Opportunities

Really upbeat today. Did an interview this morning, really just for the sake of it, which turned out really well. It was with Dipont Education for an international school in China, which I had already all but written off in my mind behind the option of going to Cairo (which I have, in theory at least, accepted). As a result, I wasn't at all nervous and was really frank in explaining the incredible irregularity of my qualifications and teaching experience. Teenagers in England > elementary school kids in Korea > adults in Buenos Aires > adults in Korea > Uni students and kids in Korea. It doesn't exactly look as though it has been rationally thought through by someone who has a clear view of the desired trajectory of his career. So I just explained that I felt too young to settle down to a teaching career at 23 and wanted to work in different teaching environments whilst studying towards my MA, which is the truth! That conversation led to me telling her that, eventually, I want to be a Social Studies/History teacher, which in turn led to her lining me up for an A-Level History & ESL position at Nanjing Foreign Language School. It's by no means a done deal (both sides have things to look into) but it looks a great option if it comes through. A path back into the kind of teaching I really want to be doing, a lot earlier than I had anticipated.

So I'm in good form today because my mood is almost 100% influenced by events that happen to me rather than by my own self-control. Blue skies and snow out my window. Lots of work to get through with my students in our last two classes tonight and tomorrow because I was only about 50% all there the first week of the course this time around. Big, big, big celebrations in store for St. Patrick's Day (otherwise known as St. Patrick's Weekend over here). Will dash out of work on Friday to headline the Friday night at FF's 'Go Green' party and, if I pace myself, we'll be hosting the St. Patrick's Day party at Rocky Mountain Tavern on Saturday night. That's a big 'if'...

Decision Time!

Just checking in here before the weekend. Session Two of DDE1 finished off today, so it was a short, straightforward day for me and I'm just about to head over to Bucheon to meet Catherine for dinner before our gig tonight. I was a bit cheeky earlier by kind of disappearing after our class party and avoiding the picture-taking and general mass-hysteria of the last day. Of course, as I live in the building, I bumped into loads of them afterwards anyway, which was probably more awkward than if I had just stayed and gotten it over with. One of my classes this time was a bit unenthusiastic (being kind there...) so I think I would have felt a bit false doing the big farewell charade with them. The other classes were great, as they mostly are, and they have a big adventure ahead of them with university (proper) starting next week. It's over ten years since I was in their shoes - teaching is certainly good at making you feel old!

We had an induction for the new teachers at work on Wednesday. Actually, before that, we had to go over to the main campus and stand in front of the parents of the kid's taking our Tuesday and Thursday classes, and introduce ourselves. I didn't really get what was going on (daydreaming was definitely in progress) so when the mic came to me, I waved it away, and my boss wound up having to introduce me as the "shy teacher." Oops! Anyway, the induction was pretty helpful because this time last year, when we were the new teachers, we didn't really know what any of it meant or related to. This year it kind of helped put things in context. More importantly, we got to meet the new teachers, who all seem really dead on. It's great to have an infusion of new personalities joining us on Monday. Most of us went for dinner and drinks after (some stayed later than others....) and there are definitely a few of them I could see myself becoming good friends with, in what is likely to be my last six months at Duksung.

Speaking of which, I need to make a decision about Cairo on Monday. The timing isn't great, because I now have China and Indonesia on the table, so I could have been doing with a few more days to look into those options. Although I know it's a big risk, my gut is telling me to take the job in Cairo (two-year contract) and just throw myself into it. Although it isn't exactly what I was looking for, I need to be realistic about the fact that I'm unlikely to get that. There are a lot of positives: it's closer to home; it's a new area and culture for me to experience; it's a step up and sets me on my way for a lifetime of international school teaching; it's well-paid with good holidays; it seems to be a good school, etc. Some of my research suggests that student behaviour in Egypt might not be what I'm used to in Korea, but I'm willing to bet any money that it's better than what I was used to in England.

I hope you all have something fun planned for the weekend. If I see any of you in person over the next few days, expect me to pester you to fill out a questionnaire to help my sister, Rachel, with her dissertation research. Lot's of other things going on but not the kind of stuff you blog about. Not me anyhow. Fingers crossed it's a good, safe weekend, and that everything looks clearer on Monday.