Back to School, Back to School

The new school year started this week! The school has been filled with children now. Our incoming 1st grade class (aka 7th grade) is very small, only about 30 children. The school is very small compared to other public schools in the area, about 120 students total. I feel like all the students and teachers like me very much! I have been told by my co-teacher that the children are excited for my class and happy to have me as a teacher :) Some of my co-workers have told me that they think I'm great and like me better then their previous foreign teacher (I probably shouldn't repeat that, hee hee). I begin teaching today! My class schedule goes as follows:
M-F 0810-0855 soccer team 
M-T 1535-1620 open class (I teach to any one who wants to come)
M- 1155-1240 2nd grade
T- 1425-1510 1st grade
W- 0910-0955 2nd grade
Th- 1425-1535 3rd grade
F- 1155-1240 3rd grade


I will end up adding in about 5 more classes, in order to teach the teachers. I'm very excited about teaching the teacher, I think that will help me become better friends with them :) no to mention the experience of teaching adults!! My schedule is very light so far, my contract states that I should teach 22 classes a week, and I only have 14 right now! Lots of planning time on my hands, which means my lessons should be awesome! My first lesson is just an intro lesson - pick English names if they don't have one, play a few games, learn the rules... typical 1st lesson! I have been using this awesome site www.waygook.org to get ideas, lessons, powerpoints, games, etc! It's very helpful. I am always up to hear ideas and suggestions for fun things to do!! Please feel free to message me if you have any! 


This week was a national holiday, it was to celebrate the beginning of the Independence movement against Japan. I spent the day up in Seoul (surprise, surprise). A friend and I got coffee, then went to the Contemporary Art Museum to see the Picasso display! It was great! I really enjoyed the art. We followed that with dinner in Itaewon (foreigner area) at a middle eastern place, yum hummus! 


This past weekend I did another race, this one was a 10k(6.2mi) and it really did not go well! The weather on Sunday was terrible! It was just warm enough to have rain, so about 1C (34F) and it was pouring down rain! I am proud that I actually did the race, since I'm such a wimp when it comes to cold weather. I was drenched by the 1k mark. Puddles were everywhere, so my shoes were soaked as well. I finished, which was good. I spent the rest of my day on my couch wrapped in blankets! Saturday was a fun day, got up early and went up to Seoul, I had arranged to meet with some people who were leaving the country that day to buy some of their things, I got a tent for camping and a wireless router! I now have wireless all set up at home :) and am excited to plan my first camping trip! I just have to wait for the weather to warm up. I spent the afternoon with my friends shopping. Stayed the night in Seoul to be there for my race in the morning! 


I am excited for this month! I am buying a road bike in a few weeks, I think I've picked out a Cannondale, I need to test it out of course before I buy! I have another 10k on the 27th. I start my 20 week training program for my 1/2 Ironman on March 14th. And I have decided to dedicate 1 hour a day (M-F) to learning Korean! :)