To note once again thus far, I haven't been blogging all that much, but I sincerely miss it. I do have another form of outlet on StumbleUpon that I have also been neglectful of. I keep insisting to those friends that I've made close connections with that I will eventually catch up with them and yet I've been failing to keep contact....my thoughts meander along a path of guilt and sorrow as I begin to feel a little ashamed that I haven't done what I had once said I was going to do.
In light of this, I have I guess what you can call a wealth of jumbled thoughts or a heap of littered reflections about what I've been up and seen in past several months. To begin, I hate saying "I will get to that tomorrow" because when tomorrow comes you never know what's going to give. I've put off quite a bit since I've been in South Korea, and although I do feel somewhat settled I'm realizing how much time is not on my side these days. Perhaps it's even because traveling knows no boundaries and therefore time is nothing but a part of your state of mind and the space that surrounds you.
Back at home I felt as though time was lagging on and that the monotony of it all was never going to end...and this might even be the worst example because South Korea is the never sleeping country, but it seems that time is running out when you actually have the time to think about it. I don't feel like I have stopped since I've been here...and although I feel that I've done so much and yet nothing at all.
This week I am coming upon my sixth month of being in South Korea, and I almost can't believe that I have come this far. I feel like I need to know more about Asia as a whole, and think that I may not know this part of the world as much as I would like to. In fact, I might learn many things I wish not to have learned, too.
You see, at most times I feel fortunate to have grown up in a free country. I've read quite a bit of European history and it's connecting battles with other countries, and am knowledgeable about the unfairness of how certain areas have developed over centuries, but it's not until you live in these areas that you realize how much these events have had a deep impact on the upbringing of a country and culture as a whole.
South Korea is a very perplexing, mind-boggling and paradoxical place to live in, and there is far too much on my mind that I am not sure where to begin talking about SK at all. I do realize that it's one of many countries that is surrounded by its unfortunate historical events, and some may feel that others are worst.
Most days I find myself enjoying my surroundings and speaking a foreign language, but bottom line is culturally Koreans are confused and confusing in social stances and work ethics, and maybe I can also say religiously, too. It's all about perception, and my prerogative is not the same as the next person's. Perhaps it's a little naivety on how the world works exactly or ignorance in seeing how corrupt most places are, but it's been quite the eye opener and it makes me even more curious about other places that I've had only once read about.
To allude to my comment from earlier, the confusing and confused Korea, I would like to just note that I am referring to that only of the South for now. The North is far to revitalizing to induce such a small portion in my post, it would best be saved for a novel really. In other words, you can't just a say a few things about it and move on. I digress once again...
By confused and confusing I must further elaborate. To go back home and discuss what life is like here will be somewhat difficult for other to truly imagine how different it can be. Furthermore, how many times I have gasped and either in a furrowed eye-brow or raised eye-brows is more than I can count. Perhaps it is not overexaggerating to say that partically everyday there is something that makes me sign in the name of this country.
To me, it is certainly not a bad thing, but more a doorway of amazement and awe, and a sense of adventure to seek out more doors to worlds unknown to me. For now I will stop my ranting and will resume at a later time. I'm afraid to say that this will be published without reviewing first, and for that I thank you if you got this far in my rant.
Congratulations, you made it! I'm done~for now.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Truth &Responsibility leads to our own Acknowledgement
I know it's been quite sometime that I have written, but here's a random thought, perhaps even a start in more blogs to come....I shan't promise, but hopefully it's in the cards.
Every day I teach my students three vocabulary words and they must write one sentence for each word. These words are something that have been used throughout the unit, or a lesson from the previous day. Today I gave them words that I randomly taught them from the previous day; 'Truth' and 'Responsibility'.
Here's how it started. I've run into this problem where the students were consistently speaking Korean and I could not find any form of discipline where I didn't have to always stop the class to explain that speaking Korean is not conducive to their learning habits. The other day I was told of a secret that permits students to monitor one another when they speak Korean during class time, and because this situation was getting completely out of hand in my classroom I needed to no longer waste my time on unnecessary discipline. There were days where I would fine myself overwhelmed by these little children speaking a language I don't yet fully understand, and they're not taking in this valuable time to put forth an effort of learning a second language that can be vital for their own future. In any case, this secret has completely led me to peaceful bliss...
I came in on Monday afternoon ready to set precedent for a new month, and I came in with a set of chopsticks still in it's paper wrapping. I asked my fellow students what these were. They answered in a perplexed air, as if to say that I am the half whit; "They're chopsticks!"
I concurred and I said, "Yes, but from here on in they are 'Korean speaking chopsticks', and for every time someone speaks Korean they ought to be handed these fine sticks."
