Monday, October 12, 2009

Training Week and Quarantine!


Sept. 21st through the 25th

This is the week that we start our training to become English teachers! This is like Finals week all over again...learning a lot of information, cramming for tests, and doing presentations. I thought that I was finally done with all of that, but I guess not!!

MISSION: To pass tests and presentations throughout the week to become an English teacher so that I can stay in Korea.

The two areas that I trained in were Reading and Listening. Both of these classes were aimed for the Par or Bridge level students.

Levels of Chung Dahm Institute:
April English (for the beginners, Kinder-3rd)
English Chip (1,2,3,4) (Meet 2x's a week for 3 hrs. a day)
Memory (Mega, Giga, & Tera) (Meet 2x's a week for 3 hrs. a day)
Bridge (Meet 1x a week for 3 hrs. a day)
Reading and/or Listening (Par, Birdie, Eagle, Albatross, Alba +) (Meet 1x a week for 3 hrs. a day)
Masters

They gave us a specific set of Methodology for how they wanted us to present the material and teach our classes. They also gave us class structures of what all needs to be covered with in a specific time limit, and they broke it down into class periods for us as well. Each class is three hours long, but there is always a 5 min. break at the end of each hour.

Presentations: for the first half of the week our instructor would give us an example mock of a small section of something that we would actually have to present in our soon to be classes. Then he would ask us to come up to the front and mock the lesson in front of the other trainers. After our mock we would get feedback to help fix problems or just to help us in front of a real class of students. Our final presentations were to mock one of the larger sections of the lesson, utilizing all of the information and feedback. We also had to work on bringing energy into the classroom and how to deal with certain kinds of students.
Throughout the week we were also in quarantine. We still had to wear our masks not only while we were testing and studying, but we were also required to wear our masks while we presented! These masks were not fun! It was really hard to breath in them, and when I was nervous this became an even bigger problem for me! haha, When I get nervous, I tend to need more oxygen and I almost felt like I was hyperventilating each time I was required to present. With the mask over your face and nose, it almost gives you a feeling of breathing into a paper bag...not pleasant!
We would leave the hotel at 8:30AM each morning. Our training started at 9:00, where I was in Reading Par-level with my instructor Tah-Wei. Then we would generally get a break at about 1PM for lunch. After lunch I would change trainers and go to Listening Par-level with Kenny. We would be finished with training by 5PM. Then we would take the Subway back to the hotel....This whole week really made it feel like I was going to school all over again! A lot of new information, homework every night, late nights studying with early mornings to go back to school, then of course all of the tests and presentations....BLAHHHHH!!!

By Thursday I had already passed my Listening class so I no longer had to prep for it. So, I focused every thing on studying for my reading class...


On Friday Evening I was informed that I passed my tests and passed training!


Then I signed my OFFICIAL CONTRACT with CDI and was rushed out the door to the taxi with Nicole, and Austin (b/c we were all going to the same place) We made it to the train station just in time for Austin to catch his train to Daegu and then Nicole and I man handled our suitcases up to the train station second floor then attempted to send them down the escalator to get to our train.....ALL along, there was an elevator about 30 meters from where we were standing! lol! But it was pretty funny watching us try to get all of that luggage down there by ourselves....and using the escalator none the less!!! lol! But we finally made it to the train and thankfully it was a pretty short trip by the KTX train....then we once again manhandled our stuff out of the train, but this time we saw the elevator! lol! We were greated by a very sweet Korean woman named Erica. She failed to mention to us that she was our boss's wife!!!!! lol! at least we didn't make fools of ourselves!!! When we got to the school we got introduced to all of the teachers and then they took us to the apartments to drop off our stuff. I like the apartment. It works wonderfully for me, and it has plenty of space for me! It has a washing machine and fridge, and a small bed inside, and the school says that they will get me a microwave. However, I will miss not having an oven.....and.....a SHOWER!!!!! lol! My shower is actually just a hose connected to my sink with a shower head on the end! lol! and my bathroom is a 3ft by 3ft box!!! lol! it looks like when I get washed, so will the rest of the room!!! Haha! OY! Then after I dropped off my stuff our Head Instructor (H.I.), Melissa Taylor, walked Nicole and I back up to a place near the school where they bought us dinner, it was Galbi (Korean BBQ). They were all very kind and I had fun getting to know them. Then on Sat. and Sunday they let us rest and relax before we start work on Monday!

1 comment:

  1. Hey, girlie.

    I'm doing well. Come visit Seoul and you, me and Julie can hike Suraksan.

    ReplyDelete