In one of my earlier posts I said that I was a good teacher. I take that back. Well actually, I'd like to rephrase it. I think I have the ability to genuinely understand the heart of another person, and this makes it easier for me recognize what they're motivated by, thus teach them. But I could always be a better teacher. It's just one of those skills that can never be perfected, only strengthened. I have definitely improved as a teacher during my stay so far, and I hope to continue doing so throughout my life. Korea has put me to the test because I have to teach when I don't know the language at all. (I know a little more now, but it's still not enough to actually use during my teaching unless I'm disciplining the kids.)
So how does someone become a better teacher anyways? For one, there's spending time making a good lesson plan. If you're a teacher, I sincerely doubt that spending 20 minutes on a lesson plan will create the most effective lesson. The more time you take to plan a lesson, and create materials, the better your lesson will be. So even if you can create an amazing lesson in 20 minutes, it'll probably be even more valuable if you spent 40 minutes on it. ;)
Other than the more obvious "work harder" advice which goes for all skills, having an open mind is really important. If students are putting in the effort, don't blame them for not understanding a concept. Be flexible in your methods of teaching, and have patience. Be able to take criticism, but be confident in what works for you. All teachers are different. Don't limit your view of teaching as something that's a personal skill you take pride in, but a skill that can be utilized for the "greater good" (end purpose which is passing on knowledge). So that means, help other teachers, and share your ideas with others. What has worked? What hasn't worked? I love talking to other teachers about lesson plans honestly. 8) Teachers are powerful leaders.
Not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but in my free time I've been volunteering to teach soldiers, and it's been great! In Korea, males are required to complete 2 years of military service (usually during the university age) and they are placed in different branches. It's not uncommon to see soldiers walking around everywhere in Korea. (No worries, I usually don't see them carrying guns.) At first, I was a bit awed by this and stare at the military trucks. But now I'm completely unfazed. I've even forgotten that this isn't as common of a sight in the States. So the students I teach in particular, are placed in the police department and completing police officer duty. Since I'm doing this voluntarily, they're really flexible with my schedule, and I usually teach around 2 hours per week. Teaching adults is so different, and very fun! The games I can play are more complex and I can actually be a part of them as well. We've played games such as hot seat, alibi, taboo, charades, tongue twisters etc. I teach them about grammar, pronunciation, and help them speak English more "naturally". It mostly serves as a conversation class, and sometimes it feels like I'm just hanging out with my friends.
I honestly don't know who I like teaching better at this point. Kids, or adults. On one hand, I can teach the kids a variety of material and have tons of fun with them. And on the other hand, adults don't need disciplining. They're in class because they want to be. That makes a huge difference.
Well I have to go plan my Halloween lessons for tomorrow now. :) We're going to have some spOoOoky fun! Hopefully, I feel motivated enough to write here more often. I've realized that I can't document every part of my journey, so you'll have to settle for my momentary thoughts.
I hope that you're having a happy week!
Love,
Anisha
Monday, October 26, 2015
A Belated Summer
This was the first time I've experienced a "summer vacation" outside of college. In my previous job, we didn't get a summer vacation. I don't think my career set-up will always be like this, so I'm enjoying every second of it.
Since it's only a short flight away, I decided to visit Japan during summer vacation with Huma and Leek. This was my second time visiting Japan, the first being in High School. This time we explored the Kansai province (Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto) Visiting Japan again as an adult was so worthwhile for me. I noticed so many different things. I was mostly fascinated by the different lifestyle, the cleanliness, the architecture, diversity, and the silence. The whole atmosphere was foreign, yet familiar to me. And I can definitely assure you that anime characters are designed after the wonderful Japanese people. I was in a real life anime, with the small compact spaces, people smoking using cigarette holders in tiny cafes while reading manga, school girls + boys cycling, the grandparents yelling at kids in the markets, the ramen♥, the okonomiyaki!!♥, the sushi ♥, quirky convenient contraptions (like UV proof umbrellas held up on your bike), tatami mats, sliding doors, squishy ominous cats, and a 100% absence of English.
