Retail therapy

I went on quite the shopping spree today. In addition to hiking, shopping is a national pastime in Korea. So I was participating in a typical Korean Sunday and indulging in wonderful Korean culture. In truth, I think the retail therapy was well deserved. I taught that Saturday conversation class full of boys for the last time this week and needed to reward myself for having survived the whole 1 and 1/2 month ordeal.

There were no fights this week, but there was no learning either. Determined to prove my worth as a teacher and get through to the boys, I spent all my free time this past week planning a lesson that would hold their interest. There is nothing they could relate to more personally than video games. If you aren't aware, Korea has one of the largest gaming markets in the world and there is a PC gaming cafe on every corner here. If this doesn't catch them, nothing will.

Well, apparently nothing will. At least not with me in charge.

In order to fight my buyer's remorse, I'm now determined to work on developing a tougher teaching side. While I pray I never have to face a class that unmotivated and undisciplined again, I'm going to be prepared for next time.

On another note, I am still not fully recovered from my illness earlier this month. On Friday, after a cough attack at my desk, my co-teacher turned to me and said, "Did you catch a cold?"

Ummm, yeah. You know, the one that's going around? You went to the hospital for it. Ring a bell? Well, she's perfectly healthy now. No liquid lung, scratchy throat, or cracking voice in the middle of class. Whatever they gave her at the hospital worked. Perhaps the joke was on me when I scoffed at her for going to the hospital for a cold.