The Ramblings of Loren Christopher

Disclaimer:  I do not enjoy reading Korea expat blogs that are mostly about “teaching life”, which class bothered you most this week, what your co-workers or daily activities are like.  This, to me, is boring to read.  So in no way do I intend for this blog to come across as one of those ‘today-this-happened-at-work’ blogs.  That being said, let me take this one entry to tell you a little about my work since I took some cute pictures of my kids recently.

I’ll be honest, up until about a year ago I was frightened by kids.  I didn’t know how to act around them, I was afraid they wouldn’t think I was funny.  Looking back now, I know I had nothing to be scared of….kids are great!  There is a kind of instant joy you get working with kids that I just don’t think you can find anywhere else, and there have been so many moments with my kids over the past year that have left me truly touched.

It’s funny, I can be in a bad mood or stressed out, and the kids will cheer me up with something silly or ridiculous that they say.  And sometimes they say the most RANDOM things.  Likewise there are a few terrors here and there that I have to keep under tight control, but I’ve gotten much better at that.  They know when they hear my sudden soft, demeaning tone of voice, to be quiet so they can hear exactly what I’m going to say to reprimand one of them.

I’ve made a couple kids cry over this past year.  I’m not entirely proud of that, but in a way I am, because those two kids have since become really close to me and are now among my favorites.  There’s no point in holding grudges….you have to show the kids you care about them and truly want them to do better.  It’s amazing how far the slightest bit of interest you show them can go.

I don’t mean to sound like I’m patting myself on the back here….there is still soooo much to learn.  That’s one reason I like teaching, it’s a constant growing and learning process.  And I am so so so thankful that I have an amazing hagwon (private school) to work for though.  They don’t take advantage of me or over-work me at all.  It’s rare to find such a sweet deal in Korea and I’m not sure, had I gotten a job at one of the many crappy hagwons, if I would be as stoked about teaching.

So, when I reflect on this past year of teaching, and I see kids who I know I’ve made an impact on and they will remember me for the rest of their lives, I feel so lucky to be doing what I’m doing.  Like I said, there are certainly tough times with some classes, and there will always be more ahead.  Figuring out how to make the best of the situation is a challenge that every teacher should be strive to achieve.  The pay-offs are worth it.