The manga is brilliant. I went to a manga exhibit in Kyoto and found the first original copies of Dragon Ball Z published in 1989. What?! Unfortunately photography is strictly prohibited in most anime museums. But this exhibit was cool because it talked about the rise of manga and how it all started, and the way it gained popularity across the world. My favorite part was the variety of manga there was. Manga was and IS for everyone, of all ages, ethnicities, genders, etc. It's even a news source. I saw many elderly men and women read it on the train, teens read it in cafés, business men and women, mothers, children, everyone! It's not seen as some sort of cool or uncool culture, like it is in America ~ "I'm into anime." (I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing.) It's a completely normal part of Japanese life. No one bats an eye.
One best parts of my journey was the Nara lantern festival. Thousands of lanterns were sprawled out over the grass and in some areas the lanterns made intricate designs. Guys, it was absolutely breathtaking. No picture can do it justice. The three of us naturally wandered in different directions because we were so taken aback by the sea of lanterns. That was the closest I've ever come to floating through outer space. I felt tiny. ~*~*~*~*And in that moment I was infinite~*~*~*~*~ But really though. It made me tear up.
So that's all I'll be discussing on my trip to Japan. If you have any questions about my trip, feel free to comment below. I highly recommend that everyone visit Japan at least once in your life. :) It's great for solo-adventuring, or even a family trip!
Hope you're having an amazing day!
Love,
Anisha
Since it's only a short flight away, I decided to visit Japan during summer vacation with Huma and Leek. This was my second time visiting Japan, the first being in High School. This time we explored the Kansai province (Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto) Visiting Japan again as an adult was so worthwhile for me. I noticed so many different things. I was mostly fascinated by the different lifestyle, the cleanliness, the architecture, diversity, and the silence. The whole atmosphere was foreign, yet familiar to me. And I can definitely assure you that anime characters are designed after the wonderful Japanese people. I was in a real life anime, with the small compact spaces, people smoking using cigarette holders in tiny cafes while reading manga, school girls + boys cycling, the grandparents yelling at kids in the markets, the ramen♥, the okonomiyaki!!♥, the sushi ♥, quirky convenient contraptions (like UV proof umbrellas held up on your bike), tatami mats, sliding doors, squishy ominous cats, and a 100% absence of English.
The manga is brilliant. I went to a manga exhibit in Kyoto and found the first original copies of Dragon Ball Z published in 1989. What?! Unfortunately photography is strictly prohibited in most anime museums. But this exhibit was cool because it talked about the rise of manga and how it all started, and the way it gained popularity across the world. My favorite part was the variety of manga there was. Manga was and IS for everyone, of all ages, ethnicities, genders, etc. It's even a news source. I saw many elderly men and women read it on the train, teens read it in cafés, business men and women, mothers, children, everyone! It's not seen as some sort of cool or uncool culture, like it is in America ~ "I'm into anime." (I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing.) It's a completely normal part of Japanese life. No one bats an eye.
One best parts of my journey was the Nara lantern festival. Thousands of lanterns were sprawled out over the grass and in some areas the lanterns made intricate designs. Guys, it was absolutely breathtaking. No picture can do it justice. The three of us naturally wandered in different directions because we were so taken aback by the sea of lanterns. That was the closest I've ever come to floating through outer space. I felt tiny. ~*~*~*~*And in that moment I was infinite~*~*~*~*~ But really though. It made me tear up.
So that's all I'll be discussing on my trip to Japan. If you have any questions about my trip, feel free to comment below. I highly recommend that everyone visit Japan at least once in your life. :) It's great for solo-adventuring, or even a family trip!
Hope you're having an amazing day!
Love,
Anisha
Friday, August 7, 2015
6 months in
Well, I've been in Korea for nearly 6 months now. It's currently 2:43 AM and I'm leaving for Japan tomorrow night. Ever since summer set in, my sleeping schedule has been really off. The changes between seasons are so seamless, that I don't even notice them. But at the same time, each season is very distinct. It's kind of like a seasonal kaleidoscope - explosions of color, that are continuously changing. Spring was my favorite season so far, and I'm happy to say that it's still green because it's been humid and rainy for the past week or so.
