Big Test

Next Thursday, seniors at every Korean high school are taking the big national exam. This test is only given once a year and is the equivalent to our SAT. Because it is only given once a year, students study excessively for it. All the students at my high school are so worried about it. The younger students at my high school are anxious for the seniors and have been doing little things to support them. They have made them oragami birds for good luck and have made them little home videos wishing them luck. School is cancelled next Thursday for all students but the seniors. Swine flu is going around like crazy here and I feel so bad for the students who are sick and have to take the test. This test is so important because it determines if and where a student goes to university. Students have been studying years for this one test.

School Discipline

One thing I find a bit distressing in Korean schools is the use of corporal punishment. When my students are late to their other classes, their teachers slaps them on the wrist with a wooden stick. There is swelling from the hit and it turns black and blue. I feel so bad for them. Also, if a student gets in trouble, they have to sit on their knees in the hallway for hours at a time. This is obviously meant to embarass the students as they are seen by all of their peers and teachers. My friends who teach at boys school say it is worse and students will be spanked in the staff room in front of all the other teachers. This is my least favorite thing about Korean schools.

Hamdock Beach

One of the best parts of being the foreign teacher at your school is that when students have test days, you do not have to come to school. These free days are perfect days for exploration. Today I visited Hamdock Beach which is about an hour north of Seogwipo by bus. What it lacked in size (it is about the size of a football field), it made up for in beauty. Teal water, white sand, light blue skies- it was like the Bahamas had been transported to Jeju Island. There were a few Korean families there and a family from France. Other than that the beach was mine! I did not know how beautiful Korea was before I moved here. The beach was breathtaking and I hope to explore the numerous beaches of this island before my grant year is finished.

Life as a Fulbright ETA: The Beginning

Hello everyone!

My name is Ashley Pinney and a 2008 graduate from the college of William and Mary. I received a Fulbright grant to work in South Korea this year as an ETA (English Teaching Assistance.) I arrived in Korea on July 5th and went through a 6 week orientation. The orientation consisted of Korean language classes, cultural workshops, and teaching workshops. All the ETA's were extremely nice and we created a tight bond in those six weeks. We all lived a university in Chucheon together and it was a lot of fun!

I am currently living on Jeju Island. 7 other ETA's and myself were placed on the island. ETA's are placed all over South Korea. We have some say where we get placed but not much. I am working at an all girls' high school in Segowipo. I teach 14 classes a week, each 50 minutes. The girls are really sweet and they are eager to practice their English with me.

There is a homestay element to this Fulbright grant. I am currently living with a family who owns a pension (hotel) and a horse club. I have my own "guesthouse" with my own kitchen and bathroom. I do not eat meals with them because they are too busy so instead we go grocery shopping together and they buy me food. The pension is beautiful and it is on a hill that overlooks the ocean. I have a 7 minute bus ride from the beach and the 5-start Hyatt resort. My situation, though, is extremely rare and most other people live in an apartment with a family that is present all the time. I am lucky to have the flexibility to do what I want, when I want but I miss the company of people.

Please let me know if you have any questions about being a Fulbright ETA in South Korea!
More posts to come!