of students who have been sort of a pain because they won't listen or get mad at me because I put them in a group that didn't consist of his friends.
Yes, I do feel a little bad for having to put him in a different group, although the kids need to learn to work with other people and not just friends. In life you don't get to always work with your friends or people you like. It is all about the experience and sometimes you need to take what life throws at you.
Anyway, my point for writing that is because even though the kids are the ones learning in my classroom, I have learned something about myself for a resolution.
I need to be more patient with everything, but in particular the kids. I'll be honest, when something doesn't go quite as planned I tend to freak out because I am afraid I will not get a page done in the book or I will run out of time. Or when they ask me the same question ten times I get annoyed. I have to remember that I was once a kid too and definitely did the same thing.
Despite all of these crazy things in school, I am enjoying myself. I have nice co-workers and I do like teaching.
The intensive classes in the morning have been my favorite. I am without a doubt a morning person. I love getting a coffee and walking into class with a smile and just taking it all in. I like teaching in the afternoon too, however I tend be more tired and a little drained.
I had a fantastic New Years with some friends from Ulsan. We celebrated with some free drinks from the bar we were at and I couldn't help to smile and realize where I was. I had a great Christmas as well with people I trained with back in August. I have been hanging out with my friend Aisling for the last couple of weeks and her frienda Kat and Lauren.
This weekend I might go visit Aisling and Kat for what is called the Ice Festival. I don't know much about it but apparently everything is all ice. It will probably take me an hour or so by train to get to the North East part of the country. I will have to figure out what I want to do.
I am off to bed as I have a full day tomorrow! I do like my Mondays off though :)
<3 Kristen
Monday, January 3, 2011
Photos!
My Brother gave me a Flickr Pro Account for Christmas so here are some pictures I have taken on my brand new Nikon Camera!
Enjoy and here is the address!!!
http://www.flickr.com/people/kristensadventures/
Then click on photosteam under my name!!
Enjoy and here is the address!!!
http://www.flickr.com/people/kristensadventures/
Then click on photosteam under my name!!
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