I've been at my new school for a couple of weeks now and settling in quite easy compared to my last school when I had just arrived in Korea. This is another middle school and having taught two years middle at the last school its a relatively easy transfer. 

 


 
The kids are the same age group so I can recycle old lessons from the previous school. Also I know how to deal with problem kids as I saw all the same issues at the last school for the last two years. This school is actually better behaved than the last one which had a behavior problem. 

This school is double the size of my last school which was about 650 students. Due to the larger size we have two foreign teachers and seem to have two of everything with two english language labs. 

However, I dont get to keep one like in my last school. Instead certain classes are in the room and the remainder of time I have to carry a laptop to their homerooms as there are no pcs in the classes. 

 



Because we have two foreign teachers in this school I do Level 3 (Grade 9) High, Intermediate, and Low Levels, plus Level 2 (Grade 8) High Level Students. The other foreign teacher from the UK does Level 2 (Grade 8) Intermediate and Low Levels, and Level 1 (Grade 7) High, Intermediate, Low. 

Students also seem to be punished on an industrial scale in this school compared to the last. The line outside the teachers room is three times what it was at my old school. 

 





This time I am not in the teachers room but a smaller office between the two english zone classes. This gives me more privacy but also removes me from a lot of the activity, socializing, and free food that is often in the main staff room. 




The first week I arrived was the last week of the current Principal and Vice Principal. I wish I'd known that as I gave them both gifts when I was first introduced now have nothing to give the new Principal and Vice Principal.   

 


The cafeteria setup is also slightly different. Again on a much larger scale for double the population size of the last school. They dont seem to have much variety on the menu from day to day and seem to have a limited menu list. However, there does seem to be stuff for me each day and not over reliance on meat that the old school had. 

 
 
 



The bicycle racks are also full each day and there are good views of the local neighbourhood from the fifth floor. The school bell between classes also sounds like an ice cream truck style tune. 

 
 



Our school is next to the high school so between the two schools maybe 3000 students. I thought they had shared facilities but there is a long fence to separate off the two from each other

 
 


Nearby is another elementary school which I pass on my walk to school with another foreign teacher who I try to say hello to but she never looks at me. The children gather to walk across the crossing, similarly with the older kids by the crossing at for my school and the high school beside

 
 




The english zone rooms which I sometimes use have computers so I have to take my lessons on a USB stick. I had to get english versions of word/excel/ppt installed on my laptop as they were all hangul so hard for me to create new material. 

For the homerooms I have to carry the laptop and plug it in to their overhead screen. At first this seemed like such a nuisance having to carry a laptop, especially upto fifth floor classes. Then I got used to it and its not as bad as I dont use the power cord so just run it off the battery. Also I can use my laptop bag to carry stuff and put candies in the pockets

 


There are still problems of students sleeping in low level classes but they are not as out of control as the last school. They have their names sewn on their uniforms so they're surprised I can read hangul and call their names out.  

 



Also because I dont have my own room the boards get erased at the end of class by an assigned student. That's a nuisance as I have to write everything again for the next class. 

Twice a week I have to do a before school class from 8.30-8.50 for the gifted students. Their levels are quite high but its hard rushing to school and doing a quick 20 min class before starting lesson one at 9am. 

 












 

 

A popular tool from my old school was my inflatable hammer. I dont know what reaction I'd get carrying it to different classes as before I just had my own room and would keep it there at the old school.

It seems to be quite popular again and students want me to use it "full power" against bad students, but I only tap their desk. 

The low level teacher quite liked it. After telling me to bring it to every class now she walks around with it menacing the students

 


Overall, things are going well and I hope they stay this way