A Taste of the Ele[mental]y.

I've been trying to tap into my memory bank for life in primary school; wondering if I was that brown-nosing brat, the annoying chatterbox at the back (sounds like me), the attention-seeker, the eager beaver answering all the questions, the silent, uninterested type, the class clown, or the class clown's accomplice. Alas, my memory fails me. But that's the cool thing about teaching at an elementary school. I can almost remember what life was like back then; very little care for things of this world. Bliss! It's also hilarious when I see a bit of myself  (or my primary school friends) in my students.

So here are the things you need to know before I share the juicy juice:

The School- Chilsung Elementary School (Grades 1-6) 

My students (lucky kids! hehe)- Grades 4 and 6

Average class size- 30 adorable and sometimes annoying students

School hours- 09:00 to 15:30 (I only knock off at 16:30)

For your info: I always have a Korean teacher present in the class, so we work together (co-teaching, we call it).

 

The English Village

Chilsung Elementary


Okaaaay. So, my first few days at school were obviously overwhelming (for me and the students) because it's something completely new (teaching for me, and a Black person, for the students). Although the government has had foreign English teachers at the schools for a few years now, it's not something they are used to yet. Never mind the fact that I'm their first English teacher of colour- I'm the first of colour they see EVER! Jokes aside. So amongst many arb questions and statements, here are a few: 

• "Teacher veli pweety!" 
• "Teacher hair like noodle." (I had braids in at the time)
• "Teacher have S-Line body." (I mean, I've heard Coca Cola bottle, but S-Line?? That's original!)
• "Teacher look like Hollywood star!" (Of course, if the only Black people you've seen are American actresses)
• "Teacher have so BEEEG eyes!" (Now that's HILARIOUS since my mom has called me 'China' all my life, and my friends believed my coming to Korea was perfect since my eyes are 'just like theirs'. Frame of reference is EVERYTHING, people!)

Those are the few I can remember right now. I should probably jot them down as they are said and just look back at the list whenever I'm feeling down.

So, for some arb reason, really personal questions are NOT inappropriate to ask when you're in Korea. Your first conversation with a Korean kid (well, one who can speak a bit of English) will usually go something like this:

Them: Oh! Hello (There's always an exclamation of surprise and the 'el' always drags a tad. So it sounds more like Helll-low)
You: Hi! How are you?
Them: I'm fine. (Higher level students will add 'and you?')
You: That's good.
Them: Where are you from?
You: I'm from South Africa.
Them: AFRICA??? (Gasp) Wow!
Them: Nice to meet you! (Even if this is their 50th time seeing you)
You: Good to see you, too. (Subtle correction)
>Insert awkward silence<

Once there's a Korean teacher in the room to help translate where needed, you give them the opportunity to find out more about you. I was forewarned that Koreans will always wanna know more than you're used to sharing. The typical questions:

•  How old are you? (followed by a gasp coz I'm much younger than I look, compared to Koreans)
•  Do you have a boyfriend?
•  How much do you weigh?
•  What's your blood type? (Are you serious?!)
•  Do you have brothers and sisters?
•  Do you like kim'chee? (traditional Korean food that comes with EVERY meal. I'll explain later)
•  Do you like Korea?
•  Can you speak Korean?

And once the 'Do you like...?' questions start coming, it's downhill from there, coz they'll ask about any possible thing they can think of! Kids...

My students were definitely most interested in where I'm from. I think half of them wondered why I wasn't wearing animal skin to cover only the important parts and HOW ON EARTH I got here since we don't have cars in Africa, nevermind whole aeroplanes?!?

I can't get offended by the ignorance when even grown people from other countries will ask silly questions about South Africa. But kids don't know much, so you can't blame them for thinking that Vuvuzela is the president of South Africa... I'm sure a South African 4th grader (and even many a grown folk) would think that all Asians are Chinese kung-fu fighters. Ignorane is just something we all share, I guess.

So, here are some obvious differences between South African primary schools and Korean elementary schools:

In Korea, the students come to school in civvies. Stylish as ever.

In South Africa,  (in my day) students PAY (around R2 back then) to wear civvies to school. That was three or so times a year, and then we'd all be in our Sunday best!

Typical South African uniform

Ayyday is civvies day

In Korea, elementary students are at school from 08:30 'til around 16:00, afterwhich most of them attend private academies til late hours of the evening- anytime between 9pm and midnight. Yes! 8-12 year olds!

In South Africa, primary school students wake up at 06:30, leave school at 13:00 and spend the rest of the day on the streets or playgounds, dirtying their uniforms on the playgound or playing playstation til the sun goes down. By 9pm, they MUST be in bed, or else...

In South Africa, public school education is paid for by parents whose salaries barely cover the cost of one their child's winter uniform. Mom's can't help but remind you "I paid so much school fees for you!..." (tltltl!)

In Korea, elementary school students spend 30 minutes cleaning the classrooms and corridors- brooms, mops and all.

In South Africa, my friends and I didn't even know how to hold a broom or a mop at all.

In Korea, students' moms spend 30 minutes of their Friday afternoon helping their kids clean the school.

In South Africa, you spend 30 minutes in the Friday afternoon sun, coz mom forgot to pick you up from school (don't even try and deny it).

In Korea, students have a rice, soup, fish (of sorts) and vegetable lunch in the school's cafeteria. Free of charge.

In South Africa, students have a pie, foxi nax and mayo lunch courtesy of the fully stocked tuck shop. Twenty bucks, they'd charge.

In Korea, students change into different shoes as they arrive at school to avoid outside dirt being carried into the classrooms.

In South Africa, students change school shoes only when their dirty feet no longer fit into the pair that was bought 3 years before. tltltlt.

Typical Korean school shoes

They only looked like this every 3rd January. SOS 

My co teacher and I in our work winter slippers

In South Africa, students go out of their way to make their teachers' lives hell. It's not like their employers (infamous government) treat them any better either though. In my day ,writing letters and getting gifts for teachers would, without fail, label you a brown-noser or suck-up. And that definitely buys you the school's popularity prize...

My favourite thing though, is that In Korea, being a foreign teacher makes me feel like the Hollywood star I may have once dreamed of becoming (now I can't say God didn't tick that prayer request!). My students have no shame in showering me with attention, compliments and gifts even amidst their natural child-like misbehaviour.

What would kids be without a bit of an annoying bone in them though? I say it's the element of mental thats adds flavour to this teaching job. What do you know? You've just been schooled with a chunky Taste of Keke's Ele[mental]y.

Just a few pics to make you ooh and ahh :) 

4th grade girls

4th grade naughty boys

6th grade twins. the sweetest, but the naughtiest of them all