앤디오빠

Back to work today, after a holiday. Korea has a public holiday for voting, but many people just had the day off and didn't vote (In Australia, we vote on a saturday, don't have a public holiday for it, and it is compulsory for everyone 18 years old or over to vote - you get into a little bit of trouble if you're caught not voting).

I'm not sure how many koreans don't vote on voting day, whether it's because they dont like their choices (so they choose none), or if it's because they just dont care.

I had 6 classes today... On average, classes were... average. Sometimes I have to think about why these children come to study, but they dont actually do any study... Sometimes, it seems to be more of a social place, rather than a study place... especially in my classes. Sometimes it feels like I am wasting my time with some students.

But, I try very hard to give them the same opportunities as all the other students. What they choose to do with that opportunity, is their choice, and they must also consider the consequences. If they try hard to work in class, their English will improve. If they decide to gossip and talk in Korean in class, instead of trying to study, is that my fault?

I feel that some students are treating me differently (as in, with less respect than what they would show a korean person), because I am a foreigner, or possibly because, I am not Korean. When I think about it, its not because they are being racist, it is because that they don't know anything about western culture. Not knowing this, they can unknowingly upset a foreigner very easily. There are many things that I have to tolerate, because I'm a foreigner - some days, I'm ok with it, but other days, i just can't deal with it, and either get angry, or depressed about it.

I chose this job, because I knew it would be a challenge. Sometimes I enjoy the challenge I've chosen. The other times, I've regeted my decision.

Don't get me wrong - it's only a very few things that upset me about adjusting to korea, and working with korean children. But,none the less, I need to acknoledge that they annoy me, and do something about it, rather than to "ignore" them all the time.

There is always a few "extreeme" options in the back of my mind. The obvious one, is going back to Australia - but, I don't want to do that. There are so many more good things about Korea than bad, but, it seems that I see more of the bad things where I work and live, rathen than anywhere else in Korea.

I've been in my workplace for over 7 months now, and some students, they still either don't understand, or choose to ignore, how things work in my classroom, even though they experience these things every time. For example, when someone is talking (especially me), you listen, and not interrupt. If you do want to talk, you put your hand up and wait... another word i dont think some of my students understand... "wait".

Anyway, I dont want to complain too much. To summerise: I just have some students that I feel I'm wasting my time on, because they choose to waste their opportinities. That is an unfortunate thing...