My First Day at School

I somehow survived the weekend before my first day of school by gathering the wild berries near my apartment. I learned quickly that the blue ones are A-OK, but that the red ones should be avoided unless you're on a diet. I also was able to jury-rig a small bow using a tree branch and some twine I found in a cupboard. I used pens and pencils that were left in the apartment for arrows. I was unsuccessful at shooting any small game as my arrows were going a bit cattywampus. I also lost or broke all of my arrows and had no method of taking notes for some time.

Actually, I made french toast because I had bought some eggs and fluffy white bread. French toast has become the cornerstone of my meals during the week, but that may change now that I used all the syrup that was left here. That first weekend, I didn't have an internet connection nor did I have the correct plug to power my laptop. Almost as bad as that was the fact that I didn't know how to get hot water. Those cold showers weren't too bad because they reminded me of what being a volunteer in the Peace Corps would have been like if I had chosen that route.

On Monday morning, my Korean co-teacher picked me up and took me to the school. The first thing I did was meet the principal who talked to me for a long time about things that I don't remember. The other teachers later told me that he is quite loquacious and they often don't pay attention either. In hindsight, I was already fitting in with my fellow teachers quite well.

The students were in awe seeing me and stared at me like I was some sort of foreign being. I was shown my classroom and spent a lot of time looking around and figuring out what was there and how things worked. During this time, the students would burst into the room during their breaks between classes and introduce themselves. I learned quickly that middle school students, much like any other children, have only one volume, which is permanently set at loud. They would yell out, "Hello! Handsome boy! I love you!" I tried to communicate with them, but that was mainly returned with blank stares or looks mixed with fear and reverence. I now know the anguish that our greatest American export, celebrities, endure.

My biggest fear that day was that I was going to have to teach when I had no lesson plan. I had read on websites how native English teachers were simply tossed into a room and told to teach as soon as they arrived at their schools. Fortunately, I came to a school that had already had one previous foreign teacher that year. She had left after a week and I think this might have caused the administration to let me ease into my position. I didn't have to teach any classes for the whole first week and I could simply use the time for planning lessons. However, my anxiety had not completely dissolved because lunch time was drawing near. At the time, I had not thought of bringing in my french toast and impressing the other teachers with my fine culinary skills. All I had was a single energy bar. I was afraid the teachers would be disappointed in me for not being the stereotypical American that eats and eats and eats. I was going to have to make a run for it. I could stealthily exit the building by climbing through some sort of ventilation system like in my favorite movies. My plan was foiled as my co-teacher snapped me out of my daydream like the teacher in Calvin and Hobbes. She told me it was time for lunch...