Freaky...

Do you ever get an eerie feeling after seeing a person?? Maybe that person has a creepy stare, or you just get a bad vibe from that person? I usually trust what my gut tells me, especially when it comes to choosing whether I should trust a person or not. I think the Holy Spirit really aids me. Well, today in class, I got that feeling! Don't worry; it's not a scary story. My co-teacher was leading the class in review exercises, so I was walking around the classroom. I stood in the back, leaning against a block and noticed two boys fooling around. I shhsed them and they turned around to see who had shhsed them. I distinctly remembered seeing one of the boys in a different class. My first reaction was, "What are you doing in this class???" Then, he seemed different to me and I started to get creeped out... I kept staring at him... I confirmed to myself, "Yes, Johnna, this is the same face. So then what is he doing here? Shouldn't he be in class?" I started to think, "Maybe he has a twin?" Later on in the class, I found some free time to ask my co-teacher, "Does he have a brother." She asked me, "Why." I said, "He looks like another one of our students." She tells me, "Yes, he has a twin in the other 5th grade class. His name is Mingyu. His brother's name is Mingoo." I was amazed! She laughed at me. Then, she told the whole class that I had noticed that Mingyu is a twin. I went to Mingyu and started to tell him about MY twin sister. heheehe Now, I know how weird it is for people who know me to see Elis, or vice-versa. Very trippy~~ I felt like a bad teacher because it took me 2 months to notice I had the same face in two of my classes each week, but my co-teacher seemed to think it was an early observation. My goal is to learn each of my students' names by the end of the year! I have 4 more months to learn about 330 names...... :/ Anyways, they're both such cuties :-)

On a Friday Afternoon

This week has been crazy: The school faculty played volleyball three days this week (On Thursday, another school came to play an actual game.). I’ve been having a hard time waking up all week. The students took midterm exams on Friday, so the class schedules were adjusted. And all week, my students have been more talkative than usual and more disruptive. I didn’t know what was going on because even the classes that are normally good were acting up. On Thursday, I was talking about it with Jessica (the other native English teacher) and I found out that her students have been crazy all week too! It made me a little relieved. Then, I started thinking, “Maybe my students are getting used to me…They were behaving well because I was still new, but now that I’m a familiar face, they are letting themselves get comfortable.” Just as I started to brainstorm disciplinary ideas in my head, my co-teacher brought it up! During one of our classes, she asked the students, “Why are you guys so talkative today? Are exams stressing you out?” I thought, “Oh my gosh! She’s right!” It was like an epiphany! I guess my co-teacher knew by her teacher instinct…? After our last class, all of the English teachers at the school talked about it in our office. Apparently, all of the students have been wild all week. Since the students finished their exams today and will have a weekend to have some fun, they should be settled down on Monday, right? Let’s hope so. :--)

This week, I finally got internet and cable TV at my place. I’m blogging from school, but I feel so happy knowing I could do it from home. Hehe Lately, I’ve been reminding myself to give thanks. The first 2-3 weeks in Korea were really rough and I was full of nothing but bitterness. It was very easy to complain and to question, but very hard to say thank You. After 2-3 weeks of this, I knew my attitude had to change. It was obvious that I was not fully surrendering to God and with that attitude, it would be hard to enjoy Korea. So, I started to pray a prayer of thanksgiving every night. I prayed over everything, even minor details. It’s been about a month since I started to do this and I know it’s helping: It reminds me to love the Korean teachers. It reminds me to love life. It reminds me that I live for His glory.  

Thank You for my new bed.

Thank You for my new TV.

Thank You for my new AC remote.

Thank You for my co-teacher who is just wonderful and so accommodating!

Thank You for showing me that I’m not the only English teacher who struggled here.

Thank You for all the friends I met at GEPIK orientation!

Thank You for Jessica’s honesty.
Thank You for transforming me in the small month I’ve been here.

Thank You for my internet connection and my cable TV.

Thank You for TV다시보기 so that I can catch up on my Korean dramas. Haha

Thank You for my first care package. ㅜ.ㅜ (완전 surprise and 감동.)

Thank You for the random phone calls from my relatives who call to “see if anything’s going on.”

Thank You for the variety in the delicious school lunches. ^__^

Thank You for helping me to love my students.

Thank You for allowing me wisdom and discernment each and every day I teach.

Thank You for my first paycheck. Haha

Thank You for giving me money when I go on business trips. (I did not know this until it showed up in my bank account. Plus, business trips are fun because you get to go home as soon as your business is done. Woohoo!)

Thank You for cleaning supplies.

Thank You for the wonderful Korean teachers I share the office with.

Thank You for all of the foreigners in my neighborhood! (Some teachers don’t have any in their neighborhoods. We have about six!)

Thank You for bringing Diana relatively close to me.

Thank You for BJ gsn. He reminded me of the grace I had forgotten.

Thank You for Heejeong because I feel less lost with a close friend nearby.

Thank You for reminding me how much I appreciate friends and family back home.

Thank You for protecting me.

Did you guys notice the first 3? Oh YEAH~~ Dad is good. <3

Quotes of the Day

In my 5th grade classes, we are learning -ing verbs. Today was the first part of the lesson, so I had to teach them grammar. (Ewwww.) Native English speakers don't even like learning grammar! It's a big headache to learn and to teach. The first time I lectured on grammar went horribly: All the kids had blank stares and the class was SO quiet. Today's lecture went better though. I had more pictures and interaction. Plus, I had them write the rules down to keep them busy. ^^
Oops! I was trying to blog in-between classes and I forgot the quotes, except for one. I was teaching a class "come--> coming" and one of my examples was "comeing."  I asked them, "Is this right?" I asked them, "Why is it wrong?" They said, "the 'e'~~." I said, "What about the 'e?' One of the students yelled, "trash 'e'!" TRASH e?? puahahha My co-teacher and I had a good laugh in our office about that.
My students were so funny today, but too bad I don't remember what they said. Today was a fun teaching day. One of those days when the lesson I planned is effective, the students are attentive, and I'm smiling a lot!