Teacher Update: English Camp

The Korean school year ends with the calendar year, followed by the longer of the two school breaks: winter break. During this time, it is not uncommon for a foreign teacher to be “asked” to host an English Camp at one of their schools, as I was. My instructions were these: the first week of …

Giving Thanks

It is no secret that these past seven months in Korea have been some of the most challenging I have had. As the holidays approach my homesickness is amplified, making it all the more difficult to be here and not at home with my family. However, the holidays also offer a unique opportunity to reflect …

Give Me More Kindergartners

It is safe to say that my feelings about my students change daily, sometimes by the minute. Some days they are engaged, funny, and enthusiastic; we joke and laugh, and time passes quickly. Other days, nobody listens or cares, they whine and carry on, and the minutes tick by like hours. However, through the ups …

Girl vs. Korea

I’ve never had a job—or, in my many years of schooling, a schedule—so jarringly emotionally inconsistent as being an English teacher in Korea. Seriously. One day things will be great: the bus will come on time; I will get to school early and the other teachers will be in a great mood, offering me coffee …