training - wahhh

Today was my first simulation. I had pages of notes and watched the example videos but the second I got up to mock teach, it was like I forgot everything. What really sucks is that my training is the most difficult out of everyone else's. Everyone else is teaching the lowest level of English so they get to teach basic stuff. I'm also the only one using tablets in my classroom so I not only need to learn how to teach the material by the curriculum, I need to learn how to use all of the functions in the program.  I have to teach critical thinking and how main ideas relate to the thesis statement which relates to the topic. Like WHAT?! The only thing that makes it really difficult is the fact that I can't really "teach"............ I have to ask questions that help the students come up with the answer themselves. I can't really just tell them the answer and then explain why it's the answer. It's kind of frustrating. It was nice to hear when I got some positive feedback from my trainer but I still have a lot I need to work on to become more thorough. In all honesty, if I didn't have an answer key.. I probably wouldn't know the answers either. I guess the focus isn't supposed to be on the correct answers but how everything relates to one another. It really is more difficult than it sounds. I was videotaped during my simulation so it was cool to be able to watch myself and know what I really need to work on. Hopefully tomorrow will go a bit smoother now that I know exactly what is needed.


After training, we went for lunch and I had my first taste of kimchi.. which is pretty much fermented cabbage and it is served as a side dish to just about every meal. It was spicy but it wasn't bad. Everything is sooo spicy here. Today we had meat and seafood that we mixed together in a broth, with noodles and veggies. We were given scissors to cut our noodles and veggies so that they are able to be eaten with chopsticks. After our main dish, we had a concoction of rice, spice, and a raw egg that was mixed/cooked into something that resembles oatmeal and is called "juke." It was surprisingly delicious.

My hotel roommate is teaching me some Korean. So far I've mastered how to say "thank you" and "where's the bathroom." Their words are so long and difficult to pronounce but eventually, I'm hoping to pick up some more. I have
found my all time favorite place in the world - Paris Baguette. It's a cafe where you can walk around and choose pastries and other things to take with you on the go. You can also order hot food and eat it there. They have frozen yogurt and bubble tea and pre-made cakes to go as well. I don't know how I missed this place when I went to Paris. I didn't buy anything to eat yet because I wasn't hungry. The bagels and the pastries were HUUUGEE and looked beyond delectable. I bought a cute little green tea because I buy things that I think are adorable (like my mini latte this morning). I have a problem. I did get a point card and am excited for that. Anyone who knows me knows that I probably have a discount or point card for anywhere that offers one. Always on the hunt for a good deal.

Anyways, back to practicing my simulations for tomorrow. Later days.