Teachers Share their Experiences While Living Abroad!

If this is your first time teaching in Korea, it can be quite intimidating especially since you will be handling students. I remember when I got here, I wasn’t sure how I could connect with my students. I wasn’t fresh out of college and I wasn’t accustomed to the Korean culture. One of the things my trainers at Chungdahm told me to do was to brush up on Korean pop culture and ask my students’ about their daily lives. I think because I started to watch and listen to the Hallyu or the Korean Wave (Korea’s version of Hollywood), it has me a better teacher. To be successful, bonding with your students about different subjects can make your life teaching a lot easier.

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Tags: student management, Students, Korean students, Kdrama, students in Korea, KPOP, seoul comic books, class management, webtoons

One of the initial struggles every teacher usually goes through, whether it's teaching English in Korea or back at home in your native country, is building relationships with your students.  As a male teacher I found it hardest to build a rapport with my female students.  The key I have found to strengthening the teacher-student bond is becoming knowledgeable of what kids, in this case Korean kids, are passionate about.  For girls I have found the best way to relate with them is through Kpop and for the boys it is through sports and video games. 

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Tags: student management, Teach English in Korea, Students, sports in Korea, quiet students, Videogames Korea, motivating students, KPOP

Before moving to South Korea to Teach English, the only K-pop I knew of was Psy and his HUGE hit, "Gangnam Style". I had no idea just how big this genre of music was until moving here. Now that I'm here almost a year I can tell you that Korean pop, or K-POP is a huge part of the culture, at least for the younger generation. In fact, Korean music in general has such a big impact on the people here, or at the very least, the students I teach. The other English teachers like it too (It's kind of a guilty pleasure!)

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Tags: teaching in Korea, a year in Korea, festival, festivals, cities in Korea, Daegu, abroad, Activities to do in Korea, K-Pop, benefits of living in Korea, KPOP