As my 4th week of teaching is about to end, I realized that I really like elementary kids. I mean, they do get rowdy and they are a bit harder to control, but you cannot blame their eagerness to learn. They are constantly raising their hands up and trying to answer your question before you even ask it! We learned about King Tut today and these kids were just so enthusiastic about even having to act out his "mysterious death". I love them!
Now middle schoolers on the other hand... ahem. BUT!! As much as I want to hate them and yell at them, I can't help but feel sorry for them. By the time they come into my classroom at 7pm, these kids are worn out with school and other after school activities. I asked them today what time they go to sleep and when they wake up and it seems like the consensus was that they only get 5 to 6 hrs of sleep a night.
They are bogged down with midterms and tests that determine which high school they will go to. The last thing they want is to go to an after school english class and learn from a teacher who has no idea what they go through. It's a sad life. Korean parents ARE crazy. Parents work for their children's education in Korea, therefore they expect more out of them...hoping that one day their children can afford to take care of them. Kind of makes sense...right?
I hear about the suicide rates among students here in Korea and it's pretty shocking how high it's gotten.
I thought my parents were bad back in the States... I can't even imagine what these kids go through.. whew!