Training Week

Hello! 

So, this week I have been a teacher in training. There is still a lot that I need to learn. I've never taught a lesson before, so it can be pretty daunting. At the beginning of the week, I watched a few lessons, so shadowing the current teachers. However, on the Wednesday, I had to teach half of a lesson. Each lesson is one hour long, so I had 30 minutes to teach. On Thursday and Friday I taught two lessons each day. 

This hagwon is very complicated, there are many rules. For example, they have three different courses: Lancon, Champ and Ivy, about 20 different kind of text books! 

Lancon consists of different stages: 

• The Key Stages: Key Starter, Key Beginner, Key Intermediate, Key Advance
  (These kids don't have a vitamin test (grammar, spelling test) at the beginning of class.
  
  
• The Navigation Stages: Atlas Bridge, Atlas, Compass, Telescope 
• Columbus: Ocean, Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria, Navigation 
  (All of these have a vitamin test and sometimes a pop quiz)

Champ consists of: 

• Dash Beginner, Dash Intermediate and Dash Advance
• Jump Beginner, Jump Intermediate and Jump Advance
• Glide Beginner, Glide Intermediate and Glide Advance 

I don't know much about this course of study yet! 

Then there is Ivy which consists of: 

• Horizon Beginner, Horizon Intermediate and Horizon Advance 
• Mountain Beginner, Mountain Intermediate and Mountain Advance

I don't know much about these either. 

Hopefully in a week or two, I'll be a pro! There's so much to learn, from what homework to give, to whether they have lancon power homework, to vitamin tests. Everyone at the hagwon is lovely. They have been such a big help! I can't thank them enough. 

So teaching was okay. I struggled a lot, but luckily I had my co-workers with me. I am praying that I will be fine when I am on my own next week! 

If you're wanting to teach in Korea, you have to go through an E2 health test at the hospital. It's around 40GBP per person. It consists of a chest X-ray, urine test, blood test, eyesight test, hearing test, BMI check and blood pressure check. 

We went to the hospital on the Tuesday to do all of this. Then returned on the Wednesday for the results. 

I was all clear for everything. No STDS, No HIV...etc hahaha :] but I don't have my Hep B vaccine. In the UK we don't get this as babies. So I had to get it. Yuck. It was sore. ¬.¬ 

David's results weren't so great! His blood pressure was sky high (172/100) the day before so they had redo him. He was high again, but then another nurse noticed that the cuff was not around the proper place. It was a really silly mistake, both times! 

Then...more drama, the doctor told David that there was something wrong with his liver. The blood identified a liver problem. So we had to pay 188,000 won (100GBP) for a sonograph, the same one you use when you're pregnant, and a new blood test. The guy said his liver was fine, there was nothing wrong with his insides. So again he had to return to hospital the next day and he was fine. 

It was such an inconvenience and a waste of money. He also had to get his Hep B shot.

I was also bitten by a mosquito for the first time. It's so itchy and I want to scratch it ALL THE TIME! It's freaking huge too:

So that's it from this week. It was hectic, and busy. Next week is going to be even more hectic and busy! Arggggh! We will be moving into our new apartment tomorrow. Just as well because we have 10 days of washing to do. Our hotel room stinks. Bleugh. 

Love from Gangneung!