Snapshots of Seoul Whenever we get out of Daejeon and up to Seoul for a weekend the time tends to revolve around "what are we going to eat next, when can we acceptably have another cup of coffee, and when can we eat again?" Good food, or truly international food, is really the only…
Tag: Travel
Update
Update It's been about a month since I posted anything here and I just wanted to check in and say that I'm still alive! The first year that I was in Korea every single thing I did I was doing it for the first time. It was scary and exciting and there was so…
Helping Your Students Feel Comfortable Speaking English
Helping Your Students Feel Comfortable Speaking English One of the biggest barriers we face as native English teachers in Korea is that it can be really hard to feel like you connect with the students in the same way that the other teachers do. Not only is there the obvious language barrier but also…
Continue reading ➞ Helping Your Students Feel Comfortable Speaking English
TOPIK II Korean Exam
TOPIK II Korean Exam The Korean proficiency exam, called TOPIK, is broken up into two tests. TOPIK I is the beginner one and you can score a level 1 or level 2. TOPIK II is the intermediate/advanced exam and you can score a level 3-6. I took TOPIK I in January of last year…
Story Time: My Korean Hospital Experience
Story Time: My Korean Hospital Experience This is the story of the time I found myself waking up to a nurse telling me that I was having an allergic reaction in the middle of a procedure I was supposed to have slept through. In Korea. At the time it was just as horrifying as…
Continue reading ➞ Story Time: My Korean Hospital Experience
October Update: Some Favorite Things
October Update: Some Favorite Things One of my favorite things to do is listen to people talking about stuff that they love. A lot of people on the internet use these kinds of posts or videos to talk about products they love or are selling. But for this month's update post I decided to take…
It’s Not Your Fault
It's not your fault. As teachers I know it's easy to think that is, but it's not. Well some things are, of course. We are responsible for ourselves and responsible to always try to make the best lessons we can and do right by our students. But for anyone teaching in a public school,…
September Update: Mom Comes to Korea!
September Update: Mom Comes to Korea! Brace yourselves ladies and gentlemen this is going to be a long one. September was eventful to say the least. In the beginning of the month at school I was enjoying the accidental success of a particular lesson for my grade one classes that I expected to flop…
The Good Stuff
The Good Stuff Recently I had to end one of my grade one classes early to tell them I was disappointed in their behavior. The next day I had to hold 4 students back after a grade two class to tell them that their lack of effort was disrespectful. Doing that in terms that middle…
August Update: Summer Break
August Update: Summer Break August was a very transitional month. We finished English camp, I got my eight days of summer vacation which I spent relaxing at home, and we started the second semester back up at school. Everyone seems to finally be falling back into their regular routines and as we do the…









