I am fortunate to have been placed at Daegu Girls' High School, a prestigious public school in Suseong-gu, Daegu's wealthiest district. It's an English speciality school, which means that an unusually high percentage of the English department has advanced English speaking ability. Most everyone is quite friendly, and I love that there is a private office for me, my co-teacher, and the other native English teacher. The school has English classrooms that are well-equipped with a Smartboard and such, which makes presenting material much easier.
I have three co-teachers (CTs), two of whom have spent time in English-speaking countries (and one of whom lived & studied in the States!). My relationship with each of them is a bit different, but they are generally quite supportive of my teaching. In my situation, I independently plan all the lessons and send my plans to them a week early so that they can offer feedback. I lead my classes, and the CTs step in when needed for clarification or to assist with class activities. The system actually works pretty well, especially because I have more autonomy than most other EPIK teachers that I know. I'm able to craft my own materials and curriculum, basically, because I don't have to follow a textbook--that's awesome, because some of the Korean textbooks for English are...well, kinda bad. Sort of a hot mess, actually.
People often ask me what it's like working in an all-girls' school. Thinking critically, I don't know that it's dramatically different from working in a co-ed institution. Two of the class rules are about makeup and compact mirrors because the 2nd graders (11th grade in the U.S.) are like divas in training, and they have a very "young Korean girl" sort of way of saying "Hiiiiiii Willie-Teacher" when they see me. But in most other respects, it just feels like I'm teaching at a great school. Most Korean high schoolers are very driven because they are prepping for the Korean SAT, which legitimately determines a significant portion of the rest of their lives. This is even more so the case with DGHS students, who are typically quite advanced and take classes at a number of private academies (read: They go to school from 6 or 7am until 10pm, Monday through Friday).
The Korean hierarchical social system is ever-present, and that's no different at work. However, I think the other teachers go out of their way to make the whole social structure seem less rigid. I, in return, do my best to follow cultural norms and show what must surely come off as an obsequiously high level of respect. Our principal -- who, by the way, is dressed to the nines ALL the time -- receives the lowest bows of anyone at school, and sometimes I wonder how people don't break their backs bowing that low. I often see her in the mornings at the little pond area in front of the school, and she always greets me with a warm smile and a "Good morning, Willie." It's funny because although she doesn't speak much English, the things she does say in English have almost zero influence from her Korean accent!
Despite the occasional awkwardness caused by my ignorance of Korean habits (not customs--there's a difference), by far the most awkward place at work is the lunchroom. All the teachers eat lunch together, and everyone eats the same school lunch. Our school food is actually way better than pretty much every other school in the city, from what I hear, but the problem is that there's a ton of seafood on the menu every day, and that's a problem (especially since we pay for lunch out of our salaries). So, I end up cooking and bringing my own lunch, which is...
SUPER AWKWARD!
I notice the deep gazes and looks of "Why isn't he eating the same lunch as everyone else?" Sometimes there are direct questions about it. They were bothersome at first but since food allergies are so rare in Korea (no one seems to really understand them), I get that the other teachers want to know why I'm sticking out like a sore thumb. It's funny, though, because when they ask questions, I can just show them my EpiPen and tell them that if I eat the wrong thing, they have to stab me in the leg with it. Then they're like "OMG, you should definitely bring your lunch! Or you'll die!" Haha.Enough talking. Here's a sample of what my school looks like. I'd have more pictures, but as anyone who has lived abroad can attest, you're constantly trying to strike the precarious balance between taking pictures of daily things to document life and not turning the lives of others into an exhibit.
 |
| My desk! If the PC were a Mac, it'd be perfect :-p |
 |
| This trough-looking thing is where the girls brush their teeth after meals. There are several of these around the school. |
 |
| I love this place! It's a little oasis right in front of the school. |
