EPIK

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been in a very sentimentally reflective mood. It’s impossible to explain how I feel about Korea. The truth is, my opinion about Korea changed almost weekly. Looking back, I can see what a truly exceptional time we’ve had. We thank our lucky stars for making the decision to come here. As ineffective as the EPIK program is for students, for many of us who chose to work in it, it has given us more than we ever expected. Aside from the heavier bank balance, my job has introduced to me a wealth of people whom I’d never have met otherwise. I bumped into one of my students the other day. When I told her I was leaving she quickly grabbed me and gave me a big hug – it was heart warming. You couldn’t buy...

Rachel’s tears were making me more upset than I was used to being. I was emotional as well, I just didn’t show it as freely. Onlookers must have thought someone had died. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. We were saying goodbye to the people who had mattered most to us in Korea – our friends. Somehow the term ‘friends’ doesn’t seem to do justice to how we truly feel about them. They’re our family away from home, our support, laughter, inspiration, and comfort. Some people reading this may think I’m over exaggerating. In fact, if I’d read this 2 years I would have been one of those people. The truth is, travelling doesn’t change people, it’s the people you meet who have the biggest impact on...

For the first time in 2 years my principal has given me the entire winter vacation off. I’ve been asked to desk warm every other time. Having said that, every time I bumped into the principal during one of these vacations she seemed shocked to see me. I’m sure most of the time she doesn’t know I’m there. Once I was even locked in the school. I know that this is a topic that a lot of EPIK teachers like to moan about but I’m not one of them. Getting the free time is of course a bonus. Rachel and I can find time to explore Korea a little more before our departure. But I’d also be content to desk warm. Essentially I’d be getting paid to do nothing. In fact, it’s better than that – I’d be getting paid to do...

The academic year draws to a close tomorrow at my school. I imagine chaos will reign throughout the corridors as the students overrun the school – fuelled by the prospect of 2 months freedom. Like most people in my position right now, I have mixed feelings. I came to the conclusion that teaching really isn’t for me. I’m too much of a control freak. While I managed to develop a very effective classroom management strategy, I still couldn’t get over my annoyance at even the slightest whispering between students while I was speaking. I always wanted complete silence, which is utterly ridiculous when you’re surrounded by 40 teenagers, many of whom have no idea what you’re saying. The classes I truly found rewarding were my after...

Discussions on the Gwangju EPIK teachers Facebook page generally start out with people complaining about something, then others tell them to stop complaining, then the thread is deleted. Yesterday there was uproar about a letter the Education Office had sent to our schools telling our principals that we are not allowed to leave school early during term time, even if everyone else has already headed home. Naturally this caused outrage and led to a sometimes heated, sometimes entertaining, often ridiculous dialogue between a good number of EPIK teachers. The thread was later deleted, and due to the nature of some of the comments I can understand why. My personal view on the matter was that the complaints were unnecessary. The agreement was that we work from 8.30...

I’m going to keep this to the point. You may die in Korean public schools if you don’t read this guide. You’re about to learn very little from someone who is not qualified to give any real advice. Therefore, read the points below with care, and ignore most of them. Some may turn out true for you, others may not. Rules: 1. The principal, sometimes referred to as the President, is actually God. 2. Many of your classes will be cancelled. Don’t be upset. As time passes you will learn to thrive on the cancellation of each class, and savour those few minutes of silence. 3. Paperclips are like gold dust. If you find one, hide it and use it wisely, for the minute you leave it lying around it will disappear. 4. Buy slippers that fit and hide them...