Maybe it's the job or something I ate, or maybe something I'm wearing but I keep getting little itchy bumps here and there on my arms and legs. Hmmm. This is annoying.

I started my job here at Icheon Middle School about three weeks ago. I started with no real experience teaching in a classroom setting but I've gotten used to it. At least, I think so. My job is to improve these kids' English pronunciation by making them practice English with me every class. The whole thing is a slow process - I'd LIKE to introduce them to a lot of common vocabulary they don't know yet, but at the moment it's midterm season and I'm supposed to prepare them for their upcoming English midterm. Supposedly it will consist of everyday conversations like

Ordering at a fast food restaurant
Calling your friend over the telephone
Checking into Customs at an Airport

But I want to get to the important stuff, the stuff we folk from the West ACTUALLY use such as:

AWESOME pick up lines (e.g. IS THERE A MIRROR IN YOUR PANTS BECAUSE I WANNA HAVE SEX WITH YOU)
How to successfully diss someone over the internet
How to step up your game with some fresh lyricz and beatz

I'm also in charge of an elective English class after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This class is something I look forward to, since I have complete control over the subject matter. Today I introduced those kids to some American history - slavery, Harriet Tubman, Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. I had a little trouble with translations and such, but I think they got the point of the lesson - DISCRIMINATION = BAD. If you have any suggestions as to what I should teach next, please let me know. I'm going to talk about Tall Tales next week.

Finally, for some reason I am going to teach an English class to the English Teachers at the school. This just seems like an attempt to squeeze the most out of my contract with the school because these teachers are actually very competent at English. Sure, they don't really know any colloquial English. Sure, I can't really discuss the finer points of the '08 campaign, globalization and why there aren't any f*cking Lucky Charms in the country, but most of them could pass off as Americans with their English knowledge and level of pronunciation. But I guess it's a good opportunity for them to level up their English skillz.

Ahhh, and the students. Oh the students. Most of them I haven't gotten to know. There are a few that I have gotten to know and they are PRECIOUS. Almost everyday these two boys come into the Teacher's Office to talk to me, walking in while holding hands and smiling. I think they're getting better at their English (I hope so, God I hope so). Then there are the kids who don't care but it's not my job to discipline students. Luckily whenever I have to teach a class, there's an English Teacher in the classroom ready to SHUT THEM UP.

...Except for this one teacher, who, in comparison to all the other English Teachers, excessively babies her students. As a result, they will not shut up. Even when I yell at them they won't shut up. I don't look forward to teaching those classes.....

That's all for now. Midterm's are coming up in a few weeks so I'll be busy. Apparently after midterms the school sponsors a class "picnic". But instead of a weak-ass year end picnic at the water slide (like the one I got when I was in middle school) this school will be taking us to the Korean equivalent of Disneyland - Everland. Next entry folks!

BTW, I totally made this by myself. It's supposed to be omurice. I overcooked the egg a little and I got sloppy towards the end, but not bad for the first try.