Dispatches - August 1, 2009

A moment free from immediate or impending deadlines is a welcome reprieve. I'm going to make the most of it with a few thoughts on recent events. Many thanks for following my journey with me and the encouraging remarks.

Yesterday I completed my third and final lesson of Camp Fulbright. Those who read the last post may recall the summer camp focused on improving English skills for attendees. Major holidays - or at least their American interpretation - was the overall camp theme. Yesterday being designated Christmas Day, I taught a lesson on the structure of the friendly correspondence letter using the tradition of leaving Santa a note. I followed a fellow English Teaching Assistant (ETA) who did a terrific lesson on shapes employing a tree ornament theme so my lesson was not quite a homerun, but I think the students learned something.

Keeping interest and occupying the full allotted time of a class period are two of my top concerns when I contemplate teaching full-time. The Fulbright Program has explored in depth the Korean educational system and teaching methods. One common thread has been how the length of a typical school day and pure one-directional instruction methods often render students exhausted and non-responsive in class. In the United States, interactive teaching and a vibrant learning community are hallmarks of the classroom, but in Korea students are expected - and accustomed to - simply consuming and digesting information in a pure lecture format. For ETA's this often translates into blank stares and what could be take as disinterest. Hatching students from their shells to encourage participation and dialogue in a classroom can be a true challenge. I have often said that a 'cheerleader' I am not. To motivate my students, however, raising my visible energy level and passing that along to my class will be a challenge I need to meet.

On that note, the instructors for whom we teach during our Camp Fulbright lessons critique ETA's in a post-lesson follow-up meeting. While I'm not sure how candid the instructors are willing to be, I have received decent marks thus far. A consistent compliment has been a sense of presense that comes from my time in the classroom - I suspect much of it has to do with bow ties and suspenders - but I naturally tend to treat students like adults. My theory is that - as children - we all want to be grown-ups. Children respond well when they are spoken to in a fashion that assumes maturity and respect. I've been told that this may or may not work in Korea - children here sometimes want to be treated as such.

One constructive suggestion that has surfaced more than once is my vocabulary. Without constant conscious attention, it is very easy to speak to students as though they are native English speakers. Before arriving in Korea, I rarely thought of how my words and phrases in speech blend into each other and just how much slang and technically-imperfect grammar and usage creeps into everyday speech. Slowing down, avoiding large or complex words, and being precise are necessary habits for a successful teacher in this program and definitely something I hope to hone in the coming months.

And a busy month lies ahead. Next Wednesday everyone will attend the placement meeting. From what I gather, it is an emotional affair where individual ETA's are called forward in front of a map and given their specific city assignment. Emotions run strong as people are either ecstatic for securing a location they wanted or devastated for being separated from friends or placed in what they view as a less-than-ideal location. I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I genuinely get along with every person here and, in that respect, I think I could be happy with an assignment near anyone. I've lived in big cities and small towns and see benefits and drawbacks to both. In short, I'm tremendously curious about placement day, but I hope to take it in stride.

I suppose that is a healthy method for this experience - and life - in general. There are quite a few California natives in this program - my roommate included. With an impending move to Los Angeles for law school, I have spoken to many of them about their homes and the west coast in general. From my dress to my mannerisms, it is hard to hide that I am an 'east coaster', but I am curious if (and if so, how long it will take) I will adopt the more laid-back vibe that exudes from the west. At first blush I think it's fair to say that I can make the impression as a bit uptight. I'll be the first to admit that I take many things more seriously than others I know, but I like to think that I can relax and procrastinate with the best of them (see Exhibit A: my deplorable lack of Korean language skills upon arrival).

Perhaps that's why labeling people to fit them into an easily-digestible category has never sat well with me. If personality traits are ultimately a recipe combining inherent and learned habits throughout thousands of days walking the earth, telling someone uptight to relax seems about as unhelpful as telling someone relaxed to tighten up. That being said, everyone has moments that call for renewed diligence and those that conversely permit us to decompress. I'm hoping this weekend has more of the latter in store for me. Then again perhaps this entire vein of thought betrays someone a little too uptight...