Island life is usually supposed to be fun-filled, hot and humid and very relaxed right? Well, in my experience - it is. It is fun-filled as there is so much to do, it is quite hot in the summer and the people are very relaxed and kind. As an EPIK teacher who is originally from South Africa, my journey to Korea was one that I didn’t know what kind of expectations I should have. Nonetheless, when I landed in the country, I was received with warmth and kindness from the citizens, my school and students. I have been on Jeju for more than a year and I am currently on my second contract which is something I did not expect. I did not expect to extend my stay mainly because I was coming from a corporate background and was quite nervous about being a teacher to elementary school students. My first day of teaching was accompanied with great assistance from my co-teachers, who helped with getting my bank card, gave me a breakdown of Korean culture and even taught me a few Korean words! I also got assistance in teaching strategies and the different ways I can apply myself in the classroom whether it be from online classes or interpersonal interactions. I then met my students who overwhelmed me with so much charisma and warmth. My students were quite interested in my culture and background which was a great ice-breaker and opportunity to learn from one another. Due to Covid-19, it was first a challenge to manage the classroom in a way where I could adhere to social distancing rules while making the classes as interactive as possible, but with creating a community and speaking with different native teachers, I have found ways to incorporate social distancing activities, games and material where the students can participate and adhere to the rules while having lots of fun.
me teaching
3 years ago