Starting September 6th, I will be working Tuesday through Saturday. We are trying this out to bring student numbers up and hopefully rescue our hagwon from closing down. Our company, JY Books has plenty of money and runs as a publishing company, however every session that we have less than 300 students we are costing the company money rather than gaining. Hagwons are a funny thing. Bringing a strong business focus to an educational setting.  Mostly focused on the foreigner teachers and using that to bring in the students.

With this change, I am teaching some new classes. Art & Yoga will be taught three times a week. We will alternate between Art & Yoga each week. I am super psyched about this! Also teaching from American textbooks for a higher level English Language Learner.

I have a new co-worker as well.  The company wants to always have one male and one female foreigner teacher at the school. We share an office space with the other two Korean teachers. We are the only full-time employees besides the director, and secretary. Our school is tiny and functions well after the initial excitement of a new session. I am a bit obsessed with organization at the work place, so I tend to always rearrange things and try to minimize our clutter.

My project during this planning week aside from my class materials and writing centers was to brighten up my desk. I spend most mornings here till noon, and then start my classes at 2:20.

Of course I cleaned things up a bit before adding anything to the space. It feels like a new space with just the slightest change.

These were mostly simple changes. Updating photos, making sure there is one for every member of my family. Replacing my dead plants. Post-its. Attaching my calendar to the wall for more desk space. Things that overall  make me feel good about the workspace.

Filed under: Teaching on September 2nd, 2011