Day 208

July 13 Monday

I had a decent day today.

So today in my first class we were talking about the weather and the days of the week. We had a pretty good class. At the beginning of class one of the students asked for a game at 4:30. I told her 4:40 since 4:30 would have been 20 mins after class started. We covered all the material I wanted to cover. They completed their homework in class and then we played a game. We played the game they always like to play. They did a good job.

My 2nd class gave me problems on Wednesday. Today they were much better. No one had their homework. The 10 year old just doesn't ever do his. One student lost his sheet that I gave him. The other student was completing it when I was asking for it so he doesnt get credit for having it. The students were actually better today. They have moments where they like to goof off and talk to one another during the lesson but they actually participated in the lesson. They did well in the speaking part of class. We had about 10 minutes left in class and I was at a good stopping point so I let them play a game. They don't like the 10 year old so they were trying to put him on my team while the 3 of them played on a team. They know that he isn't really good at the game. I told them to play 2 against 2 and I wasnt playing. No one wanted to be on the team with King Kong (thats his current English name). So they played individually. I don't think they had a winner or loser. They were still playing when I left the classroom.

I spent my whole break time creating essays. At least I have all of the essay topics made out for every class. I'm going to let the lowest 2 levels write about themselves like they are writing to a penpal. Just a few sentences like their name, age, where they are from. easy stuff. Levels 4-9 will be writing about their morning routine-which was actually a topic from the book for my highest level class, but its not hard. Its just questions like "what do you do first in the morning?" "What do you eat for breakfast?""how do you get to school?" My highest level class has the longest essay. I asked them to write about themselves. It was a topic from their writing book. There are questions like "what is your name?""what grade are you in?" "
what do you do for fun?"

I put a note on all of the essay papers. I'm tired of them not turning it in or turning it in late. I said if they are late or don't turn it in they will get 5 points taken away from their writing grade and a point taken away from their homework grade. Not like they actually care about their grades anyway.

I can't even motivate them to do their homework by saying I will give them a prize if they do it all month. Some of them still don't do their homework.

Our schedule times changed today. The Korean teachers didn't even notice the time change. (I dont even think the students know!)My last class of the day used to start at 8:00 but now its suppose to start at 8:10. I was still sitting at my desk at 8:05 and the Korean teacher told me that I have class. I showed her the schedule and told her the time changed. She said "it hasnt started yet". I showed her the schedule again and showed her that today was the 13th like the schedule said. She said "I didn't even notice". So yeah she just glanced over and didnt even notice that 2 classes started 10 minutes later than normal.

I went into the class at 8:10. We went over a writing unit. One of the boys never does his homework. We went over homework and finished the unit. I finished the unit right at our old ending time. I asked the students if they knew the time changed and they said no. I let them go at the regular time since I was at a good stopping point and didn't have anything else to cover in the last 10 minutes. I assigned their essay today-its due on Monday so they have a week to complete it. Thats the only homework I gave them. They were excited that it was the only homework.

One of the students in class was texting during class. I asked him to read an answer to a question in the book. In the middle of answering he just picks up his phone to check a message. I asked him "are you on your phone?". He says that his friend keeps messaging him and he acts like its perfectly fine just to answer it in the middle of class. I told him to put it away and he didn't get it out for the rest of class.

After class I packed up my things and left at nine. I went to the gym.I walked on the treadmill for 37 minutes and burned about 255 calories. I was watching a TV show that was called "I get that a lot". it was very funny. Celebs work normal jobs and people tell them that they look like a certian person and they keep saying "i get that a lot". Heidi Klum was working at a pizza place. Leann Rimes was being a waitress. Ice T was working at a shoe store. Jared (the subway guy) was working at Subway. Finally they would say "i'm _________ and youre on "I get that a lot" I enjoyed it. It was on an English channel that shows reality shows. "real entertainment channel" I think. I think I have that channel at my house but I couldnt find it today.

Then I went to the stationary bike. While I was there a Korean guy sat down next to me. He started talking to me a little while later. He told me he had lived in America before-california and Idaho. He guessed my age to be 27. I told him I was 27 in America. He asked me to guess his age. I guessed 27 and he said he was younger than that. He is 25 Korean age (23 in America). He's a university student. He studied at the hagwon that I teach at.

I have to go to the bank tomorrow. I need to transfer money home and pay 2 bills. I hate that it takes forever at the bank! You can be 3rd or 4th in line and still be in there over 30 minutes. They only have 3 tellers.