There is nothing I have ever seen that I can compare to Korean landscape. The country side is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains, streams, rice paddies, flowers and nature here are incredible. I feel like I'm prancing through a Studio Ghibli movie.
The past couple of months I haven't been really traveling as much. I've settled into my life, and am getting used to this cozy city. Oh, you probably watched the news and saw that there was a MERs scare back in June. It seemed scarier on the news than it was here. Nonetheless, that's pretty much "over". And I've gotten into a routine of eat + work + sleep. Now it's summer vacation, and I'm trying to get back into traveling. And I'm getting really sleepy, so I'll just end this blog post here.
Here are some pictures, out of order sorry!
These photos barely put a dent in everything that has happened sine my last post, but I wanted to post something for you guys. Hi mom! :)
There is nothing I have ever seen that I can compare to Korean landscape. The country side is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains, streams, rice paddies, flowers and nature here are incredible. I feel like I'm prancing through a Studio Ghibli movie.
The past couple of months I haven't been really traveling as much. I've settled into my life, and am getting used to this cozy city. Oh, you probably watched the news and saw that there was a MERs scare back in June. It seemed scarier on the news than it was here. Nonetheless, that's pretty much "over". And I've gotten into a routine of eat + work + sleep. Now it's summer vacation, and I'm trying to get back into traveling. And I'm getting really sleepy, so I'll just end this blog post here.
Here are some pictures, out of order sorry!
 |
| Exploring Daegu in 40 degree weather. (100+F) |
 |
| Rice Paddies near Chuncheon |
 |
| Street stalls at the Rose Festival in Wonju |
 |
| Lena in Daegu |
 |
| Seoul, South Korea |
 |
| Hosted an Ajussi/Ajumma potluck in Wonju :3 |
 |
| Daegu, South Korea |
 |
| Daegu, South Korea |
 |
| On my way back from Daegu |
 |
| Olympic Park, Seoul |
 |
| Rail-biking in Chuncheon |
 | |
|
Monday, May 25, 2015
The Lantern Parade in Seoul
During the month of May, brightly colored lanterns line streets of Korea to honor the birth of Buddha. Last weekend, I went to the Lantern Parade in Seoul to celebrate Buddha's birthday (which is actually today, May 25th). While I'm not religious, Buddhism aligns itself closest to my ideals, and ultimately what I think the meaning of life is. I won't get too much into my views on this, but I'll say that Buddhism is worth learning about. Here are some pictures from last weekend. During the daytime, Lena, Ivan and I explored, shopped, and chilled. Then in the evening we met up with Grace and Moon to eat and look at the lantern parade! Sorry about the blurry pictures. Night time photography isn't my forte.
It was a good weekend. For dinner we ate a pizza that had a hash brown crust. Yes, you read that correctly. It was delicious. :)
Korea is going well. I've been on my own here for over 3 months now, yet I still feel like everything is new. I'm told that for the first 6 months, teachers tend to just settle in. I'm also learning a lot about myself. Or maybe my tastes and interests are starting to change. I enjoy spending more time exploring on my own, and being around less people. My inner world is rich with life, but I'm trying to get out of my head and live in the present. After learning about Buddhism I tell myself to stop daydreaming, and start living more frequently now.
 |
| Street carts + the ever present crowd |
 |
| Lena! My cutest friend. ^_^ |
 |
| Shopping! I forget which area this is, but it's close to Jonggak station. |
 |
| We found this peaceful church... |
 |
| ...and after a long day, we decided to meditate here for a bit. |
 |
| DJ playing a track for the kids! They were really getting into it. :3 |
 |
| Surprisingly quiet crowd listening to a monk's lecture. |
It was a good weekend. For dinner we ate a pizza that had a hash brown crust. Yes, you read that correctly. It was delicious. :)
Korea is going well. I've been on my own here for over 3 months now, yet I still feel like everything is new. I'm told that for the first 6 months, teachers tend to just settle in. I'm also learning a lot about myself. Or maybe my tastes and interests are starting to change. I enjoy spending more time exploring on my own, and being around less people. My inner world is rich with life, but I'm trying to get out of my head and live in the present. After learning about Buddhism I tell myself to stop daydreaming, and start living more frequently now.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Note to Self:
Time is flying so quickly, I barely have the chance to catch my breath. I'm trying to learn and experience as much as I possibly can while I'm here, and I don't have as much time as I initially thought I would have. I have done so many things that I haven't written about in this blog, that I'd still like to remember! So I'm just going to list what I do remember, so I might write about them in the future.
