5 Types of Classes You’ll Have as an EPIK Teacher

5 Types of Classes You'll Have as an EPIK Teacher   Every class I teach has a distinct personality which is the puzzling combination of all 30 something personalities in the room. And despite the fact that often those personalities are each perfectly pleasant on their own they can sometimes combine into something truly bizarre.…

Daejeon Cafe: Dongbang Coffee // 동방커피

It's been a while since I made a cafe post so I'm glad to finally be doing one again! Things have gotten super busy for me since I started playing volleyball and if I'm gone on the weekends that leaves me with almost no time for cafe hopping. But thankfully, yesterday I found some time…

My First Winter in Korea: Video

My First Winter in Korea: Video   It's worth mentioning that I'm from Florida. So to be fair this is really the first winter of my entire life. I imagine that the freezing weather and snow get old after a few years but I have to say that I'm surprised how much I enjoyed the…

Understanding Your Student’s English

Understanding Your Student's English   When you first get to Korea there will be a lot of things that you don't understand. Unfortunately some of those things will be what your students are saying, in English, in an attempt to talk to you. I always always try to at least pretend like I know what…

Tips for Surviving Your First Day as an EPIK Teacher

Tips for Surviving Your First Day as an EPIK Teacher   If walking up to my school on the first day amid a literal sea of students staring and gawking at me wasn't enough to make me nervous, then standing in front of my first class of 30 something 15-year-old boys was. Your first few…

Things My Students Have Said to Me: Part 2

One of the major perks of teaching middle school are the multitude of ridiculous things that I get to hear on a daily basis. Whether it's something clever and witty from a high level student, something bold from a kid who's inflated ego has managed to disregard the fact that they can't put together a…

Korea Month 8: Highs and Lows

  This month was good one. It has been a month of seeing my sister, taking a break away from school, and then taking an even longer break at school. First there was Chuseok. We got about 10 days off and I went to Hong Kong to see my sister. It was incredible. Feel free to…

If You Give a Kid a French Fry

I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but for many of my classes I can pinpoint the exact moment that things took a turn for the better. For some of them, it was right of the bat. The little ones, for example, aren't hard to please. They like me because they just like everything. The…