I'm BAAAAAAAAAAACK!

....Kinda.

I am only partly here on earth today, as part of me was stolen by the TEFL demon last night/this morning. I'm not sure which part.

I only know that it feels like TEFL punched me in the brain, but there's nothing I can do about it. However, I am pretty sure I passed the test. I'm also pretty sure that I have had less than 10 hours of sleep in the last 48+ hours, but I could be wrong about that math.

I was going to write another Korea Quirk, but my gray matter is on strike today (which made math class very very interesting), so I'll just introduce you to Allie Brosh, the Champion of the Internet: http://tinyurl.com/2cjknxs

You're welcome!

*Please be advised that the site is occasionally rated PG-13 or more (not the above post). All of it is hilarious, but not all of it is kid-friendly.*

If you only read one other post on her blog, you should read this one: http://tinyurl.com/yeq5hee


ENJOY.

Day 5 of TEFL study

Yesterday one of my students excitedly thrust this in my face:

(it's in a clear, plastic bowl)

"Teacher! What is it??"

"...eugh!...uhhh....ehhhh, I have no idea?" 

You biology nerds out there are probably nodding in understanding right now, but it took me the greater part of an hour on google to discover that the stinky, slimy object wasn't a practical joke, but a sac full of salamander eggs. (This search was mostly fueled by guilt over not having known the answer right off the bat. I'm the science teacher, for pete's sake! No matter that I hold a degree in fine arts....Wait. Why AM I teaching science again? ...Ah yes. My employers are paying me to do so, and don't seem to care that my degree mainly consists of knowing Tom Stoppard plays and how to apply stage makeup and use my diaphragm.)

In the true spirit of carpe diem, I cut science class short and told my students their assignment for the rest of the period was to research salamanders and figure out how to keep them alive long enough to watch them hatch.

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

(And I'm trying my hardest to hold on to that pride and ignore the growing apprehension that I might soon become a baby salamander murderer.)

Our new class motto -- "Science: weird and wonderful!"






p.s. I should probably stop posting completely this week. My "ONE PICTURE ONLY" posts keep turning into normal-length blog posts. But yesterday was special, because Adam is special and it was his BD. Today, however, is not particularly special, and I really had no right to spend so much time explaining these photos. garargraggraagrrga!


.............

TEFL = Temporary dEath oF bLog

One week from today, I am taking the TEFL -  the "Teaching English as a Foreign Language" test. It will give me a certificate that says that I know how to teach English to non-English speakers.

Why do I need such a certificate when I'm already teaching English to non-English speakers, you might ask?

Lemme 'splain: Korea lets me teach because I am a native English speaker with a college degree. However, most other countries in the world are a little more strict and require either a degree in English (Adam scored that one), or a CELTA, TEFL, TESOL certificate to prove that you know what you're doing.

So if we ever decide to wander off to another foreign country, I could only teach and earn money while there if I have one of the afore-mentioned certificates. It will also potentially give me a pay raise here in Korea.

:)

However, to achieve this mini-goal of passing the TEFL, I have to study. I bought this TEFL course in December, thinking "I'm really good at studying, so I totally won't need 6 months to actually finish the course. I'll be done in 1 month, tops."  

...But I'm apparently only good at studying when I am in a structured class, with teachers to please and classmates to compete with. ("With whom to compete" is grammatically correct, but sounds lame.)  Now, I have a mere 7 days to cram the rest of the unlearned material into my lazy, out-of-practice brain cells.

So I am abstaining from blogging until the test is over.

 Be back in one week...!



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(I will, however, post one photo a day starting now!)

The most taste-bud-popping meal I have had since arriving in Korea: A full-fledged American-style breakfast at a restaurant with a French theme, OMG: waffles, french toast, sausage, eggs and hash browns. And believe it or not, waaaaaay better than Waffle House!