Teaching is one of the easiest thing to do but it can also be considered as
one of the most difficult on the other hand. Accepting the fact that teaching
requires talent, skill, style and most of all patience. Teaching also come up
with mastery on your students on what did they learned from you as you teach
them.
Being an ESL (English as Second Language) teacher is not that easy and not
that hard either. Even up until now I'm asking myself how did I got the job and
finished my contract after a month. Well as a matter of fact it is only a
month. It was a very unforgettable experience for me as a young media
practioner to be exposed on other form of media wherein you as yourself is the
media trying to reach out for those who hasn't have English on their
vocabulary.
I started my practicum training at La Consolacion College-Manila in Mediola
as an ESL teacher last January 14 to teach English to Korean students from
Gyeangnam Provincial College of Geochang and ended last February 8.
I can consider my experience of teaching as one of the most memorable of
all because not only I've enjoyed my work but I had also attached myself to my
students even though it is only a month. ESL is only a monthly program of LCCM
to offer a special treatment of teaching english for other countries around
Southeast Asia like Korea, Japan, Malaysia and others. As of now I have heard
that Japanese are going to visit them and those Japanese go here and learn
English also just like the Koreans a month ago.
It’s like a roller coaster ride in which each and every day you come in to
work your boss is going to nag you for the things you don't have any cause but
during your work, your students will just calm you down and they will make you
feel better. I know that I'm considered as underemployed but treating me like a
no one or a none existence at all is not good indeed.
I really enjoy teaching all of them even if it is only for a short time.
They respect me as their teacher and not treating me as one of them considering
we are on the same age. Some of them are very good in English but having a hard
time to speak in English. They are not dumbed as most of us know because of
their language and their way of speaking their language but actually they were
very smart. It is just they were not born with knowledge of the English
language. And since their new President requires all of them to learn English
to get a better job. That's why in return they find our country to be one of
their choices to be a training ground of English due to our ranking across the
globe as second next to United States of America.
Maybe I can't consider myself as good English speaker but ESL made me one.
I'm just thanking God for giving me the strength every day when I go to work
and guiding me all throughout my practicum training. The knowledge He has given
to me to speak English fluently in front of the class everytime there is class
discussion.
A month of teaching is very short as compare to what we experience like our
teachers and professors. ESL is also considered as an informal way of teaching
in which you'll just grade your student based on what you see on him or her.
It's kind of funny when some of my students is looking at their
Korean-English Dictionary in their phones because some of them doesn't know how
to express what they want to say in English. I have learned that the Koreans
doesn't want to have a difficult and very stressful exam and also they really
like to give promises in which it is not meant to be broken.
Another thing is don't you ever try to tell them secret because a Korean
secret is like when you told one of them the secret, that student will tell
another student and try to say its only between the two of them and then it
would go from mouth-to-mouth up until the whole class will know your secret and
that is what you call Korean secret.
While teaching them English, I also try to teach them a little of our
language - Filipino. I just don't like to see them being curious to what others
may say about them. And then in return they also teach me Hangul - Korean
language.
I can say that every day in my work is a challenge in which it is another
day to burn. I had experience to almost lose my patience and temper.
Another thing I won't forget is when after the graduation each of my
Man-to-Man students on my Listening and Speaking Class gave me a gift. They say
it is their way of thanking me to what I have taught them. It is a token of
appreciation to my effort during the program. One of my students gave a pair of
an NBA socks, the other one gave an NBA t-shirt, the other one is an NBA head
band and then they also gave me a picture of our class framed. They know that I
really love basketball so they gave me that. I was very surprised and
overwhelmed. Because NBA items are too expensive for a normal guy like me to
bought those kind of stuffs.
Choi Soo Bong (James) is a returnee student from last year's batch. He is
one of best students that we had. He is very good in English now and he also
plays basketball. Before they went to the bus for their flight back to Korea,
he gave me his ball. A Molten GG7 Fiba Asia Ball which is estimatedly cost
about P 1,500 here. He said he wants me to use it to my everyday practice.
I will never forget all of them specially my students Lee Jin Hui (Jenny),
Eo Chan Sun (Owen) and Son Young Sang (Richboy). They really made my practicum
training as their teacher very memorable. And even today they are in Korea with
their family; they still manage to try to contact me through facebook.
I know this is not the kind of job that I would fit in but this is the kind
of job where I see myself happy and enjoying. Writing is my passion and it has
been a part of my life since I was a little kid but I'm not expecting that I
also have the gift of teaching where I really expressed myself and share
everything I know.
I'm just glad now that I have finished my practicum training and just preparing
for myself on graduation day!