I proceeded to explain that at any time anyone utters a word of Korean they must be handed the 'Korean speaking chopstick', and at the end of the day whomever has them in hand I would mark their name on a sheet of paper. They quickly understood and the 'game' began. The tension rose betwixt and between one another as they all had their Korean ears on overdrive. Although some classes seemed stress due to the lack of awareness of how much English they really know, others found other ways to communicate. As for me, my time was perfect. No more screaming Korean speaking children...other than the one class that muttered English songs all 45minutes of class time. They could not sit still even if you paid them, and with the 'Korean speaking chopsticks' they were actually muttering English songs and still could not sit still but for one minute unless I had them doing written work. It actually put a smile on my face that they were really putting an effort of using their English skills, and being funny in the meanwhile.
At the end of the month most of my students, if not all with receive an incentive for having kept up with their English. Those who have received the 'Korean speaking chopsticks' more than 5 times throughout the month will have nothing. As you can see, the fact that they must receive what their peers are getting entices a stronger sense of competition. (They don't like embarrassment, and not being the same as their peers is something considered quite humiliating.)
What really put a smile on my face is teaching them about truth and responsibility. Two important words that foretell each one of their character. How deceiving they become or how honest they actually are. The 'Korean speaking chopsticks' have really brought out a form of individuality and although it has been a few days no real big fight has emerged because they know that I am not the one who has the 'responsibility' to call upon them or make the decision, but it's their own 'truths' that submerge them into defining the two languages.
These children, as well as myself, are becoming knowledgeable about how much English they really do know. Furthermore, an awareness of how much they can improve without really knowing it.
When we utter truths in our own lives and take responsibility of our own actions there's an instantaneous form of acknowledgment of what lies before us and around us. We become more aware of what really exists around us and fully acknowledge what we ought to do to move forward.
Every day I teach my students three vocabulary words and they must write one sentence for each word. These words are something that have been used throughout the unit, or a lesson from the previous day. Today I gave them words that I randomly taught them from the previous day; 'Truth' and 'Responsibility'.
Here's how it started. I've run into this problem where the students were consistently speaking Korean and I could not find any form of discipline where I didn't have to always stop the class to explain that speaking Korean is not conducive to their learning habits. The other day I was told of a secret that permits students to monitor one another when they speak Korean during class time, and because this situation was getting completely out of hand in my classroom I needed to no longer waste my time on unnecessary discipline. There were days where I would fine myself overwhelmed by these little children speaking a language I don't yet fully understand, and they're not taking in this valuable time to put forth an effort of learning a second language that can be vital for their own future. In any case, this secret has completely led me to peaceful bliss...
I came in on Monday afternoon ready to set precedent for a new month, and I came in with a set of chopsticks still in it's paper wrapping. I asked my fellow students what these were. They answered in a perplexed air, as if to say that I am the half whit; "They're chopsticks!"
I concurred and I said, "Yes, but from here on in they are 'Korean speaking chopsticks', and for every time someone speaks Korean they ought to be handed these fine sticks."
I proceeded to explain that at any time anyone utters a word of Korean they must be handed the 'Korean speaking chopstick', and at the end of the day whomever has them in hand I would mark their name on a sheet of paper. They quickly understood and the 'game' began. The tension rose betwixt and between one another as they all had their Korean ears on overdrive. Although some classes seemed stress due to the lack of awareness of how much English they really know, others found other ways to communicate. As for me, my time was perfect. No more screaming Korean speaking children...other than the one class that muttered English songs all 45minutes of class time. They could not sit still even if you paid them, and with the 'Korean speaking chopsticks' they were actually muttering English songs and still could not sit still but for one minute unless I had them doing written work. It actually put a smile on my face that they were really putting an effort of using their English skills, and being funny in the meanwhile.
At the end of the month most of my students, if not all with receive an incentive for having kept up with their English. Those who have received the 'Korean speaking chopsticks' more than 5 times throughout the month will have nothing. As you can see, the fact that they must receive what their peers are getting entices a stronger sense of competition. (They don't like embarrassment, and not being the same as their peers is something considered quite humiliating.)
What really put a smile on my face is teaching them about truth and responsibility. Two important words that foretell each one of their character. How deceiving they become or how honest they actually are. The 'Korean speaking chopsticks' have really brought out a form of individuality and although it has been a few days no real big fight has emerged because they know that I am not the one who has the 'responsibility' to call upon them or make the decision, but it's their own 'truths' that submerge them into defining the two languages.
These children, as well as myself, are becoming knowledgeable about how much English they really do know. Furthermore, an awareness of how much they can improve without really knowing it.
When we utter truths in our own lives and take responsibility of our own actions there's an instantaneous form of acknowledgment of what lies before us and around us. We become more aware of what really exists around us and fully acknowledge what we ought to do to move forward.
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