- I went to Everland to celebrate Grace's 24th birthday.
- I went to Anmok beach and got a haircut from a barber who recently moved to Gangneung from Seoul, and spoke great English!
- Café GABI
- Taekwondo classes
- Exploring Wonju with Ivan (the market, the river, temple, AK plaza garden, golf building, Yonsei University)
- Seeing Korean drumming, cooking Indian food, and saving a lost puppy with Huma
- Having people sleepover at my place
- My apartment!
- Things I miss about home
- Seoul
- Shopping, and fashion
- Gyeongju 경주시 cultural trip (team lavender, exploring on bikes, cute Korean kids, museums, winning first place, climbing to the top of a tomb and looking at the stars, Samcheok park)
- All the new friends I've made, but how far away everyone is
- Post on lesson planning, and different lessons I've come up with
- I went to Everland to celebrate Grace's 24th birthday.
- I went to Anmok beach and got a haircut from a barber who recently moved to Gangneung from Seoul, and spoke great English!
- Café GABI
- Taekwondo classes
- Exploring Wonju with Ivan (the market, the river, temple, AK plaza garden, golf building, Yonsei University)
- Seeing Korean drumming, cooking Indian food, and saving a lost puppy with Huma
- Having people sleepover at my place
- My apartment!
- Things I miss about home
- Seoul
- Shopping, and fashion
- Gyeongju 경주시 cultural trip (team lavender, exploring on bikes, cute Korean kids, museums, winning first place, climbing to the top of a tomb and looking at the stars, Samcheok park)
- All the new friends I've made, but how far away everyone is
- Post on lesson planning, and different lessons I've come up with
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Sports Day
 |
| This is the view from my office at Jangyang Elementary. |
Sports Day at Jangyang Elementary school was tons of fun! The students, parents, and teachers got to compete in fun games and sports. :) My favorite was definitely the baton races. It was truly a wonderful experience for everyone! And it brought a sense of unity to the school. What I loved seeing the most was the sportsmanship displayed amongst the students. After a game was finished I saw the winners hug the losers, and at the end of the day the whole student body helped clean up and put the chairs back in the school. I saw little second graders carrying their chair back into their classrooms! And if a student was struggling, an older student would come to their rescue. It was so heartwarming to see, and I think the world could learn a lot from this culture.
 |
| D'oh! :3 |
 |
| These two ladies always sit with me during lunch, and try to get me to take more kimchi. :P |
 |
| Coordinated dance! |
 |
| A game is in session. Hi Jinbo Teacher! |
 |
| From left to right: The principal, and the vice principal! They are playing rock paper scissors. |
 |
| 4th grade cuties! |
 |
| 3rd grade sweetheart! :3 |
 |
| Go Joon Ik! Wave that flag! |
 |
| Ahhh! Faster! |
 |
| Two (adorable) troublemakers from my 5th grade. :) Two peas in a pod! |
 |
| Fighting! |
I talked to quite a number of my students, and we'd have an English conversation. I would make sure to use language that they had learned in class, and it was the cutest thing ever to see their parents behind them swelling up with pride!!!! :') It was also funny and nice to hear random students shout "Anisha Teacher, I love you!!"
I had the day off, but I'm so glad I went and got to witness such a bright and friendly event. I hope I get to see more while I'm here!
Friday, May 8, 2015
Paragliding
I went paragliding at 성주산자연휴양림 (Seongjusan) in April:
 |
| going higher! |
 |
| up up up |
 |
| coming down |
 |
| landed! |
I think I'm ready to go skydiving now! :)
Paragliding is very relaxing. It's not extreme at all, and I really think that anyone can do it! You float off the mountain top, up into the sky, and then land. No biggie! My instructor did a couple of spins mid-air, but my favorite bit was when we were floating really high up. I would describe paragliding as calming and peaceful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)