For the past 6 months i’ve been pretending to bullshit that I’ve got the first idea what to teach my 65 students. I follow the substandard lesson plan to a T, and leave it at that. My students, they aren’t doing very well I don’t think. But I don’t know what else I can do. I always thought that once I got a new co-teacher (the old one needed me to elucidate “the piano” versus “piano”), things would improve. they have not. So, in keeping with my desire not to be a loser, I decided to ask for some help. following is an example of what happened after I called another teacher (Korean) to ask for some help.
Me: I’m having some problems teaching and I was wondering if there was someone I could talk to about teaching.
Another Teacher: How about your co-teacher?
Me: That’s one of the problems. See, he’s really busy all the time. And, well, he doesn’t really speak English very well. Plus he doesn’t really know much about teaching English. He’s my co-teacher because he’s older than the others.
AT: Ah-ha. How about Minhee?
Me: She’s really busy too. And, you know, she’s a first year teacher who doesn’t have any experience in EFL teaching. So, you know. What I need is, I don’t know, someone up at the … what’s the word… the 규육충?… is there someone I can get some, I don’t know, guidance from?
AT: There is a supervisor. But she does not speak English.
Me: Okay. Is there, like, an English Coordinator?
AT: That is her.
Me: Uh-huh. I see. Well… um, is there maybe someone in Suwon or in Dongducheon or maybe in Uijeongbu I can talk to?
AT: Only the supervisor.
Me: Okay. Well, you see. It’s just that I don’t think I’m doing a very good job. I just have no idea what I’m doing. I’m really just faking it. And I feel bad about that. I want to do a better job for my kids, you know. Plus I have the teachers’ class to do and all that. But I don’t have the first idea what to do.
AT: How about you talk to (the name of an English teacher from South Africa)?
Me: Sure, sure. I guess. But isn’t there someone whose job it is to, you know, advise native English teachers?
AT: No. Only the supervisor.
Me: But she doesn’t speak English.
AT: Yes. That is how it is. All English teachers must solve problems at their school by themselves. … How about I talk to your principal?
Me: NO! Don’t do that. He’s be too embarassed. In fact, can you not tell anyone I talked to you about this?
AT: Oh. Really? …
Me: Yes. Really.
The rest was a lot of appologizing for putting this AT in the position I put her in; namely, asking her not to make my principal lose face and not tell anyone I’m having a problem with my teaching.
Did you laugh or did you cry after the encounter?
i ate some chocolate.