3..2..1..Blast Off- Space Themed Winter Camp!

One of the things that many native English teachers in Korea have to do it teach an English winter camp. In Korea, the school year often ends in late December or early January. The new school year begins the first week of March. In the time between (like a summer camp in the US), many parents what their children to get some more lessons, so they can get ahead or don't fall behind.

Here is Hwacheon, we had a three-week-long winter camp. I only taught the first week, however. One of the best things about this camp was that you can make it entirely your own. The other fulbrighter here and I worked together to create an outer space themed camp. We shared the first day, and we both took two days to write lessons for and teach. We taught about planets, starts, zodiacs, and aliens. We taught vocabulary and did a bunch of crafts. It was really laid back. I think that was the best part of the camp. I also think the kids had a blast. And they made so many cute things.

New Year's Eve

If Christmas was a rather lackluster event, then New Year's Eve was even more so. Because of the Korean Educational System, I actually had school on New Year's Eve. In Korea, the holiday's focus is more on January 1st than it is on December 31st, therefore the night before, I stayed up until midnight like I always do, then I went down to the living room just before. All of the kids were there just hanging out. I pulled up the clock on my phone and we counted down the last few seconds of 2018. "Happy New Year!"

Like I said, it is more important to celebrate the first day of the year, so my host mom invited me to hike up to the top of a mountain that overlooks my town and watch the first sunrise of the year. So that is exactly what I did. Only it was a lot more work than I expected it to be. We didn't drive as far up as I thought we would. But the view. Wow. A bunch of other Koreans were there, and they released balloons into the sky.

After the sun rose, we walked back down the mountain to eat 만두 (dumplings). This is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day as it is said that by eating them, you gain a year (because in Korea, you age up on your January 1st, not your birthday). It was really funny because after we ate our dumpling soup, as we were walking back to the car, my host mom looks at me and tells me "In Korea, your age 24." Which I find hilarious because I was just thinking about how when I left the US in July, I was 21 years old, now in January, only 6 months later, I am now 24 years old. I gained 3 years in 6 months. It is actually amazing to me.

Christmas in the Classroom

I may not have much control over how my host family celebrates Chrismas, but I definitely had control over the Christmas spirit in my classroom. So I got everyone on board. What started as a very small lesson, one day, Christmas class turned in to much more. The first thing I needed to do was get the room looking festive. My students teaching classroom last year went all out. It was so decked out from top to bottom. He had so many decorations and lights it was a bit ridiculous, but I loved every second of it. Compared to that, my classroom still looked a bit sad. I don't care though. The kids loved it anyway. We strung up lights and put a small tree in the corner, decorated with little ornaments and lights. I even made a star out of paper to go on top, though it was way too big for the tree. Oh well.

We all know about those paper chains that kids make during the holidays. Well, my co-teacher and I decided to make a chain with each of the classes. Each student would decorate one chain link, and write their dream on it (5th grade was their career aspirations, 4th was what they wanted for Christmas). It was my co-teacher's brilliant idea to create paper Christmas trees to wrap them around, so I made star toppers with each class on it, and it became that every class had their own tree in the back of the room. I think it was actually really amazing.

Our Christmas treat lasted a few days because each class got to watch Rise of the Guardians (that means I had to watch it 7 times, but it was worth it). And on the last day before Christmas that I had with the students, I handed out Christmas cards and a small candy cane for each student. Well actually, I hid them around the room and made each student hunt for their card. I made one for each student with a small message and hand-drawn picture with their name on it. I hope they really liked them. It seemed like they did.

We also sang. In our class, to help the students learn English, we always learn a new song every chapter. For our final chapter, we learned several Christmas songs. Both classes learned "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Feliz Navidad" as well as 5th-grade learning "Santa Clause is Coming To Town" (one of my favorites). It was so cute singing these songs before class every day.

For my afterschool, I did some similar things, but because my last lesson with the boys was the week of Christmas, it was also our end of the year party. So I played card games (they love War), watched Home Alone and had a snack party for the last few days of our time together. And for Christmas, I gave them each a deck of cards so they can annoy teach their families the game.

It was nice getting to celebrate Christmas with the other English teachers. It made Christmas feel more like it was an event than just another day. I am happy that I had them with me this year.

Don't forget to read my post on Christmas with a Korean Family to hear all about how I spent my Christmas with my host family!

Christmas with a Korean Family

Anyone that knows me can say that I love holidays. I especially love Christmas and I am always up to celebrate. This year, however, was my first year away from my family for holidays. When I was in college, Christmas was really fun. It was almost like I got to have two Christmases. One with all of my friends at school, then I would get to go home and be with my family. It was great. Plus the US has the Christmas spirit in a whole different way from Korea.

Christmas here is more of a couple's holiday. Families don't celebrate it together as much. It was actually surprising how many of my students said they didn't even own a tree. At my house, my host parents bought a little artificial tree and got some lights to go around it. It wasn't the most festive but I appreciate them for making the effort anyway.

On Christmas Eve, my host parents had some friends over, and I made fudge with my host brothers. It was my substitute for not being able to make cookies this year. But the reality of the differences came on Christmas morning. I woke up to some wrapping paper being ripped and I look out and see my host brother, alone, opening his Christmas present. My host dad already left to play tennis, and everyone else was asleep. I go down and give him my present and leave the others under the tree. It was kind of sad in a way. On Christmas morning at my house, I always play Santa Clause. I am the one who is sorting through the presents and handing them out to everyone. I also am the one who opens the dog's stockings and lets them play with their toys. So to see this, was s different than I was used to. My host brother went outside to play with his new toy and I go back to my room.

About an hour later I can hear my host sister waking up my youngest host brother to go open their presents, so I go down to help. We play for a bit with the new toys and then its back on my own again. They leave to go to their grandmother's house and I hang out watching Christmas movies.

It was definitely one of the harder moments during my grant year, being so far from my family, but it was a small sacrifice for everything that I get to experience this year.

Don't forget to check out my post about how I celebrated Christmas in the classroom